Whip It

Some movies are just for fun. Really fun movies are those where you know just by watching that the whole damn cast was having the time of their lives making this movie. Would have done it for free. That much fun. Whip It is that kind of movie. I sort of imagine that casting this film was like picking teams for kickball in junior high - with half the females in Hollywood (of a certain age,) bouncing up and down and screaming "Pick me!" This was Drew Barrymore's baby - she produced, directed and played a supporting role. Drew had an awful lot of fun.

Bliss (Ellen Page) is seventeen and being a good girl for Momma (Marcia Gay-Harding,) doing the teen pageant circuit, getting good grades, working at the local BBQ joint. But a sneaky night out with her bestie finds her at the Austin roller derby and Bliss is smitten by the whole idea. On a dare she lies about her age and tries out for the Hurl Scouts, and emerges as Babe Ruthless who must gain the respect of her team, the trust of her coach and the eye of the fella while hiding who she really is from everybody. By now you know where this is going.... to the Championship or the Blue Bonnet Pageant? Lose the Boy or her best friend? Live her mothers dream or her own?

Predictable? You betcha. But ooodles and gobs of fun. Page is that rare young actress who can appear both worldly and cluelessly naive at the same time. And who else is on roller skates? Drew, of course, and Eve and Kristen Wiig AND Juliette Lewis! The coach - Andrew Wilson (the other brother of Owen and Luke!) Can you say cat fights? Can you say FOOD fights? Can you say FUN!? I knew you could. Website here.