Director: Drew Barrymore | Rated: PG-13 | Review date: 5-Jan-2010

Actress Drew Barrymore makes her feature film directorial debut with Whip It, the story of a misfit teen who discovers the world of roller derby. The film is based on the novel Derby Girl, written by Shauna Cross who also adapted the screenplay. Ellen Page (Juno; Smart People) plays Bliss Cavendar, a bit of an outcast with only one real friend, Pash (Alia Shawkat). Despite Bliss’ mother’s constant pressure for her to be in beauty pageants, Bliss strives to be her own person. One day her and Pash sneak off to a roller derby game and, in that moment, Bliss finds hope for her life outside of the small and dead town of Bodeen, Texas.

The cast was simply amazing. Page still had her signature wit but her sometimes smart-ass demeanor was toned down a bit and replaced with a touch of clumsiness. Primarily a TV actress, Shawkat impressed as Bliss’ crazier, yet focused other half. I was especially surprised by Daniel Stern’s performance as Bliss’ dad, as he was hilarious and fit the loving yet sometimes isolated father role perfectly. Marcia Gay Harden plays Bliss’ mom who fit the bill superbly as she was able to capture that sometimes delusional and overbearing characteristic nicely. And of course the roller girls were equally and impressively cast. Funny girl Kristen Wiig, stunt woman extraordinaire Zoe Bell, rapper-turned-actress Eve, bad-ass Juliette Lewis, and Ms. Barrymore herself give outstandingly hilarious performances.

The story itself was inspiring and uplifting. It sends the message of living your own life, even if only for a moment. It tales the tale the importance of family and the bonds of friendships. Most importantly, it shows us to never give up on something that we love. The movie is also an awesome look into the  unique world of roller derby. Like many others who have seen this film, I now have a burning interest to see a live match. Overall the film was an entertaining and exciting comedy that also manages to be an original and inspiring sports movie. Barrymore deserves an applause for her effort as she clearly has a natural talent.

IMDb/trailer/clips | Official site | DVD at Amazon

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