Review of Whip It (2009) by Eliot G — 30 Jul 2013

"Whip It" is a perfectly scrumptious directing debut from Drew Barrymore, one that matches her "adorkable" quirkiness and shameless lovability with an unexpected dose of true laughs and heart.  Those expecting a "Juno" rehashing (considering it stars its star Ellen Page and its premise is undeniably outlandish) will be surprised, as it contains a lot more everyday humor, a lot less Diablo Cody mocking, and a lot more drama when it comes to families and the anxiety of growing up.  It's simply, a really good movie.

Page, better than ever, stars as Bliss Cavender, a literally small-town girl who prefers to live as a wallflower with her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat). Her pushy mother (Marcia Gay Harden) forces her to partake in beauty pageants, but a life of "glamour" is unfulfilling to Bliss. So when she stumbles upon the opportunity to try out for a Roller Derby team, she takes the chance.

Much to her surprise, Bliss turns out to be a natural, and before long, becomes the star of the team. Her life really picks up, and reaches an all-time high when she begins dating an amateur rock 'n' roller (Landon Pigg). But with the idea of college and a future as an adult in her midst, Bliss has to really think about her life in the meantime.

Barrymore's directing is surprisingly sophisticated and mature, keeping a low-budget Wes Anderson flare while maintaining to keep a sort of hipster undertone that's immensely likable.  It presents a world that's a lot of fun to watch, fascinating to a fault but more than anything, funny and charming.  Barrymore is a highly intelligent director, because not many can take the life of a teenager and make it so smart and witty.

Page gives an enjoyable performance as usual, but it's her pairing with Shawkat that makes for a likable duo.  They don't live in "Juno," because if they did, they'd both live in a cloud of sarcasm and eye-rolls (not that that was ever a bad thing).  Instead, they're both fittingly odd outsiders, ones you could see at school, but not sugar-coated to a point where you wonder why they aren't the most popular girls around.  Page, at first, is quiet and fidgety, but gives us utter joy when she comes out of her shell; Shawkat is the more outgoing and boy-crazy one that you can tell is considerably more vulnerable than she let's on.

One of the most lovable things about the film is that it takes the clichéd premise of most coming-of-age stories and mixes it up into a concoction that nobody has really tried before.  We've seen it all -- mean parents, the changing of the status quo, a fish out of water ... but "Whip It" takes a few of these elements and, by wrapping it around the nutty world of Roller Derbies, makes a tasty treat that feels more unfamiliar than familiar.

"Whip It" crashed and burned (like many of its Derby patrons) when it hit theaters, but don't consider it a bad sign. Barrymore's debut is completely awesome, and by the end you'll want her to make more movies like this one.