Whip It (2009)

Escaping her smothering mother's (Marcia Gay Harden) beauty pageant plans for her, small-town Texas teen Bliss (Ellen Page) joins an all-girl roller derby team in Austin and begins living a thrilling double life as Babe Ruthless -- a life that might catch up with her. Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut and plays fellow teammate Smashley Simpson in this smart coming-of-age tale. Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Eve and Jimmy Fallon co-star.

I found this movie to be fun romp, with moments of almost true to life heaartache. It did take a bit of time to catch it's momentum, but once it did it went at a "whip it" pace. For those who enjoy fluff coming of age stories, with a side of smaltz, you'll enjoy this film.

Girl power at it's finest - Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis and Ellen Page are all well-known for their ability to kick some serious bum when it comes to the preconceived notions of girl stereotypes. Whip It is not a deviation from their rebel with a cause line of work. I enjoyed the premise and think girl empowerment is nothing we can get enough of - the great performances and witty dialogue are just added bonuses.


****/*****

4/5 Stars