Whip It Directed by: Drew Barrymore Cast: Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Alia Shawkat, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern Running Time: 1 hr 51 mins Rating: PG-13 Release Date: October 2, 2009

PLOT: Bliss (Page) wants more out of her small town life than the beauty pageants her mother pushes her toward. Bliss jumps at her chance to join the roller derby team, but then must live a double life so her parents don't find out.

WHO'S IT FOR? Ladies who are sick of men getting all the roles in sports movies. Anyone who believes Page could be one of the best young actors working today.

EXPECTATIONS: I like everyone involved in this film and I can harken back to a time when I used to watch roller derby on the USA network (I think) when I was a wee lad. It's a great topic for the flick, so I was pumped.

SCORECARD (0-10)

ACTORS: Ellen Page as Bliss: Page is amazing. This time she doesn't have a sarcastic response every time she's threatened (like in Juno). Bliss keeps in all inside. She's a shy girl who hasn't thought or fought for herself very often. Watching her come out of this shell and truly become Babe Ruthless is great character development. Page can truly control the screen. Score: 9

Kristen Wiig as Maggie Mayhem: More please. Wiig does her best big screen work here as Ms. Mayhem, the leader of the Hurl Scouts. It's just too bad she's gone for what seems like 45 minutes in the middle. Sure, she's battling it out during the matches, but she's at her best when dispensing advice to Bliss. Subtle worked wonders for Wiig. Score: 8

Alia Shawkat as Corbi: The best friend to the star of the film can be lost in the shadows too many times but that's not an issue here. Corbi and Bliss never need to explain why they're best friends, because every tiny action proves their love for one another. I would have liked to have seen her study once or twice since she's apparently a great student, but Shawkat could be Page's wing-woman any time. Score: 8

Marica Gay Harden as Brooke: Evil love. That's coming from a mom though, not a serial killer. So while I say evil, it's not true evil. Brooke pushes Bliss in her direction of pageantry, giving her daughter the chance she never got. The problem is, she never asked Bliss what she wanted out of life. Those eyebrows, borrowed from Nurse Ratched, could get a supporting actress nod all by themselves. Score: 8

Rest of Cast: Jimmy Fallon doesn't knock it out of the park with his Johnny Rocket character. Daniel Stern should get ready for the offers to come flooding in, as he could be the go-to family Dad for the next decade. Zoe Bell doesn't show off her amazing abilities (check out Death Proof) nearly enough. Juliette Lewis gives us great trash. Eulala Scheel is amazing as the precious little pageant girl. Plus, a little Barrymore goes a long way. Score: 7

TALKING: Everything rings true. They never push to over explain feelings, friendships or the sport of roller derby. Bliss is inspired to play the sport simply because she sees a better version of herself. Plus there are countless lines that are thrown out there so quickly, that you'll easily sit through a second time. Score: 8

SIGHTS: Everyone looks the part, but director Barrymore has a tough time showcasing the sport to where you can see the performance of it all. The moments exist, but you never feel like there's a chance to sit back and watch a match, or feel like you're on the track with the ladies. Score: 6

SOUNDS: "Pot Kettle Black" by Tilly and the Wall is the only song that made me pumped up. That's a shame, because I really believed that the soundtrack would be packed with moments created by music. That didn't happen for me. Dolly Parton's "Jolene" gets reinterpreted by the girls at work. Landon Pigg does a better job singing than being the romantic interest for Bliss, which is the most average part of the flick. Score: 6

PLOT SPOILERS

BEST SCENE: Who doesn't love a good training montage? Bliss attacking roller skating and getting her wheels rolling is great fun. Though beyond that, it's Stern as the dad that made things a little misty in the theater for me.

ENDING: It's the journey, not the goal. And stay during the credits, it's a good chance to say goodbye to the characters with a mix of extra scenes and outtakes.

QUESTIONS: So, does being 17 really matter that much in the world of roller derby? Especially considering it just meant you need a permission slip. How obvious was Lewis' stunt double? Why didn't they have a POV trip around the entire rink? Will the brother of Owen and Luke finally be recognized as an actor without being referred to as 'the other Wilson brother'?

REWATCHABILITY: I could easily get sucked in to a group seeing it again. I'm actually in Austin, Texas right now and would love to see the crowd react to seeing some local spots like Waterloo and the Alamo movie theater.

OVERALL

Whip It gives you exactly what you hope or want out of a movie. It's perfectly controlled to get you to laugh, sigh, hope and even tear up. Barrymore can direct. That shouldn't be up for debate. Though maybe in the future she can take more risks. The rythms of the film are very familiar. Keeping a secret from parents that will eventually backfire, but hopefully not too much is a storyline we've all seen. Even moments like the food fight have a familiarity (Animal House). Here, having this be a carbon copy of films we've seen before isn't an insult, it's a comfort. What separates the film and makes it something that can stand the test of time is two things ...

1) Ellen Page. She rocks. 2) This is a women's sports movie that doesn't focus on beating the guy.

Barrymore and Page are poster children for female empowerment, which the message having nothing to do with "I'm as good or as tough as a guy." The message is, "I'm kick ass" and so is this movie.

FINAL SCORE: 8/10