Whip It
So guys, apparently I get the honour of the first review. How… fitting? Well, even if it isn’t, I’m writing it anyways. This is quite a while after the fact, but I’m not the kind of person who can afford to always watch things on opening day. Thus, this evening I took a look at Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It (starring Ellen Page).
First off, I just want to say that I went into this movie blind. I still have yet to see Juno, and I’ve heard both good and bad things about it. That said, I also have a celebrity crush on Ellen Page, so make of that what you will.
Second, I will say that I did enjoy Whip It. I was under the impression that it opened to mixed reviews, which did surprise me a little after I finished watching it; however, I am pleased to say that (at the time of writing) that it stands at an RT score of 82%. For those who are unfamiliar with Whip It, it features an all-star cast including Page (X3, Juno) and Barrymore (E.T., Donnie Darko) as well as the likes of Marcia Gay Harden, Juliette Lewis, and Jimmy Fallon. As one of my fellow viewers put it, “seems a lot like Drew Barrymore just called in all her friends to act in this.” And it’s true. And it is awesome.
Whip It follows Bliss Cavendar, a 17-year old girl who isn’t exactly interested in what her mother (Harden) wants her to do, i.e. beauty pageants. Bliss is more interested in getting out of Hicksville, Texas, along with her friends and fellow employees Pash (Alia Shawkat of Arrested Development fame) and ‘Birdman’ (Carlo Alban, who seems to be best-known up to this point for his role on Sesame Street). In a classic teen rebellion move, Bliss breaks out the short skirts and stockings, the guy shirts, and all the 90’s Value Village what-have-you. In one of my favourite lines in the film (despite being an obvious ‘they’ll love this in the trailer!’ moment), in response to an ‘I’m-so-popular bitchy girl’s’ “So are you like, alternative now?” Bliss responds, “Alternative to what?” It’s a quick bite at high-school cliques, but it’s an example of one of the primary criticisms I’ve heard about Juno: the snappy dialogue. The characters in Whip It are simply too clever for their own good, making some of their lines ring far too much of a 20-something chuckling to himself as he taps away on his iMac. Of course, most of the time you’re far too busy laughing to care.
While out shopping with her mother, Bliss encounters a handful of grown women who share her feelings; roller-derbyis- rollers- they do roller derbies. Entranced by their wild clothes and general bad-assery, she heads into Austin with Pash to check out this derby. The following scene feels a little forced, as the skaters (who all have hilariously awesome nicknames, e.g. Smashley Simpson, Rosa Sparks) do their thing while the announcer (Jimmy Fallon) goes over the rules in detail for all of us squares. Does he really do that every single match? It is evident that the team Bliss saw, the Hurl Scouts, are the worst in the league, setting things up for heroic rise to victory. Standing in awe of the Scouts (“You guys are my new heroes,” she proclaims after the match), she is convinced to join the team while hiding it from her family, not to mention lying about her age.
As expected, she gains everything she wants only to lose it all, and as already revealed in the trailer, her parents find out. This simple summary demonstrates one of the main flaws of Whip It: it is simultaneously a fresh concept, yet it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. Although the overarching premise of the roller derby, not to mention the film’s indie vibe and charm, is authentic and original, once you delve slightly deeper into the story it feels very derivative (although it does steer itself away from the ‘boyfriend who still accepts her no matter what’ trope). Although I wasn’t altogether happy with the well-worn path the story took, the way I was immediately drawn into Bliss and the other characters’ world was just perfect. If this is what Drew Barrymore has to offer as a director, then ditch the romantic comedies. You’ll be going places.
Where is the thumb?: I’m not a big fan of numerical rating systems, so I’ll use a somewhat simpler method: is the thumb up, in the middle, or down? In this case: Up