Flick Picks 12: Whip It

Nerd girl in a contact sport? HELL YEAH!

Hello again, Streakers! And welcome, once more, into my little corner of geekdom, Flick Picks. First, as this is my first post since it happened, I can not in good conscience go without commenting on the tragic death of Elizabeth Taylor. She was quite possibly the first woman considered royalty by Hollywood, and with good reason. She was strong-willed, independent, and a very savvy businesswoman to boot. Her legacy is lasting, her talent was unquestionable, and the shadow left by her passing is immense. R.I.P., Ms. Taylor.
This week, I am actually going to review the promised 'sports movie' I've been begging off on these last couple of weeks. This review was actually hard to do, because I figured out while trying to come up with a sports film to review, I don't actually watch that many sports movies. It's just not a genre I typically go for. Not really even Hockey movies, and Hockey is my favorite sport. That said, I had a real dilemma on my hands. Which film? Which sport? And then I remembered a lovely review by fellow Streaker, Anacronus, that reminded of a tiny indie sports flick I had seen a few years ago, and promptly forgot about, starring Ellen Page, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses.It's from 2006. It's about roller derby, it's awesome, and it's called Whip It. SPOILERS, don'cha know.

Buy the cookies, or they will END YOU.

So, basically at it's heart this film is a coming of age of film, that due to the starring role of Ellen Page, feels a LOT like her earlier film, Juno. Nerd hipster high school girl doesn't fit in, has very few friends, and needs to find a way of self expression, while learning extremely valuable lessons on life, the universe, and everything. Unlike Juno, however, here the main character, one Bliss Cavendar, instead of conceiving a child with a childhood friend, finds a entirely new lifestyle she thoroughly enjoys in the TXRD, or Texas Roller Derby League of Austin. Here she introduced to the group of perennial underdogs, the Hurl Scouts, and the sports movie second act really gets underway. There is still plenty of growing up to do, in that we have to have a relationship, that's relationship's hurtful end, the main character losing everything important to her, than winning it all back just in time to learn that life isn't all about just getting what you want all the time. Clocking in at just under 2 hours with credits, this film takes its time, playing out the drama slowly, while allowing the roller derby segments to shine, and, more often than not, take center stage so as to provide an energetic, raucous counterpoint to the dramatic centerpiece that is the life of Bliss.

Guess what the most of the meat is? That's right, Emu.

Her life, such as it is, is actually rather truthfully bland and uninteresting. She goes to high school, works a crappy part time job at a local BBQ joint for spending cash, and spends most of her time with her best friend, Pash, played here by Alia Shawkat, or with her mother, played by Marcia Gay Harden, participating in beauty pageants due to the mother's need for her children to be more successful in life than she was. Marcia Gay Harden is freaking great in this role, and is easily my favorite character of this film. She is strong, stubborn, and is willing to fight for what she wants at the drop of a hat if she thinks it's what's best for her family. She is the last character won over by roller derby's charms, and the performance of the character is so strong throughout, that her being won over isn't set in stone. The rest of the family is good as well, with one other standout. First, there is Bliss' little sister, Shania, played Harden's real life daughter Eulala Scheel. She doesn't have a lot of screen time, but she does well, and it's nice to see Drew Barrymore acknowledge through a use of established child actors, her own acting roots. Then there is my second favorite character in the movie, Bliss' father, Earl, played by Daniel Stern. Anyone who saw that name and immediately had thoughts of Macualay Culkin, take a shot. If you knew why you thought of him, take another shot. He is great here. Not a lot of dialogue, but he is a great counterpoint to Harden's character. He's laid back, takes life as it comes to him, but when he needs to, he stands up to anyone and everyone for he thinks is right, regardless of cost.

At least the computer's not exploding in his face in this one.

His character, while a bit typical of the genre, is played and written well. Although I should rephrase that a little. This film is a little different than most CoA sports flicks, in that both parents are alive. Looking back at most of them, especially the popular ones over the years (The Karate Kid, anyone?), the one factor that pretty much unites them all is a lack of fathers. Singles moms have it tough, I know, but it's nice to see a full family unit, especially a, for the most, happily functioning one. The rest of the ensemble cast is arranged to the derby track, in Bliss' team, the Hurl Scouts. Barrymore comes in as comic relief role Smashley Simpson, and she fills out the rest with either strong female actresses (Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Ari Graynor) or strong females who happen to be able to act well as a secondary profession(Eve, Zoe Bell). She grabs a few others from a pool of people she's worked with before(Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Wilson), and then lets the action speak for itself. As this is a review, I have to point out here that it occasionally can be hard to tell what just happened, but it's a sports film, too, and I don't remember ever seeing a sports movie that was edited to perfection.

No joke this time. Just a poignant moment in a field. Carry on.

There is one other role I should point out, that of Oliver, played by Landon Pigg. He's the relationship that stands as a metaphor for life, and he's a likable guy in an unlikable role. This is his only movie role to date, and I will note now, that's a shame. He comes off well enough, and given some training, could be a go-to guy in the character actor set. That said, the film's climax is of course, the championship game. And the Hurl Scouts, of course, lose. Because at this point, you've forgotten that the sport of roller derby is a vehicle through which Bliss can express and find herself. Her life lessons are still occurring, and therefore, she needs the lessons more than the win. Just the fact that the film can make you forget what you're actually watching for a minute, stands as a testament to Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. This film was lovingly cared for from day one, and it shows. It's an adaptation, from a novel of the same name, and the writer of the book, who is a former roller derby girl herself, is the writer of the screenplay. Huge bonus points there for me. Second, if they aren't an actress I already named, and the show up on the track, then they're actual roller derby players. Third, a good number of the crew members were either current or former roller derby players or announcers. Fourth, the track all of the action takes place on? Donated for the film's use, from a roller derby league in Oklahoma City. Just plain awesome. Well, getting back to the film's finale.

Those cookies were AWESOME!

The team celebrates anyway, as they, having come out of their slump of last place, to now being second in the league, have learned quite a bit of their own. Everybody gets together, there's some hugs, some laughs, and in general, life is freaking sweet once more. Overall, I really like this film. Barrymore is great as a director, finding a story that plays to her empowered woman strong suit, and running with it in every direction she can think of. The visual style, foremost, is consistently good throughout. There's a pool sequence I would use as an example as it's easily the prettiest sequence of the movie, it's just stunning. The music is freaking great as well, playing up the hipster indie rock vibe that works so well for Page, and really, for the derby portrayed here. I know some derby really rocks the heavy metal, but here the down played tone works really well. The dialogue is sharp, at times witty, at times bittersweet. Overall I have to say that this film impressed me greatly. Next week, I have no idea what I'm reviewing yet. We'll see.