The back of the DVD box for Drew Barrymore's directorial debut about women's roller derby's says something along the lines of "pure genius." Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I wouldn't say it was "pure retard" either (pardon my political incorrectness there).
Whip It is the story of Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page - Juno) who is a sort of edgy, "alternative" misfit who has grown unhappy with her small-town Texas life football and beauty pageants. Football loved by her father Earl (Daniel Stern - Home Alone I and II) and the pageants by her mother Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden). Bliss just wants to get out and needs a plan and a calling. She eventually finds a flyer for a Roller Derby event, schemes to attend, gets invited to try out and becomes Babe Ruthless, her alter-ego roller derby character. She makes the team, lies about her age, works hard to succeed, experiences her first love with the young lead singer of an Indie rock band, gets disappointed in love, bonds with her new family of roller derby girls who include such actresses as Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig (SNL, Knocked Up), Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers, Old School), Eve, and Andrew Wilson (Luke and Owen's older bro), fights with her mother to escape the beauty pageant and live her new dream as roller derby star. And they all live happily ever after. The End.
This was a good movie in that it had an interesting cast that all seemed to mesh with one another. It was also pretty cool in that it is a decent flick about women's roller derby which I can honestly say I've never seen.
It should be noted that the word "good" for the purposes of this review is the be defined as "well acted, well written, well cast, well directed." It is not to be defined as "I liked it." Because I was actually kind of bored with it. I mean, I like Ellen Page, I like Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, and Juliette Lewis, but I just didn't like this movie. I felt it kind of hard to believe that Ellen Page's little ass could handle one match in the rough sport of roller derby. I also just wasn't that intrigued by the roller derby sport. I know the idea is to see sexy women in skimpy outfits, knocking the crap out of each other, and that's supposed to be hot, but I just don't think it is. The women are tattooed and butch and the only time women fighting is hot is when it involves bikinis, a kiddie pool, and lots of jello...or mud...or KY jelly...
This is one of those well made films that just felt a little flat to me. The fun parts just didn't feel all that fun, the sad parts just didn't feel all that sad, and the happy parts just didn't feel all that happy. Maybe I was in a bad mood when I watched this, but I honestly wouldn't recommend anyone rent this. If I comes on HBO or something, maybe you can watch it, but don't waste you hard earned money on this one.
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