"Whip It" Review

Every once in a while, a film will start off terribly and gradually get better over the course of its running time. This is especially true of "Whip It," actress Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. After the film's first thirty minutes, I was more than ready to deliver a disappointing pan. But, as the film continued, I became won over by the film's charm.

The film follows Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), a bored teenager, as she attempts to fight the rather humdrum environment of her small Texan town. While shopping with her mother (Marcia Gay Harden), Bliss picks up a flyer for a womens' roller derby tournament. After attending the tournament, one of the players encourages Bliss to try out for the team. Bliss, worried about her parents' reaction, at first hesitates, but eventually decides to pursue her interests. After a difficult day of try outs, Bliss finds out that she made the team, which is rather crudely named "The Hurl Scouts."

As mentioned earlier, the first thirty minutes of "Whip It" fall completely flat. The jokes are unfunny, the characters uninteresting, and the storytelling rather limp. But, somewhere in the film's midpoint, it changes. As the film becomes more about the roller derby, an extra layer of fun is added to the film. And as the film's tone solidifies into an interesting mix of comedy and drama, the film really starts to work.

The film owes a lot to its lead star, Ellen Page. Page slips into her part with ease and effortlessly captures the rebellious nature of a teenager who feels limited by her mundane surroundings. Thus, her performance feels remarkably honest, and one could even argue it is better than her Oscar-nominated performance in 2007's "Juno." Kristen Wiig and Drew Barrymore prove to be both endearing (the former) and hysterical (the latter) in their supporting roles.

Although the film does run a bit too long, and one subplot involving a love interest feels extraneous, the film ends up being a success despite its early missteps. Like the film's lead character, "Whip It" stumbles a few times before achieving its goal.

B