User reviews

Drew Barrymore created a stunning film with Shauna Cross's script, and you would never know it was her first time directing. The characters and story are so well crafted and there's never a dull moment. I love the way this movie feels nostalgic and makes you remember that time in your life where you're trying to figure out who you are, and you have that one best friend that gets you through the tough times. I'm impressed by the actresses' skating abilities and making this all look so natural to them. Marcia Gay Harden is total perfection as Bliss Cavendar's mother, bringing such a realness to her character, and Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat have realistic chemistry that pulls you into their friendship. This isn't a raunchy movie and I find it totally enjoyable. I can watch this movie over and over and I never get sick of it - it's become a classic for sure!

Drew Barrymore is well known for her quirky acting and distinct personality. But now movie goers across the country will begin seeing her in a new light- director.

"Whip It," which stars Ellen Page (Juno), Marcia Harden, and several other notable actors/actresses is a fun filled, action packed, emotional film that forces you to give an old fashioned thumbs up as you leave.

Page is fantastic in her role, perfectly capturing the rebellious, curious character of Bliss Cavendar. Her innocent face leaves you rooting for her while at the same time wondering if her decisions are ultimately right. Harden again plays her role flawlessly, down to her own hidden dreams disguised under her thick shell.

Unlike most "rise to the top" movies, Whip It is believable. It seems real at all times. It feels as though all of us at one point in our lives were like Bliss, longing to live a different life.

If you want a great night at the movies, if you want a solid movie with enjoyable memories, and if you want to answer that question of "I wonder how Drew Barrymore would be as a director," go see Whip It. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

I attended the World Premiere of "Whip It" at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. This is quite an impressive directorial debut for Drew Barrymore (who also stars).

Barrymore works with a Shauna Cross script (based on her own novel Derby Girl) and an all-star cast featuring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Kristen Wiig, Landon Pigg, Jimmy Fallon, Eve, and Juliette Lewis.

Page is Bliss Cavendar, whose mother (Harden) sees her daughter in gowns and crowns as she continues the family tradition of winning beauty pageant trophies. But Bliss' chance encounter with a group of roller skating girls plants other ideas in her head. Austin, Texas happens to host a roller derby league, it's not too far away, and Bliss finally sees a way out of her town (and gown). This sets up a family confrontation that is the stuff of classic coming-of-age stories.

The film starts out slow then whips into action, its brilliant ensemble cast hitting its stride and functioning like a winning roller derby team (without the bruises). Then just when you think "Whip It" is headed into sports rom-com cliché territory, surprising twists keep it original and refreshing. But despite the multitude of talented actors, Page clearly carries the film on her diminutive shoulders and is easily in control of the material.

Production values are naturally first rate, with a vivid color palette and in-your-face costumes that are occasionally (and appropriately) over the top. Cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman and editor Dylan Tichenor work perfectly in sync by reflecting both the snail's pace of Bliss' home life vs. the secret one that flies on wheels around the Austin track. Camera-work places the viewer directly into the action. Despite having been filmed primarily in Michigan (due to favorable tax credits) the Austin scenes are prominent, placing its landmarks in a warm, affectionate light. One benefit of a big budget is the ability to purchase music rights, and the result is a killer soundtrack that will have the audience singing along. Be sure to stay for the second of the two closing credits songs, the best ever cover of one of the greatest rock 'n roll love songs of all time, The Association's "Never My Love." Fox Searchlight scores again with Ellen Page, just like they did in 2007 with "Juno." Unlike that (at the time) dark horse, this is no little indie. This is classic Hollywood comedy. "Whip It" is another crowd pleaser to add to this year's must-see list.

Likable" could be seen as a lukewarm compliment for a film. "Cute" could even be a backhanded pit-down. But this film is likable and cute in a very good way.

The story of an off-beat 17 year old, well played by Ellen Page, finding herself by secretly joining the roller derby in Austin, Texas may be clichéd on the surface, but the lovely character detail and successfully offbeat casting make the film a quirky, likable winner.

Not a great film, nor an "important" one, but one I enjoyed and was never bored by. And at a time where most Hollywood "entertainment" centers around blowing stuff up, its nice to see a mainstream film with rich characters and a big heart.

As always, take a cursory look at the ratings to make sure the movie isn't a complete dud, but otherwise go forward with no expectations.

This movie has all the hallmarks of a below-average teen flick, but manages to win big time due to several important factors:

1. An unexpectedly great cast with top quality actors and acting, which are uniformly great throughout.

2. It made me laugh out loud at 'Babe Ruthless' and some of the other clever stage names, which is rare for me to find potential comedy actually funny, instead preferring serious and dry scenarios as my usual movie fodder.

3. I was entertained! There is a lot of content and it works by being fast-paced and never getting too comfortable in any particular area, but accepting its shallowness and constantly moving on.

I did not expect any of the aforementioned positives and might even upgrade my rating after further reflection. It's certainly not perfect, has the potential to be annoying and will unlikely register in my collection in years to come, but if someone asks me about this, I will recommend it as a good watch, definitely.

I didn't expect much from this film, but I watched it, mainly to check out Drew Barrymore's directing ability. What I found was a provocative off-beat story that was both cute and emotional. Page delivers, but really what could go wrong with the supporting cast that showed up here. No doubt, Barrymore persuaded Fallon to be a part of her directorial debut, and most of the other supporting actors added charm and depth. It's not a great sports movie, but then again it's not intended to be. It's more about teenage angst and the sometimes trying relationship between parents and teenagers who are stretching their wings. The message is that those power battles are still infused with love and respect. All in all, a pretty good watch.

Reviewed May 2010

There is nothing on display that is either new or would impress you as what we expect from a director's debut - fresh ideas.

It follows a template structured narrative style that is visible in most movies of this genre and tries to emphasize similar values as following the passion or about friendship, love lost and gain etc. Just a few working formulas are chosen, a new backdrop picked and hashed into a movie. Out of all these what goes right here is that they don't do a bad job at it.

I have admired Ellen Page's performance in Juno and she is only getting better at it and this movie also features a host of good supporting performances too. The roller derby scenes could have been done a lot better and when I saw that Kiwi stunt woman I thought we are in here for a treat of sequences. There is absolutely nothing from her and overall a bit too disappointing.

It's a movie where you don't get bored and the performances try to connect with you for a bit, but by the end memory of the movie fades away quickly.

"Whip It" belongs to Marcia Gay Harden and Daniel Stern. They both give Oscar caliber performances. "Whip It" is a perfectly cast movie but none of the other actors can keep up with them. It's not even close. Harden and Stern are so real, so on point, it's great to watch. There's nothing better than a movie villain who's not really a villain at all. "Whip It" is currently in my Top Five sports movies. Great sports aren't really about sports.

The first thing I noticed that peaked my interest, aside from the title and the subject matter, was the cast and director.

I love Drew Barrymore, and she was not only in this film, but the film's director. This definite means my time will not be wasted.

Aside from Barrymore, we have Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, and Zoe Bell. There is also Marcia Gay Harden, who might give us another great bible quoting character like she did in The Mist.

It was way too predictable, but that didn't take too much away from the enjoyment. Page was great, as was Wiig and Lewis. Harden played a great role, as did Daniel Stern as her father, Earl. Alia Shawkat is one I want to see more of.

An enjoyable end to the week.

A film about those confusing and painful growing-up years. Similar to "Juno" in some ways but I liked this more. Portrays a girls search for meaning and acceptance with honesty and heart. While she does go against her parents wishes, rebellion is not glorified like I thought it would be. A thoughtful comedy

In a sense this is a 6 or 7: a kind of kookie inspirational sports movie - fun, energetic, easy to watch and easy to like.

However it gets a 9 because I cannot recall any film that truly takes the conventions that male cinema does so well and wholesale translate them to something that girls will love.

This film isn't sappy but it isn't about masculine heroism - it is about women having a great time being truly what they are - not 1950 prissies, but punky, spikey, ironic, sexy and just plain fun.

Whip It has great roller derby sequences but more than that and more than most male sports movies we get to see the personalities of those involved and they shine.

Drew Barrymore knows films - she's being doing it all her life - and this may look lightweight and simple, but the way the camera tells the story is excellent - it is all well-composed and supported by a tip-top script and a great cast. The romantic interest is too good-looking (of course) and above all this is a film that will hit the target with girls and women - but I promise you guys will really like it too.

Almost impossible not to enjoy we loved its free spirit and would recommend it heartily to teenage girls as a film about doing your thing and being strong.

Campy film, which script is the most obvious and full of clichés. There are some nice gags but some very silly and embarrassing too. Anyway, if the one hand this is not a great movie, on the other hand it is not bad either. It is well filmed, has good art direction and the roller derby atmosphere presented there is quite nice.

Whip it might actually be more of a coming of age story than an actual sports film about roller derby. A young introverted woman played by Ellen Page is forced to participate in regional beauty pageants by her mother while working part-time at the Oint Joint (a diner) with her best friend. Early on, she goes secretly to a roller derby match and eventually decides to try out for a team which of course accepts her (or there would be no movie ;-). I found the movie, like the sport itself, was charming and appealing but rough around the edges. The introductions of the different players with their kooky names (Bloody Holly, Smashley Simpson, etc) were amusing although most were only nicknames with little or no personality. The Manson sisters (probably an homage to the Hanson brothers from Slapshot) were introduced and then mostly forgotten. I enjoyed the team camaraderie and high spirits. We get why such an activity could be empowering especially for shy women.

It doesn't matter if you know nothing about roller derby before watching it. They explain the basics and besides the winning or losing is secondary. I knew a little about the rules myself having watched an actual match and they took lots of creative liberties regarding penalties. The actual game is not as violent (although to be honest, nothing too extreme in this movie either) and most of the plays from the coach would be illegal. So it turns out, I would have enjoyed the movie more if I hadn't seen real roller derby before. On the other hand, seeing the movie beforehand might have given me the wrong impression about the sport. The playing shown on the screen is frankly not that spectacular or exciting. There's no real tension regarding the match progression. Seems to me it might be because the players from the main character's team were the actresses instead of actual pro players. Not necessarily a bad choice.

Mainly, we follow Ellen Page's character in her emancipation from her parents through her new circle of friends and first love. Despite the tattoos and attitude of some of the girls, it's really rather tame and politically correct. Even the "love" scene in a pool is more poetic than erotic, not even showing actual complete nudity. It reminds me that for the boys hoping for eye candy, the majority of the girls are not that sexy either in looks or outfits except perhaps for Eva Destruction and even then it's tasteful. The character progression of the main character Bliss is gradual and good. The mother/daughter relationship is also nice with a particularly well done dramatic scene on the floor of a kitchen. I think the one-on-one relationship moments between Bliss and various characters are the highlights. Comedy wise, the funny side comes mostly from the antics on the tracks (doesn't go over-the-top ridiculous) and the team players outside. Nothing laugh-out-loud funny but it made me smile a few times. Teenage girls and young women will probably love this film provided they have a little rebellious side to them. There is a satisfying feminist/girl power subtext here. Everyone else, including guys, will probably find it entertaining if they keep in mind that it's more of a dramatic comedy about one girl with a sports theme than a sports drama following a team. Films featuring a girls sports team are rather rare and fortunately Whip it is a pretty good one. Roller derby fans or players will cringe at some of the moves but like the film if they can get beyond that.

Rating : 6 out of 10 (good)

If you like to be entertained and you enjoy seeing some of the best actresses working today, you should see this film. Ellen Page is a delight. I thought she did more with this role than she did with Juno. Kristen Wiig was her usual funny self, The rest of the cast, including Zoe Bell (excellent in Tarantino's Deathproof), Juliette Lewis, Marcia Gay Harding, Daniel Stern, Drew, Jimmy Fallon, all performed well. That says something about Drew's directing. She elicited excellent performances out of her cast, the film was well shot, the sound and editing were nicely done and I look forward to seeing what Drew can do on her next effort.

The premiere of Whip It, which took place on September 13th, 2009 at TIFF was enthusiastically well received by the audience.

And by the way Drew, you looked smashing at the premiere! Congratulations!

Drew Barrymore's directorial debut looks at a Texas girl's aspirations of joining a roller derby team. The unfulfilled Bliss is a role that Ellen Page was born to play, and the same goes for Marcia Gay Harden as Bliss's overbearing mother. But the best parts of the are the skating scenes. The team members have satirical names (Bloody Holly, Rosa Sparks) and spend the roller derby brutally shoving each other off the track. But more than anything, one gets a sense of how miserable it must be to live in the backwards town like the one where Bliss lives, especially with her mother pushing her to be a beauty queen. I should say that "Whip It" isn't a masterpiece, but it still does a perfect job showing Bliss's strength and resolve to achieve her dream, along with the occasional bumps along the way. I recommend it.

Also starring Daniel Stern, Alia Shawkat, Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Wiig, Zoe Bell, Eve and Juliette Lewis.

Great watch, would watch again, and can recommend.

I've actually been to some of the Austin locations and seen that roller rink: it's a pretty cool place with a powerful vibe to the room.

I've really had enough of pagentry, it just feels very boring, so maybe it was the perfect way to start this movie. It's a very cliche "I don't want your life" beginning, but grounding the establishing act in that foundation really takes us on a journey of growth in this "finding of self" (possibly a "coming of age", but no really) story. When something grabs our interests, even on a weird flyer, or a pair of skates, we should pay attention, and the smaller the thing is that calls out to you, the more you should pay attention.

Roller derby is a bad ass little sport, and maybe "no one gets famous" or "successful" from it, but it looks fun and I'm sure the people that do it love it. While the roller derby aspect is great, and the romantic plot lines are good, and the best friend angle is really good (just realizing how multi-threaded this movie actually is), it is the self discovery, the character growth of Bliss (thanks to Ellen Page's powerful delivery) of being a person that we can barely hear, to being someone how is able to yell for what she wants, delivery a hit, and be a literal poster child.

The movie honestly makes me envious: while I'd like to be an attractive tough girl, sure, to find a passion while you still have time to enough to enjoy it, to find people to guide and support that passion, and then compete and find adversity from people twice your age is an amazing thing all to itself.

I'll never be a "roller derby girl", but I know I can always come live vicariously through this movie.

Released in 2009, "Whip It" was Drew Barrymore's first and (so far) only full-length film in the director's chair. Drew also co-stars, but her character is decidedly peripheral.

The story revolves around 17 year-old Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), her parents (Daniel Stern & Marcia Gay Harden) and her best friend, Pash (Alia Shawkat). Bliss is involved in the world of beauty pageants due to her mother's obsession, but becomes fascinated by a group of roller derby girls while visiting nearby Austin, TX. She decides to try-out for the the Hurl Scouts.

"Whip It" starts out slow and only mildly interesting but it ultimately won me over. This is basically a coming-of-age drama using the roller derby as a backdrop and stage. Since Ellen Page takes center focus "Whip It" should appeal to fans of Page. I'm not a fan; I can take her or leave her. Thankfully, there's enough good here to draw in other folks.

I especially like the roller derby girls and their camaraderie & competition. The girls include Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig, Eve, Zoe Bell, Ari Graynor, Eli Bleiler and Sydney Bennett. What I love about these women is that they have womanly curves and aren't walking sticks with big breasts. Take, for instance, the so-called Manson Sisters, played by Kristen Adolfi & Rachel Piplica; both are just gorgeous throughout the film and worth the price of admission -- stunning examples of womanhood.

There's a subplot about Bliss falling for a guy in a rock band (Landon Pigg) and there are other characters, like the coach, the derby announcer and the Hispanic manager of the restaurant Bliss & Pash work at (Andrew Wilson, Jimmy Fallon and Carlo Alban respectively), but this is mainly about Bliss, her family, Pash and the derby team.

FINAL SAY: The drama in this coming-of-age flick is a mixed bag; I found the love story kind of tedious but enjoyed Pash and the family dynamics of the Cavendar household. The best part, of course, is the derby action and the ravishing derby babes in all their glory.

The film runs 111 minutes and was mostly filmed in Michigan (Detroit, Saline, Ypsilanti, Michigan, Birch Run and Hamtramck) with some shots of Austin, TX.

GRADE: B-/B

Love whip it. Its one of the rare movies that stand out from the crowd. Love those. Drew Barrymore did great as director. I was shocked that this was her directorial debut. Cause how great the movie was, I actually believed that she was a veteran behind the camera.

Wonderful directing, great story, awesome cast, spectacular movie! I give it 8/10

Well, my 9 year old daughter is starting to play roller derby, so naturally, I had to watch this! And I'm glad I did! Great cast and fun roller derby scenes! The romance sub-plot was a total dud for me, as was having an "evil" derby nemesis, but the rest was a fun watch! Page, Wiig, Bell, and Shawkat were excellent, and Harden is always great in that hard-mom role! Side note on her, when she's on screen in her USPS shirt, she totally looks like one of my former letter carrier co-workers! Dead on! If my daughter is still into roller derby in a few, 5 ish, years, I'll definitely watch this with her. Go Hurl Scouts!!!

I don't know why I expected a roller derby movie directed by, of all people, Drew Barrymore, to be any good. Perhaps I thought an IMDb rating meant something. In this case, it didn't.

I suffered through more than one hour of this sloppily directed, poorly written trash before deciding not to waste another 45 or so minutes of my life I would never get back. The only redeeming element of this trash can chick flick was the acting. Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat are both fine actresses, and Marcia Gay Harden was good even in her boring, cliché conservative mother role.

Aside from that, there was nothing. Nothing aside from Drew Barrymore trying her hand at being a good indie director... and failing miserably. For chrissake, there's an underwater kissing scene that lasts about 15 minutes set to pretentious indie pop music.

I thought the move was almost over after 2 hours and saw I had only been watching for 1 hour. That was my cue. I hope this can be yours. Don't waste your time!!!