by Everett Jensen

Created on: November 07, 2009

Whip It
directed by Drew Barrymore
written by Shauna Cross
based on the novel by Shauna Cross
starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Alia Shawkat, Daniel Stern, Juliette Lewis, Eve, Zoe Bell, Andrew Wilson, Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Landon Pigg, Carlo Alban, Eulala Scheel

Is there something inherently sexy for men about seeing females beaten up, bruised, scarred, and otherwise violated in a socially proscribed environment in which such behavior is considered natural and acceptable? What is the appeal of something like roller derby and how does this differ between men and women? In this film a small town girl discovers a dangerous sport that allows females to project their petty hatreds, anger, frustrations out onto others whose purpose in the ring is to return the aggression in kind.

Bliss Cavendar (Page) is trudging through an existence that seems to offer few prospects for obtaining any kind of life imbued with meaning. She lives Boline, TX and works at a local diner where she is forced to put on a pretty happy face for the customers. She also participates in beauty pageants mostly for her mother Brooke (Harden) that stifle her and offer her nothing in the way of sustenance. On a routine trip to Austin she takes her mother to a head shop to purchase shoes. Suddenly a gust of wind howls through the shop and a trio of tattoed, giddy young women appear on skates leaving fliers for their upcoming roller derby match. Bliss is thoroughly intrigued and eventually manages to try out for the Hurl Scouts team which she does successfully on account of her blazing speed.

The film initially focuses on the rapture of doing something that very few people have the talent to do. Bliss establishes herself taking on the moniker Babe Ruthless as a formidable player and many aspects of her life seem to improve. Surprisingly the scenes of the practices and matches here are the least intriguing in the film. There really isn't much of a story early on because there is no tension in the film. It isn't until Bliss clashes with her parents and best friend Pash (Skawkat) that the film develops a proper narrative. Prior to that it merely a series of scenes loosely based around the sport of roller derby.

The film manages to become a tightly knit, emotionally charged family drama that succeeds primarily due to the superb acting by Harden and Daniel Berg who plays the somewhat restless father. They elevate this film and help bring it into clear focus. Bliss is a girl who wants

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