Whip It (DVD). Actors: Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis. ASIN: B002VPTJOA. Studio: 20th Century Fox. DVD release: 2010.
Summary
Whip It is a reference to one of the oldest moves in roller derby. One skater grabs the hand of another skater ahead of her, and that second skater whips the first around using the momentum to propel her to front of the pack for the point. And Whip It is a coming of age story for Texas small town girl, Bliss who needs a little help to propel her out of her small town life with her beauty pageant pushing mom and Texas Longhorns-fan dad.
Critical Evaluation
This movie is more than just roller derby, but it is still very much about roller derby. Bliss is stuck in a small town, in the small town beauty pageant circuit, stuck working at a bbq joint and stuck in the misery of living in a small Texas town. Bliss is smart and sees beyond of the confines of high school, which makes her an every-woman sort of anti-hero for young adults that also find them on the wrong side of the popular.
Drew Barrymore's "girls rule" signature is prevalent in her latest directorial effort. But girls will appreciate how Bliss grows stronger and more confident with the camaraderie of the roller derby; but also be thankful for how Bliss still loves and wants her mother's approval on her own terms, not her mother's.
Reader's Annotation
Small town Bliss finds herself in the world of roller derby in nearby Austin, TX.
Genre
Friendship
Girls/Women
Curriculum Ties
n/a
Booktalking Ideas
Roller derby or beauty pageants… which would you choose?
Awards
n/a
Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+
Why I included this title...
I like Drew Barrymore's movies, and Ellen Page was great in Juno.
Graphic from blogomatic3000.com. Retrieved from http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2009/12/08/dvd-news-whip-it-usr1/ on December 14, 2010.
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