Whip It – 2009

Director: Drew Barrymore
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Cast: Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Eve
Screenplay: Shauna Cross
 

Drew Barrymore finally garnered the courage necessary to assert herself as a movie director, after featuring in almost only romantic comedies over the time (He's Just not that Into You, 50 First Dates, Never Been Kissed, Music and Lyrics, Charlie's Angels). Now, the enchanting, but disturbed, E.T. kid has grown up (more or less) and has definitely showed through Whip It that there's more to her than just a funky smile and cute face.

The comedy “Whip It” may appeal to the male public as well, as the movie centers around a group of girls striving to win a roller derby. Barrymore manages to seize the moment and imagery of rookie roller Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page, “Juno”), the adolescent at the heart of the story. Page, having already done a great job as a misfit teen in Juno, is now playing a similar difficult girl in search for a place of her own, and gaining some unusual friends.

Living in Mom's (Marcia Gay Harden) territory, Bliss and her sister have no other option but to comply and follow Mom's long lost illusions of beauty tiaras, so they head from obscure beauty pageant to another, with no chances to win and nothing to gain. As such, Bliss sees an opportunity to rise from mediocrity, and seizes it, followed by great success. So she secretly involves in a roller derby in the city of Austin, where she gains fame and friends. Her friends turn out to be some funny female skaters (also starring Drew Barrymore), self-esteem is restored, and along comes a boyfriend too, of course. The girls' acting is most believable, and so the comedy doesn't turn into one more teen flick. Page works her talent, Harden makes a tough mom, and here comes the funny-named characters pack: Drew is Smashley Simpson, Juliette Lewis is Dinah Might, Kristen Wiig from SNL is Malice in Wonderland, Ari Graynor plays Eva Destruction, and Zoe Bell is Bloody Holly. Not sporting two many male characters as main cast, Daniel Stern plays Bliss' father, and Jimmy Fallon entertains in some funny moments as the track announcer. Landon Piig also does a nice part as Bliss's love interest.

The script is adapted by Shauna Cross from her own autobiographical novel, “Derby Girl”, and she manages to pin down the dead-end feeling of a small town from Texas. Cross had a personal experience as a roller girl, so although she is novice she could get the characters just right. As for Barrymore, we all know she has been a part of the cinema world since Steven Spielberg's “E.T”. she puts to good use her entire experience, from both on and off screens, as her more recent interviews have stated that her own relation with her mother have inspired this movie. We only hope that the future will bring more Barrymore-signed movies, and we definitely recommend her debut.

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