Whip It

Since capturing our hearts in E.T., Drew Barrymore has grown from a child star into an admirable character actress, a formidable producer of 10 films, and, with Whip It, a savvy first-time director with an inspired sense of female empowerment. In tiny Bodeen, TX, 17-year-old tomboy Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) endures the banality of entering one beauty pageant after another, propelled by her one-time beauty queen mother (Marcia Gay Harden). When she's not in school, she's working with her nerdy BFF, Pash (Alia Shawkat), as a waitress; but life changes completely when she discovers real “girl power” at a roller derby match in nearby Austin. Scared yet intrigued, she sneaks off to tryouts, hitching a ride on the senior citizens' bingo bus and lying about her age. Miraculously, she's chosen by long-suffering Coach Razor (Andrew Wilson, younger brother of Owen and Luke) to join the Hurl Scouts. Adopting the derby name Babe Ruthless, she's determined to prove herself to older teammates like Maggie Mayhem (Kristin Wiig) and Bloody Holly (Zoe Bell), and her intimidating rival, Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis)—as well as a dreamy band boy (real-life rocker Landon Pigg). Barrymore herself steps from behind the camera to play the charmingly klutzy skater Smashley Simpson. Written by Shauna Cross (based on her novel Derby Girl), this rough-and-tumble coming-of-age story celebrates friendship and camaraderie while artfully delineating a rocky mother-daughter relationship. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (16 min.) and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a Fox Movie Channel “Writer's Draft” featurette with writer Shauna Cross (3 min.) and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for a solid women's sports flick.] (S. Granger)