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Lace up your skates and go see 'Whip It'
Barrymore's directing debut as athletic as her subject matter.
Published online on Friday, Oct. 02, 2009
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Drew Barrymore must have paid close attention during all of her previous acting roles because her directorial debut, "Whip It," shows all of the handiwork of a seasoned director. She flawlessly combines the emotional entanglements of a serious coming-of-age story, light comedy and the fast-paced demands of a sports-action movie.
Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) is a teenager who has always been the good daughter, even when she no longer shares the passion of the Texas pageant circuit with her stage mother (Marcia Gay Harden). The discovery of the teeth-jarring world of roller derby becomes Bliss' new passion -- all she has to do is keep that world a secret from her parents.
Barrymore had major help from a cast that is strong from top to bottom.
"Whip It" solidifies Page as the leader among the current young generation of actors. Page's expressive face makes you believe in the maturity of Bliss, even when that growth is played out against the raucous sports world. She's a strong actress who is equally believable as an emotionally confused woman and as the teen terror of roller derby known as Babe Ruthless.
As with a winning roller derby team, Page gets support from Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Harden and Daniel Stern.
Ellen Page shows she's one of the top actresses of her generation with her depiction of a teen roller derby terror in "Whip It."
MOVIE REVIEW"Whip It," rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material. Stars Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis. Running time: 1 hour, 56 minutes. Grade: A-
Barrymore showed the good sense to cast herself in a quirky, but small role. Too many directors try to star in their own movies, which often leaves the project lacking because of a split focus.
Barrymore needed focus to shoot a film about the fast-paced world of roller derby. The action takes place in a confined space, so it is impossible to hide the less-athletic actors. Barrymore was able to get enough skating from her stars -- combined with well-masked stunt work -- to make every scene on the banked track realistic. Failure to do that in a sports movie is a cardinal sin.
She also captures the raw spirit of the roller derby world to make "Whip It" more "Rollerball" than "Kansas City Bomber."
A film that was less aggressive in its storylines and action sequences would have been a safer choice for a first-time director. Barrymore didn't take that safe path and scores big.
In the words of Devo, "Whip It" good.
TV and movie critic Rick Bentley can be reached at rbentley@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6355. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com.
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