What keeps the familiar story of "quirky, misunderstood, small-town teen who gains self-confidence through learning a new game/sport while rebelling against the parents and falling in love for the first time" from being the same boring ole movie we've seen a zillion times before? Perfect casting, great acting, a kick-a$$ soundtrack and action-packed roller derby, that's what.
Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with Whip It (based on the novel Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, who also wrote the screenplay), which centers around Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) of tiny Bodeen, Texas. A typical 17-year old, Bliss hangs out with her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat), works at a BBQ restaurant called the Oink Joint after school, and begrudgingly participates in beauty pageants because her mom (Marcia Gay Harden) makes her. Then one day Bliss picks up a flyer for a roller derby event in nearby Austin, which she and Pash attend. After that, she's hooked.
Bliss pulls out her Barbie skates, goes to the roller derby tryouts and makes it on the Hurl Scouts team. Skating as Babe Ruthless, she and fellow Hurl Scouts Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore), Bloody Holly (Zoe Bell) and Rosa Sparks (Eve) routinely get their butts kicked on the track by the other skaters, especially the skanky Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis). Win or lose, bruised or bloody, though, roller derby is much more satisfying to Bliss than the Blue Bonnet Pageant could ever be.
Whip It is infused with grrl power without being strident, has a moral center without being preachy, and is upbeat without being sappy. It's just so much damn fun. The soundtrack is largely responsible for this. Songs from The Ramones, Peaches, Tilly and the Wall, Turbo Fruits, The Breeders and others (even some .38 Special), are in perfect sync with the attitude of the film (and of the characters too sometimes) and really make the movie pop.
In addition to the actors already listed, Whip It also has Daniel Stern as Bliss' dad, Jimmy Fallon as the roller derby announcer/MC "Hot Tub" Johnny Rocket, Andrew Wilson (brother of Luke and Owen) as the surfer-hippie-New Agey Hurl Scout coach, and singer Landon Pigg as Bliss' love interest. The film's casting is dead-on and all of the performances are strong, especially those of Ellen Page and Kristin Wiig.
The film's not perfect, of course. The underwater love scene was beautiful but ridiculous, and Ellen Page doesn't even make an attempt to speak with a Southern accent (although she did say "ya'll" at least once). But these things are easily forgotten once you've seen Whip It, because you'll have The Chordettes' version of the song Lollipop stuck in your head and the overwhelming urge to check out www.tamparollerderby.com.
Film Fan Finding: B+
2 comments:
Cool review of Whip It! Welcome back Lisa!
Under normal circumstances I would have thought that Ellen Page has a really annoying way about her, but she actually did a great job in this movie; all around Whip It rocked.
Post a Comment