Whip It (Fox Searchlight)
Roll On, Roll On
Whip It is a movie that starts out slowly but gains momentum as the minutes pass. By the end it has found its rhythm and is fun and enjoyable to watch. A lot of the credit must go to Drew Barrymore who is making her directorial debut, and the rest to Ellen Page who has the skill to humanize the roles she takes.
The movie takes place in Bodine, Texas and quickly establishes this is a place that could stifle the dreams of someone not choosing the average route to happiness. Bliss Cavendar (Page) is not your typical teen. Her mother Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden) is trying to mold her into the way of life she always wanted. This means beauty pageants which Bliss abhors.
One day Bliss sees a group of young women who are into roller derby. Her curiosity gets the best of her so she and her friend Pash (Alia Shawcat) drive to Austin so Bliss can try out for a spot on one of the local teams. She earns a spot and from this point on her life is changed; but it has to be a secret as she is underage and her parents dont know anything about it.
Page embodies all of Bliss traits. She is vulnerable, brave, funny, sad, and a million other things just like most teens today. The major difference is that Bliss finds a passion and she pursues it with everything in her. That is the heart of the film and what makes it work.
Harden and Daniel Stern are warmly entertaining as her parents. Earl (Stern) prefers to let his wife handle his daughters. He is just there to cheer them on. Brooke, however, is determined the girls will have every opportunity that she missed. It isnt that she is unhappy with her life; she just wants her girls to have more.
As Bliss best friend, Shawcat is a perfect fit. She makes Pash the stronger of the two on the surface, and the rebel who is willing to take chances. Underneath, however, she is traditional and wants the regular things out of life. This character perfectly supplements Bliss and makes the scenes with the two girls some of the best in the movie.
The whole supporting cast is great with Eve, Barrymore, Kristin Wiig and Zoe Bell bringing the roller derby team alive. Juliette Lewis is poignantly hateful as one of Bliss main rivals. Jimmy Fallon and Andrew Wilson have some good moments as the announcer and the coach. Landon Pigg is forgettable as Oliver, Bliss love interest.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.
The beginning of Whip It is a little slow. The movie doesnt really come alive until the roller derby girls show up. From that point on it builds with the character of Bliss evolving and her parents growing also. By the end I was a fan of the team and the girl in the center of it all. Whip It rolled on to become a totally enjoyable film.
I scored Whip It a snapped 7 out of 10.
