WHIP IT
US, 2009, 111 minutes, Colour.
Ellen Page, Marcia Gaye Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Daniel Stern, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Alia Shawkat, Eve, Zoe Bell, Ari Graynor, Andrew Wilson, Landon Pigg.
Directed by Drew Barrymore.
Ladylike is not the first, second, third or even umpteenth word that springs to mind in connection with the Roller Derby. It is certainly a contact sport for women, at least as practised in Austin, Texas, here, with plenty of bumps and grinds – and, coming of something of a surprise, as explained throughout the film, with a set of rules and many strategies and plays that remind us of (at least the look of) gridiron football.
Actually, this is yet another variation on the sports film formula – which means that we know pretty well where it is going and what are the likely things to happen. Some people don't like formula films and dismiss them as predictable. Others enjoy them because of the familiarity and seeing how what we expect pans out. By and large, with Whip It, you go along with what is happening and where it seems to be obviously going.
This is a directorial first for actress, Drew Barrymore (almost 30 years since ET!). She obviously has something of a passion for the roller derby and stages lots of competition scenes. And she gives herself a substantial role as a player who has a propensity for accidents.
However, the focus of the film is on a teenager called Bliss, whose mother believes in ladylike behaviour and in the elegance and charm of beauty pageants, who insists on Bliss competing. A chance poster advertising the roller derby catches Bliss's eye and, with her best friend with whom she works at the Oink Diner, off she goes to watch – and is recruited. Needless to say, her mother doesn't know.
The mother daughter scenes work well because Bliss is played by Ellen Page who made such an impression with Juno. Mother is played by Oscar-winner Marcia Gaye Harden. In the background is good ole dad who can't tell his wife that he loves to watch football matches on TV (Daniel Stern).
The Hurl Scouts are a tough bunch, as are the main opposition, The Holy Rollers, led by Juliette Lewis, but they welcome Bliss and she finds a home away from home. When a pageant coincides with the Derby final, well..., you know.
For a target audience of teenage girls, it has some messages about excelling in what you are good at as well as some nice, folksy advice about being tolerant with family and sorting out differences honestly – and one can't complain about that.
1. A sports film, enjoyment, the target audience – young girls, young women?
2. The formula for a sports movie: life, sport, opposition, challenge, talent, competition, crisis, resolution?
3. Drew Barrymore directing, acting? Her love for the derby? The visuals of the competition, tough, brutal, tactics, elbowing and shoving, the rules, strategies? The points, the commentator, the audience and reactions? Women responding to the sport? Men ogling? The close-ups of the players?
4. The contrast with beauty pageants, demure, the preparation, dresses, the mothers hovering, the parade, presentation, speeches? The speech about who you would choose to have dinner with…?
5. Bliss, Pash and preparing her hair, the blue, going home, her sister? Her mother and her disgust at Bliss’s performance, reaction? The pressures on her daughter? Bliss’s reaction against her 50s domestic style? Her relationship with her father? School, working at the diner, customers, unsettled? Wanting to move out of the town of Bodeen?
6. The portrait of the parents, the mother, guiding her daughter, wishing her own mother had done this, the pressures on her children? The younger daughter responding well? Wanting to be Miss America? Yet her work as delivering the post, smoking cigarettes secretly, the sexual relationship with her husband? The father, something of a slob, his work, drinking,watching football on TV, in the background, his comments on his wife, loving her?
7. Buying the shoes, her mother taking Bliss to Austin? Seeing the poster, and the girls delivering the poster? Persuading Pash to go to Austin, watching the derby, admiring the players, speaking to them, meeting Rosa? Her saying she was twenty-two, the invitation to come and try out?
8. The tryouts, Pash supporting her, going into the bus with the seniors, her training, awkward, falling, yet fast? Training in the suburbs, her lies about going to football? Her being selected, playing, her achievement? The team and its improvement? Her becoming Babe Ruthless? The team relying on her, the poster and the award?
9. Work at the diner, Pash, her studies, wanting to get out of Bodeen, boys? With Wayne? The arrest, her anger, her breaking with Bliss, the infatuation with Oliver? As a musician? Their being together, his coming to the diner, in the fields, the keys, the underwater swimming, the time together? His going on tour, Bliss seeing him on the site with the girl? Her anger, the break? Upset, talking with her mother? Seeing her father, watching football in the van with him, drinking the beer?
10. The diner, the customers, the life, Wayne and his promotion, his finally going to the roller derby?
11. The team, the variety of personalities? Their working together? The spirit, the after-events, drinking, friendship? Maggie, her kindness, her son, Bliss leaving home and staying with her? The importance of Maggie’s talk to Bliss about parents, respect, giving them a chance?
12. Iron Maven, tough, older, taunting Bliss, the presentation, the cake fight? The Ruthless poster? Her story, in her thirties, her final chance, the final competition – winning, but not nasty towards Bliss?
13. The final pageant, the dress, eight hundred dollars? Doing this for her mother? The truth? Talking with her mother, giving the dress to the other competitor (and her coming second)? Going to the finals, her father and sister there, her mother finally coming to watch?
14. The moral of the story: talents, sport, coming of age, relationship with parents? Friendships, falling in love and infatuations? Standing on one’s own feet?
