Whip It (2009)

Director:

Drew Barrymore

Writers (WGA):

Shauna Cross (screenplay)
Shauna Cross (novel)

Release Date:

2 October 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Be Your Own Hero

Plot:

In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin. |

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Roller Derby | Bruise | Pinball | Practice

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Sarah Habel	...	Corbi
Shannon Eagen	...	Amber
Edward Austin Austin	...	Pageant Coordinator
Mary Callaghan Lynch	...	Val
Ellen Page	...	Bliss Cavendar
Alia Shawkat	...	Pash
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Brooke Cavendar
Barbara Coven	...	Pagent Mother
Eulala Scheel	...	Shania Cavendar
Nina Kircher	...	Trudy
Daniel Stern	...	Earl Cavendar
Mark Boyd	...	Ronny
Carlo Alban	...	Birdman
Doug Minckiewicz	...	Colby
Michael Petrillo	...	Poindexter

Also Known As:

Derby Girl (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material.

Runtime:

Canada:111 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45370) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:M | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Company:

Vincent Pictures

Trivia:

In addition to their similar names, the manner in which the "Manson Sisters" are introduced is an obvious homage to the first appearance of the Hanson Brothers in Slap Shot (1977): both scenes involve the characters beating up a vending machine, as well as similar dialogue indicating that the players have been "transferred" from other teams.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In an early scene shot from the air, an interstate highway sign pointing the way to Austin has white arrows incorrectly pointing down instead of up.

Quotes:

Bliss Cavendar: We deserve better villains.

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Soundtrack:

Breeze

Surprisingly Good

Enticed by free t-shirts and comfortable seats, two of my friends and I made the journey to Alexandria last Saturday to catch the sneak Preview of Whip It. Upon our arrival, our expectations were not high, as none of us were fans of Drew Barrymore.

Once the movie began, however, our opinions quickly changed. Drew Barrymore may not be the best actor, but she definitely has chops at directing. Whip It is the tale of a girl who hates life in a small town so she decides to rebel by joining a roller derby team with often comedic results. The movie is much better than plot may sound. It has some cliché moments but definitely beats the standard chick flick.

The film had a very unique feel, shifting between humorous and hipster-esquire scenes. This also was probably my biggest problem with the movie. The comedy often reminded me of something out of an Owen Wilson film but then the dramatic scenes reminded me of something more hip than Juno. That being said, the movie was much funnier than the average chick flick.

Ellen Page is superb as usual, taking on a somewhat different role than what I've seen before. It's impossible to compare her to her role in Juno, as in Whip It she plays a much more introverted, but still conflicted girl.

Andrew Wilson was probably the funniest character in the movie. I'm actually wondering where this guy came from. The other two Wilson brothers are huge and this guy just comes out of nowhere. Hopefully we'll see more of him, as he is just as funny as Owen and Luke.

Drew Barrymore had a very small role in the movie. The few scenes she is in are certainly not ruined by her. Landon Pigg should probably stick to music, or maybe even quit that because he sucks at that. He is not an actor, and that was prevalent throughout the movie. Jimmy Fallon provided a solid array of one-liners as the quirky announcer for the games.

The rest of the cast was solid, including Marcia Gay Harden as the strict but loving mother. Juliette Lewis is good as the over-the-top, intense player who takes things way too seriously. Alia Shawkat I couldn't stand but I just can't stand her in general.

This movie definitely goes far beyond what any average chick flick would. In fact it's hard to classify it as such, as I found it good and I'm a dude. All things considered it's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of hip movies or just comedy in general.