OK, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Whip It! is a big girlfest right? Well, it is. But I’m one hundred percent sure that if I were a man I’d be just as down with this movie as I am in my current body. Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, it’s easy to see what attracted her to the script. In some ways it is as full of clichés as any other teen movie but it sets up these clichés in order to smash them! Ellen Page, is infinitely more likeable here than usual because the script gives her more to work with than just quippy one-liners. The supporting cast are also amazing with Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig and Barrymore herself bringing a touch of hilarity and spunk to proceedings. Another thing to admire is the lack of girliness on the roller derby track. The girls are rough, there’s plenty of blood and bruises and the stunts are great! Like all good sports movies, the competition sequences were shot with a sense of sweaty mayhem that keeps the audience feeling exhuberant. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I wanna be Drew Barrymore when I grow up!
Words: Charlene Lydon
