Let’s Get Ready to Roller! Whip It,Good

After leaving a screening of Whip It, my first thought was simply, “that was a hell of a lot of fun.” Over a week later, I concur with my original assessment.

You do not need to be familiar with the world of roller derby to enjoy this movie. Whip It is refreshing in the sense that it is a female-centric film that focuses on athletic ability far more than romance. However, I would not label Whip It as a chick-flick; trust me, husbands and boyfriends will be just as interested and absorbed in the rink action as wives and girlfriends. There is a great deal of physicality and talent on display for all to admire. 

The ensemble cast of Whip It is a huge draw, from the very likable Ellen Page to the brilliant Kristin Wiig. Daniel Stern and Marcia Gay Harden are terrific as Page’s parents, as is Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) as her best friend. Other stand-outs in the rink are singer/actress Eve, actress/stuntwoman Zoe Bell, the versatile Ari Graynor (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Dunham’s sister on Fringe) and the multifaceted Juliette Lewis, who embodies the ’enemy’ with great ease and humor.    

Aside from Jimmy Fallon’s reliably funny turn as the in-house Derby announcer, actor Andrew Wilson steals the show as the Hurl Scouts coach, Razor. His look in Whip It reminded me of Luke Wilson in The Royal Tenenbaums; clearly I was probably the last person on earth to realize that they are actually brothers.

Whip It was written by relative newcomer Shauna Cross, and marks Drew Barrymore’s impressive directorial debut (she also appears in the movie).