KellyKlepfer
"Plenty of Teen Drama But Some Good Laughs, Too."
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A comedy film directed by Drew Barrymore and written by Shauna Cross, based on Cross' novel Derby Girl.
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Rating:
I liked this movie for a number of reasons.
+4
1) I am a fan of roller derby.
2) I'm a fan of 'alternative' gals.
3) I'm glad to see Drew Barrymore directing something by and for women as her first directorial piece.
When it gets right down to it, this is a perfect movie for a sleepover of 14-17 year old girls. It fits into a sort of John Hughes category of 'what am I going to do with my life?' And the answer lies in this sport of strong, tough women: roller derby.
Wrapped into all that is a lovely strong family that wants the best for their smart, pretty daughter but has some communication issues, and there are some nice life lessons learned along the way.
Unfortunately the movie, which got some great reviews, was released into the theaters with some big competition like Zombieland, The Invention of Lying, and Where the Wild Things Are so it didn't make big bucks in the theater. I recommend you check this out on DVD as soon as possible.
The skating is incredible to watch and the story is believable enough. I have to say that this definitely trends toward a female audience based on the reaction from my household. But well done, Drew. Not a thing wrong with that.
If you also liked this movie, I'd say check out the book it was based on, Derby Girl, or the A&E reality show Rollergirls, that ran a few years back.
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woopak_the_thrill
March 26, 2010
I ignored this flick for all the reasons you've stated...it did come out with some stiff competition. Great write up!
dcgrrl
March 26, 2010
I'm not gonna say you'd give it five stars because, well, you're a guy and all. But it was pretty entertaining imho.
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devora
March 24, 2010
Aws, I saw the previews for this, but never got around to watching it in theaters. Sounds great, and I love Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page though, so I'm going to have to catch it soon. Thanks for sharing! :)
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More Whip It reviews
review by KellyKlepfer.
February 04, 2010
Teen drama and quirk lovers, this one's for you. Bliss (Ellen Page) lives in dead-end Texas working at the local, home-of-the-Squealer BBQ joint. Her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) knows her daughters tickets out of town include beauty and brains and she promotes this via beauty pageants. Bliss hates this endless parade while her younger sister grabs hold of it. (Begin teen drama.) One day Bliss discovers the big, wild world of Roller Derby and embraces the idea … more
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Heather (dcgrrl)
Ranked #81
Ranked #81
I'm a Washington, DC native and I really hope I help you discover something that makes your life easier or more fun.
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About this movie
Whip It is a comedy film directed by Drew Barrymore and written by Shauna Cross, based on Cross' novel Derby Girl. The film is Barrymore's directorial debut. It is due for release on October 2, 2009 in the US. The film is rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material.
The premise is that a misfit girl named Bliss (Ellen Page) is constantly being pressured to enter beauty pageants by her mother. However, she feels this isn't something she's meant to do, and joins a roller derby league instead. She feels that these girls are her new heroes. She has no idea how to skate but Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), one of her teammates, tells her to be her own hero. This is a recurring theme in the movie. She then is determined to join their roller derby league. She realizes that she skates well, and in an effort to join the league, tells her parents she will be taking SAT preparation classes. Her mom believes her and is very happy she is taking some initiative in her life. When her mother finds out, everything will change.
Whip It was produced by Barry Mendel and Drew Barrymore. The film is a co-production between Mandate Pictures and Barrymore's Flower Films. The film will be distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures upon its cinematic release. Screenwriter Shauna Cross adapted her 2007 young-adult novel Derby Girl for the screen and pitched the script to different production companies while simultaneously pitching its source material to various ...
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The premise is that a misfit girl named Bliss (Ellen Page) is constantly being pressured to enter beauty pageants by her mother. However, she feels this isn't something she's meant to do, and joins a roller derby league instead. She feels that these girls are her new heroes. She has no idea how to skate but Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), one of her teammates, tells her to be her own hero. This is a recurring theme in the movie. She then is determined to join their roller derby league. She realizes that she skates well, and in an effort to join the league, tells her parents she will be taking SAT preparation classes. Her mom believes her and is very happy she is taking some initiative in her life. When her mother finds out, everything will change.
Whip It was produced by Barry Mendel and Drew Barrymore. The film is a co-production between Mandate Pictures and Barrymore's Flower Films. The film will be distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures upon its cinematic release. Screenwriter Shauna Cross adapted her 2007 young-adult novel Derby Girl for the screen and pitched the script to different production companies while simultaneously pitching its source material to various ...
Cast:
Drew Barrymore,
Juliette Lewis,
Andrew Wilson,
Eve,
Ellen Page,
Marcia Gay Harden,
Alia Shawkat,
Kristen Wiig,
Daniel Stern,
Ari Graynor,
Jimmy Fallon,
Zoe Bell,
Landon Pigg
Director:
Drew Barrymore
Genre:
Comedy,
Drama,
Sport,
Romance
Release Date:
2 October 2009
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
Screen Writer:
Shauna Cross
DVD Release Date:
26 January 2010
Runtime:
111 minutes
Studio:
Mandate Pictures
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