Quick Movie Review: Whip It (2009)

Whip It (2009)

Bottomline: Predictable yet terrific film about roller derby.

Who Directed This? This films marks the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore.

Where Can I See This Movie? It's available for rent on DVD and instant viewing from Netflix. It's also been making the rounds on the movie channels.

Great Roller Derby Names: Rosa Sparks, Maggie Mayham, Eva Destruction, Iron Maven, and Bloody Holly. The name of the team? The Hurl Scouts.

Caveat: This movie is great to watch with children who are 13 or older. There is some language, adult situations, and the roller derby stuff can get violent.

QMR Opinion: What a terrific surprise. This movie ended up on my Netflix instant queue and I decided to randomly watch it late one night. Watching this film was a ton of fun. It's funny. It's touching. And it features the violence that is roller derby. Look. . .you know where this film is going from the start. You know it's going to end. It trots out the typical sports movie formula -- inspiration, dedication, disappointment, redemption. We have the requisite best friend break-up and make-up. We have the iconic romantic theme. It has it all and it could very easily could have been chalked up as just another one of those movies. But it's not and I believe it's because of Barrymore's direction, which keeps the film moving along at a brisk (but not too fast) pace, and the great acting of Ellen Page, who plays Bliss Cavendar and finds freedom in roller derby as Baby Ruthless; Marcia Gay Harden, who plays her mom; Alia Shawkat, who plays Bliss' best friend; Juliette Lewis, who is having a ton of fun playing Iron Maven; and Andrew Wilson (yes, Luke and Owen's older brother), who plays Razor, the coach. Pick this movie up, sit down with your 13+ year old kids and have a good time.