• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Film/TV/Stream
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Tech/Science
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • N.J. school librarian who opposed attempts to remove LGBTQ+ books receives national award
  • John Travolta has led tributes to his ‘Grease’ co-star Olivia Newton-John, who died aged 73
  • Elton John confirms Britney Spears’ musical comeback

Movies: ‘Whip It’ Real Good

Nathaniel Rogers October 1, 2009

Whipit_smashley

GuestbloggerNATHANIEL ROGERS

Nathaniel Rogers would live inside a movie theater but for the poor internet reception. He blogs daily at the Film Experience.

YOUR FEATURE PRESENTATION

Whip It is based on a novel about a young girl who joins the roller derby.
Whip It is not based on the classic Devo tune. But still…♫ "Whip It good!"

For her fictional novel turned movie, writer Shauna Cross drew from her own experiences as derby girl "Maggie Mayhem" and imagined what it would have been like to discover this alternative grrrl world as a young woman. So Whip It introduces us to Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), a sad eyed highschooler who is eager to get out of BoDeen Texas and into the big city. In this particular case that's Austin, Texas, which just happens to be the spot where roller derby resurrected itself a decade ago. Bliss doesn't share her mom's (Marcia Gay Harden) tenacious dream of beauty pageants. She doesn't even exactly share her best friend's (Alia Shawkat) college plans. Bliss is basically a dreamer without a dream, until a serendipitous sighting of derby girls passing out homemade competition flyers sparks a fire inside of her.

Whipit_hurlscouts

Bliss hungrily learns everything about this new world of self-made skating "stars" like Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore) and undefeated derby champ Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis, time for a comeback!). With their oversized personalities and theatrical names, it's rather easy to view all of this as an elaborate drag competition on skates… only these women are real and they don't trade bitchy barbs so much as elbows to the face.

MORE, AFTER THE JUMP…

It's not particularly surprising that the colorful, campy and action-packed world of  roller derby would be entertaining on the big screen. It's also not surprising that a mother/daughter drama starring two fine actresses would be emotionally satisfying. It is, however, surprising to see Drew Barrymore fuse them together so effortlessly in her directorial debut. Just about the only element of the movie that doesn't work beautifully is the romance between Bliss and a would be rock star named Oliver (it's certainly watchable but I suspect it won't hold up well to a second viewing >>> fast forward!) It distracts from the all girl fun. Why would Drew, who was never so shy about bisexuality back in the day, lean so hard on the girl meets boy subplot when the movie already has so much going on? It's not like there aren't lesbians in the Roller Derby. Just about the only nod to the ladies who love ladies is the smoking hot Eva Destruction (Ari Graynor, previously the comic highlight of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) who has eyes for Rosa Sparks (Eve) and vocally admires Bliss's moves… "Looking good, Barbie!"

Barrymore has been a household name for nearly 30 years and Whip It's story of a young woman coming into her own while the older women around her hold on their moment, proves a great fit for this uniquely famous girlwoman (the actress is 34 now but don't we all still think of her as a young starlet?) There are a lot of reasons to recommend Whip It, but the best is how thoroughly it feels infused with the actress's own star persona, that familiar exuberance and generosity of spirit. Drew is the movie's driving force but she's content to stay mostly behind the wheel(s) here and let four other actresses skate away with the movie. She illuminates Ellen Page's soulful youth, appreciates Marcia Gay Harden's tenacity and maternal concern, tempers all the drama with Kristen Wiig's warmly dry comedy and then spikes the entire party with Juliette Lewis's rock and roll edge. Barrymore knows their strengths and maneuvers them expertly around the rink. She whips it good.

Whipit_maggie

Also Opening (links go to trailers)
Whip It isn't alone. There are five more comedies debuting — Hollywood apparently demands that you laugh this weekend. The Invention of Lying stars Ricky Gervais as the only fibber in a world of truth telling, Zombieland features Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg slaying the undead for yuks and yuck, Toy Story & Toy Story 2 are now in 3D to prep you for next summers Toy Story 3, and the Coen Bros A Serious Man. If you're in no laughing mood, there's really only last year's festival hit Afterschool, about a young man at a prep school with, uh, upsetting online viewing habits and possibly sociopathic tendencies. Will you be at the movies this weekend?

Topics: Film/TV/Stream, News More Posts About: Drew Barrymore, Film, Nathaniel Rogers, News

Related Posts
  • LGBTQ Pro Wrestling Documentary ‘Out In The Ring’ Wins Best Canadian Feature at Inside Out Toronto Film Festival
  • Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name
  • The Week in Pictures: May 13 – May 20
  • John Travolta has led tributes to his ‘Grease’ co-star Olivia Newton-John, who died aged 73

    John Travolta has led tributes to his ‘Grease’ co-star Olivia Newton-John, who died aged 73

    Published by BANG Showbiz English John Travolta has led tributes to Olivia Newton-John, who died aged 73 on Monday (08.08.22). The ‘Grease’ star gushed that the actress – who played Sandy Olsen to his Danny Zuko …Read More »
  • Elton John confirms Britney Spears’ musical comeback

    Elton John confirms Britney Spears’ musical comeback

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Britney Spears has confirmed her musical comeback with Elton John. The ‘Piece of Me’ hitmaker, 40, is making her return to pop music after being freed from her conservatorship with a …Read More »
  • Rosie O’Donnell shared the A League of Their Own movie drama with cast of Abbi Jacobson’s new TV series

    Rosie O’Donnell shared the A League of Their Own movie drama with cast of Abbi Jacobson’s new TV series

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Rosie O’Donnell spilled all “the dirt” about the onset ‘A League of Their Own’ drama to the cast of the new television series inspired by the movie. Kelly McCormack says the …Read More »
  • Ezra Miller faces felony burglary charges in Vermont

    Ezra Miller faces felony burglary charges in Vermont

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Ezra Miller has been charged with felony burglary in Vermont. ‘The Flash’ star stands accused of the charge after Vermont State Police were alerted to a complaint at a property in …Read More »
Previous Post: « News: Ardi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robots, Maine, Lutherans, Bryan Batt
Next Post: Marriage Equality Bill Introduced in Illinois Senate »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Texas church’s unauthorized production of ‘Hamilton’ ends with sermon comparing gay people to drug addicts: report

    Texas church’s unauthorized production of ‘Hamilton’ ends with sermon comparing gay people to drug addicts: report

  • Alex Jones’ Text Messages Turned Over To January 6 House Select Committee

    Alex Jones’ Text Messages Turned Over To January 6 House Select Committee

  • Michigan AG details Trump backers’ conspiracy to break into voting equipment

    Michigan AG details Trump backers’ conspiracy to break into voting equipment

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y’know

  • Pete Davidson Proposed to Kim Kardashian Before Their Breakup

    Pete Davidson Proposed to Kim Kardashian Before Their Breakup

  • New bombshell book on Trump reveals he wanted to be treated like Hitler: ‘Totally loyal’

    New bombshell book on Trump reveals he wanted to be treated like Hitler: ‘Totally loyal’

RSS Partner Links

  • There's a Status Update About 'Black Canary' Spinoff Movie at HBO Max
  • OMG, it’s called FASHUN, LOOK IT UP! The Croc Balls aka ‘Crocticles’
  • The Future Of “The Peltz Beckham Empire” Is Uncertain As The Beckham And Peltz Families Continue To Feud
  • OMG, have you heard? RIP Grease star Olivia Newton-John, dead at 73
  • Open Post: Hosted By The $2600 Custom Coffee Table That Showed Up Sporting An Unintentional Dick In the Middle
  • More tributes to Olivia Newton-John
  • OMG, he’s naked: Fashion model and swim coach Radu Ionut goes full-frontal

Most Recent

  • N.J. school librarian who opposed attempts to remove LGBTQ+ books receives national award

    N.J. school librarian who opposed attempts to remove LGBTQ+ books receives national award

  • John Travolta has led tributes to his ‘Grease’ co-star Olivia Newton-John, who died aged 73

    John Travolta has led tributes to his ‘Grease’ co-star Olivia Newton-John, who died aged 73

  • Elton John confirms Britney Spears’ musical comeback

    Elton John confirms Britney Spears’ musical comeback

  • Rosie O’Donnell shared the A League of Their Own movie drama with cast of Abbi Jacobson’s new TV series

    Rosie O’Donnell shared the A League of Their Own movie drama with cast of Abbi Jacobson’s new TV series

  • Ezra Miller faces felony burglary charges in Vermont

    Ezra Miller faces felony burglary charges in Vermont

  • First Photo: Agent With Machine Gun Photographed Outside Of Trump’s Palm Beach Resort Mar-a-Lago During FBI Raid

    First Photo: Agent With Machine Gun Photographed Outside Of Trump’s Palm Beach Resort Mar-a-Lago During FBI Raid

  • FBI searches Trump’s Florida home as part of presidential records probe

    FBI searches Trump’s Florida home as part of presidential records probe

  • Beyonce tops US songs chart for first time in over a decade

    Beyonce tops US songs chart for first time in over a decade

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2022 · Log in

×