You're going to hear a lot of bad reviews on this new Drew Barrymore directed movie, Whip It. And some of it justified. But just because there's a stack of pancakes on the counter, doesn't mean you have to pile more on. And I'm not going to.
Ellen Page is back as America's favorite troubled teen in this much-hyped roller derby flick. She plays, Bliss, who lives in deep rural Texas. Her mother is a beauty pageant mom, who is insistent that Bliss be a beauty queen, and it's the last thing Bliss wants to do. Bliss discovers this underground roller derby league in Austin that she wants to skate in. She lies to everyone in her life to get in, and eventually does. She becomes the roller derby "queen" and finally finds something that she loves to do.
Her parents have no idea their 17 year old daughter has this secret life, and that's one of the main plot lines. Will she get caught? And will Bliss find happiness, and at what cost? To be cliche, it is a coming of age movie but then again Ellen Page is the star. What else is it going to be?
I will be this first to admit, this movie is not perfect. There are a few very awkward scenes that I'm sure they wish they could get back. There is a silly "love story" attempt woven in, which is nothing but needless. And there's a few music choices that really stick out like a sore thumb, but it's not a movie killer. Problems yes. But from my chair it's still fun for the most part, and Ellen Page is still one of the best stars up and coming.
This movie has the independent studio look, and is a bit quirky like all Indy's are. Trouble here is, it's not "off beat" enough. It straddles the fence between being a mainstream flick and a odd ball Indy movie, and that's it's biggest trouble. Pages' Juno, was certainly a great example of a real off beat Indy flick that really worked. Whip It, falls short of Juno, but still holds it's own as a fun story that hasn't been told in a real long time.
Whip It. Be your own judge. I gave it a shot, and I'm glad. Not perfect for sure, but fun.
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1 comment:
Drew Barrymore did an awesome job directing Whip It... tons of fun to watch -- made me want to go watch roller derby and drink cheap beer
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