Could Drew Barrymore be any more likable? No. The answer is no.
Submitted for your approval: Barrymore’s directorial debut, the
criminally enjoyable roller-derby teen pic Whip It. Early on, it
becomes apparent that Barrymore and her roller girls are having a
blast, bodychecking and food fighting, which makes for two hours of
infectious fun and feel-good eye candy.

A reluctant perennial beauty-pageant contestant, Texan teen Bliss
(Ellen Page) longs to find her “tribe.” Enter a group of Austin roller
girls and a bout in a warehouse; exit one excited 17-year-old who
skedaddles home to her dusty Barbie roller skates. One adorable montage
later, Bliss’s fresh-meat tryout gets her on the Hurl Scouts, a team of
lovable losers who lack the drive to win, much to the bemusement of
their coach, Razor (played by Andrew Wilson, aka “Luke and Owen’s
brother”). The Hurl Scouts’ camaraderie is contagious, thanks in large
part to a great cast who aren’t afraid to take a fall: Barrymore’s the
aggro Smashley Simpson, Kristen Wiig’s the maternal Maggie Mayhem,
stuntwoman Zoe Bell is the athletic goddess Bloody Holly, and Juliette
Lewis is bad-girl natural Iron Maven.

Forgoing Bad News Bears sports-movie pitfalls, Whip It instead focuses on Bliss trying to escape her small town and her
mother’s expectations, all as she become the Hurl Scouts’ secret weapon
on the track as Babe Ruthless. There’s some falling in love with a cute
boy in a band, a whole bunch of ass bruises, rowdy girls-will-be-girls
romping, and an genuinely moving relationship between Bliss and her
mother (the excellent Marcia Gay Harden). Barrymore’s debut is sweet
without being sickly and rambunctious without affecting bravado.
Basically, Whip It is like the awesomeness that is Drew
Barrymore, but in movie form. recommended

8 replies on “Feel-Good Ass Bruises”

  2. I’ve always been bothered by Drew Barrymore. It’s like, we grew up in the same period with Sassy, punk, and bad ass, feminist teen girlfriends; with bands, Weetzie Bat, vintage clothes and all that. Yet somehow Drew has taken all of that nostalgia and made it all seem so cutesy-adorable and naive.

    Like when Ellen Page’s classmate says something like, “So what are you, alternative now?” and Ellen responds, “Alternative to what?” That’s just so dumb. We all totally knew what that label meant and we liked it.

    I feel like she has so much love for that stuff that she overly romanticizes it, and this affects the authenticity of her characters.

    Of course, I haven’t seen this movie yet and am going off of the previews and Drew’s acting roles.

  6. This movie was excellent for the demographic of teen girls. I think it has a really strong feminist foundation. I applaud the movie for not revolving around Bliss’s relationship with the boy (which many mainstream directors would have focused on more than the actual plot) and that winning wasn’t treated as the ultimate goal. This held many good messages and didn’t sell out to usual mainstream techniques of getting viewers in the seats. Def. worth seeing.

  7. I have never commented on The Stranger before, and I never will again, but I realized something alarming while reading this review.

    I hate Ellen Page like some people hate ABBA. I hate roller derby like I hate the Port-O-Potties rich people keep outside their homes for the workmen to use. I hate the fact that most of America, and especially most of Seattle, LOVES both Ellen Page AND roller derby. I hate how much money this movie is going to make, most particularly in this particular town.

    And because, contrary to popular belief, I do understand the irony of the universe, I am quite sure that the only place I would ever possibly meet the person who might end up being my soulmate would be at a screening of this movie, and thus I will never meet that person. Ever. This is the way the universe keeps me single. And ALSO, if I ever (by some arcane craft) have children, this will end up being their favorite movie of all time. I know these things. I do.

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