Tuesday, October 13, 2009

now whip it... into shape!



Has anyone else seen Whip It (Barrymore, 2009)?  This comedy-drama, starring Ellen Page, marks the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore.  The film is about Bliss (Page), an indie-rock loving misfit who finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in Austin, Texas.  While the film is somewhat predictable and includes many cliches, it is still loads of fun.  While Page was great - cute, humorous, charismatic - the supporting actors were also quite memorable.  Definitely look for Jimmy Fallon as "Hot Tub" Johnny Rocket who was so stupid yet hilarious.  

The film is a girl-empowerment story and deals with mother-daughter relationships, teenage rebellion, small-town boredom, and first love.  There are plenty of funny scenes but also some emotional ones as well.  The lines are witty, clever, and manage to be simultaneously raunchy and innocent.  Certainly nothing we haven't seen before, but still worthy of seeing.  I think the film will appeal to a lot of people, which is why it's not surprising that the film has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  It's just a funny, feel-good comedy that is comforting and enjoyable to watch.  As Mary Pois of TIME Magazine wrote, "Even if a tale of female empowerment through roller derby is not your particular cup of tea, Barrymore delivers it with such a giddy good sense of fun that it's easy enough to go along with."


So check out Whip It if you haven't already.  

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