Mandate Pictures
Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis. Jimmy Fallon
There is a good reason why Whip It has been in “Very Long Wait” status for the past 6 months! It’s a really fun movie. I did not expect Ellen Page to be good in this, but she did an excellent job. The “Saturday Night Live” guys were fun too. (Kristin Wiig, Jimmy Fallon). The only one who wasn’t fabulous was Juliette Lewis who is the one who should have been great as an evil villain, but didn’t seem like she was really into it.
So poor Bliss (Ellen Page) is one of those girls who is saddled with an over achieving Mom who has dragged her from beauty pageant to beauty pageant all her life. Her Mom, who tells us in one of her battles, that she didn’t have the luxury of a Mother to direct her life to things that are important (like beauty pageants). Then poor Bliss has a little sister who is the one who shines and wins all the Jr. pageants. That doesn’t help at all.
Then on a shopping trip, Bliss talks Mom into a shopping trip where she takes her to a head shop for some shoes. Of course Mom doesn’t know and comments on the lovely “vases” not knowing they are bongs. That brings the laughter to the crowd of hoods in the store, and while the distraction is going on, a bunch of roller derby babes come in and drop off a flyer in the store that grabs Bliss’ interest.
Bliss cons her best friend into showing up for the next Roller Derby match, and Bliss is hooked. She lies to the family and tries out for the team.
The laughs are genuine, and the roller derby action is great, especially for anyone who remembers the glory days of roller derby in the 70’s and 80’s. Jimmy Fallon plays the announcer, and he’s a real hoot. His name is Hot Tub Johnny, and they explain the reason for the nickname which is funny too.
Bliss tries out for the “Hurl Scouts” with their girl scout uniforms who are the last place team, and their arch nemesis is the Holy Rollers with their Catholic School Girl outfits.
There is a love story, and a little teen angst in that department, and also problems between friends, and the typical parents – child troubles. There’s drama, romance, action, and comedy, and all in all it’s a well rounded comedy.
Drew Barrymore was the director, and as such, she didn’t play a big role in the movie, but she did a great job directing it. But the movie has a lot of genuine moments and it’s a highly enjoyable adventure watching it. I’m glad I waited through all the long wait to finally get it.
