Whip It

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‘Girl power’ might have been slightly sullied by the Spice Girls, but Drew Barrymore reclaims the title in her rollicking coming-of-age film, Whip It. Barrymore’s directorial debut sees 17 year old Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) branch out from her backwater Texan town, trading in beauty pageants to take on the crazed sport of roller derby. Inspired by the tales of daring derby do of screenwriter, Shauna ‘Maggie Mayhem’ Cross, Whip It encompasses the trials of family, friends, first love as well as the extremely feisty sport.

After her rocketing success in Juno, here Page makes a welcome departure from cynicism. Bliss and her skating alter ego, Babe Ruthless, are both eagerly wide-eyed, with a healthy dose of teenage awkwardness. And as with most high-school girls, Bliss is inseparable from her best friend, Pash (a wonderful Alia Shawkat), even when their shared desire to escape pulls them in different directions. Barrymore does well to flesh out this foundational friendship, although she strays a bit closer to cliché with Bliss’ family. However the woebegone, sonless father (Daniel Stern) and pageant-obsessed mother (Marcia Gay Harden) are saved by strong performances.


The world of roller derby also receives relatively short shrift. Barrymore is much more focussed on Bliss’ story and instead sticks to the generic conventions of sporting films: the quirky coach (a brilliantly deadpan Andrew Wilson), a smattering of strange team-mates – including Kiwi stuntwoman Zoë Bell, Kristen Wiig and Barrymore herself – and an intimidating rival, ‘Iron Maven’ Juliette Lewis. Fortunately the overarching sisterhood of this sport, as well as some energetic cinematography and the enthused commentary of Jimmy Fallon result in a fresh and infectiously fun film.

A punk and punchy addition to the genre that is chock-full of spirited female performances and a whole lot of heart, Whip It could easily be this decade’s Bend it Like Beckham.*

3 ½ stars
Alice "A-Bomb" Tynan**

Australian release date: 8 October 2009

*Oops, Bend It Like Beckham was released in 2002. Oh well, you know what I'm saying.
** Thanks to B for my honorary roller derby nickname.