Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It, effectively straddles the line between indie flick and big-budget Hollywood feature, dropping A-list stars into a rural Texas landscape.
The film follows Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) as she finds an “out” from her small hometown of Bodeen, Texas. With a mother (Marcia Gay Harden) who wants her daughter in pageants and a father (Daniel Stern) who only cares about beer and football, Bliss’s options seem limited until a trio of punked-out derby girls skate into her life.
Don’t be fooled; this isn’t your average roller rink. These girls turn roller skating into a contact sport. 17-year-old Bliss is instantly hooked and thrilled to finally be out of frilly dresses and into elbow pads as part of such a badass group.
It’s hard to figure out how seriously Barrymore wants her audience to take Whip It, considering that it features a pizza shop food fight scene. Originality creeps through in the details, although the basic plot is entirely familiar. Remember those Disney Channel original movies? Think of this as Brink with a hint of social commentary.
Whip It certainly has its merits. The characters verge on caricatures but are ultimately both believable and enjoyable. The writing contains the occasional awkward moment of silence, but she does succeed in telling a cohesive tale with great pacing.
Most moviegoers won’t notice her straightforward directorial technique, adding to the film’s realistic, small-town feel. Ultimately, you’ll leave the theater satisfied, with a few quotable lines and a newfound appreciation for the rigors of hard-core roller skating.
