Friday
02Oct2009
Movie Review - 'Whip It'
Friday, October 2, 2009 at 1:40AM | Whip It
Starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, and Kristen Wiig  |
To its credit, Whip It reflects the sunny disposition of its free-spirited director, Drew Barrymore. Making
her feature debut behind the camera, Barrymore shows a clear sense of purpose, even in the slightly chaotic
world of roller derby.
Those of us of a certain age have grown up with Barrymore, either slightly ahead of her or a year or two
behind. And even though we have a handle on how old we have become, it is still somewhat difficult to grasp
that E.T's Gertie is now 33 years old.
Actors who take the plunge and direct often do one of two things, either tackling a film too complex for
their abilities – some kind of effort to be a grand artist with each brushstroke – or playing it too close
to the vest, which leaves you wondering why it was so important to direct this story in the first place.
Neither is the case here. Barrymore infuses Whip It with that ebullient energy she’s known for and tells a
story that has the right kind of vibe her skills at this point.
But make no mistake: She took the job seriously. You can tell in the quieter moments of the film, usually
reserved for Bliss Cavender (Juno’s Ellen Page) and her mother (Marcia Gay Harden), as they battle over
what a 17-year-old girl who feels trapped in her own existence should be doing with her time.
Colin Boyd | Permalink | in Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, Reviews, Whip It | Print Article | Email Article | 2 Comments | Share Article
Reader Comments (2)
Yipee! Ellen Page scores again!
Drew Barrymore did an awesome job directing Whip It; it was a lot of fun to watch -- made me want to go see some roller derby