Whip It (2009)

In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin.

Director:

Drew Barrymore

Writers:

Shauna Cross (screenplay), Shauna Cross (novel)

Stars:

Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig

8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sarah Habel	...	Corbi
Shannon Eagen	...	Amber
Edward Austin Kelly	...	Pageant Coordinator
Mary Callaghan Lynch	...	Val
Ellen Page	...	Bliss Cavendar
Jimmy Fallon	...	'Hot Tub' Johnny Rocket
Alia Shawkat	...	Pash
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Brooke Cavendar
Barbara Coven	...	Pageant Mother
Eulala Scheel	...	Shania Cavendar
Nina Kircher	...	Trudy
Daniel Stern	...	Earl Cavendar
Mark Boyd	...	Ronny
Carlo Alban	...	Birdman
Douglas Minckiewicz	...	Colby (as Doug Minckewicz)

Storyline

In a town near Austin, Bliss Cavendar's strong-willed mom believes Bliss, at 17, can win pageants - the key to a happy life. Bliss isn't the beauty pageant type: she's shy, quiet, and has just one friend, Pash, her fellow waitress at a diner. Things change for Bliss when she discovers a women's roller derby league in Austin, tries out, proves to be whip fast, and makes a team. Now she needs to become someone tough on the rink, keep her parents from finding out where she goes twice a week, and do something about a first crush, on a musician she meets at the derby. Meanwhile, mom still sees Bliss as Miss Bluebonnet. Things are on a collision course; will everyone get banged up?

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | based on novel | pinball | athlete | roller skater | 

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Taglines:

She's the hottest thing on eight wheels.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [United States] Official Facebook [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Derby Girl

Filming Locations:

Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,650,812, 4 October 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,043,363, 10 December 2009

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,633,035, 10 December 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandate Pictures, Vincent Pictures, Flower Films (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in several parts of Michigan including Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Detroit. Many of the skaters in the movie are on Detroit's Derby team. The film was also shot in Birch Run as well. The diner scenes were filmed in Birch Run in an actual diner that was bought and converted for the film.

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Goofs

In the final bout scenes, a row of "dummies" watch the bout instead of actual people. The "dummies" are mixed in with the actual crowd but due to editing the row of "dummies" was not edited out.

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Quotes

[Bliss finds Iron Maven waiting for her at the Warehouse]
Iron Maven: Ruthless, Ruthless, Ruthless.
Bliss Cavendar: [hesitatingly] Maven, Maven, Maven?
Iron Maven: Hey, guess how old I am.
Bliss Cavendar: [guessing] 27?
Iron Maven: [not at all touched] Oh, that's sweet. I'm 36. Guess when I started skating. I was 31. 'Cause it took me that long to find one thing that I was really good at.
[Iron Maven stands, staring intently at Bliss]
Iron Maven: And you know what? I worked my ass off to get it.
Bliss Cavendar: [nervously] Yeah, me too.
Iron Maven: [smirks briefly] It's too bad you're only 17.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Bloopers run during closing credits.

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Connections

Followed by Whip It: Deleted Scene (2010)

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Soundtracks

Texas Was The Last
Written by Joseph Fitzpatrick and Wayne Perry
Courtesy of APM Music

User Reviews

My 299th Review: Redefines The Term Chick Flick - And I Mean That.

In a sense this is a 6 or 7: a kind of kookie inspirational sports movie - fun, energetic, easy to watch and easy to like.

However it gets a 9 because I cannot recall any film that truly takes the conventions that male cinema does so well and wholesale translate them to something that girls will love.

This film isn't sappy but it isn't about masculine heroism - it is about women having a great time being truly what they are - not 1950 prissies, but punky, spikey, ironic, sexy and just plain fun.

Whip It has great roller derby sequences but more than that and more than most male sports movies we get to see the personalities of those involved and they shine.

Drew Barrymore knows films - she's being doing it all her life - and this may look lightweight and simple, but the way the camera tells the story is excellent - it is all well-composed and supported by a tip-top script and a great cast. The romantic interest is too good-looking (of course) and above all this is a film that will hit the target with girls and women - but I promise you guys will really like it too.

Almost impossible not to enjoy we loved its free spirit and would recommend it heartily to teenage girls as a film about doing your thing and being strong.