Finally a film for that rare young girl who doesn’t feel the world understands her. Whip It is the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore, starring Juno‘s Ellen Page as Bliss, a young girl in a small Texas town who feels the world doesn’t understand her. On a trip to Austin, Bliss discovers that her life’s calling is to be in the roller derby. Roller derby is a sport for young women whom the world doesn’t understand, played by going in circles on roller-skates and hitting people.
There are those who don’t appreciate the derby–namely Bliss’ pageant crazy mother and football obsessed I-wish-I-had-a-son father, who are played pretty well by Marcia Gay Harden and Daniel Stern, respectively. Mom and Dad are kept in the dark about their daughter’s nascent career. Teenage rebellion–oh yes, tell me more.
Bliss is aided in her deceptions by best friend and sometimes party girl Pash (Alia Shawkat, whom you might remember as Maeby the cousin/love interest of Michael Cera‘s George Michael on Arrested Development. Cera was the love interest of Ellen Page in Juno. Kind of a sick and twisted little triangle.). Anyhoo, there are crazy parties, and boys all under the noses of the parents.
Bliss’ teammates on the “Hurl Scouts” are entertaining, and in the case of Kristen Wiig‘s Maggie Mayhem, occasionally insightful. Barrymore is always good for the physical comedy laugh, and I have no idea what-so-ever why Eve was in this. She barely had any lines. Appearing as the captain of the opposing team is Juliette Lewis, sort of the IceMan to Bliss’ Maverick. She sells it. I totally buy Juliette Lewis throwing elbows.
As someone who liked the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and has been called a little girl by nearly every gym teacher in the Colorado educational system, I can honestly say I enjoyed Whip It. It follows a tried and true formula, but one I have yet to get tired of. I still like Ellen Page, most of the time, I still like roller derby, even though the height of its popularity has long since past, and I still like movies about teenagers.
All in all, Whip It is kind of a fun movie. It’s a comedy for anyone who is or has ever been a teenager (no babies). Ellen Page does the misunderstood teen girl thing pretty well by now, and Barrymore’s direction hasn’t suffered from her early exposure to Steven Spielberg. Burn. – [DVD]
Comedy/Drama/Sport
Rated PG-13
DVD Release Date: 1/26/10