A great movie

Rating: 8/10 (4 December 2016)

I love this movie because It's full of heart. The world of roller derby itself is very interesting. But Shauna Cross's script is so witty and full of life that even if you don't know much about the sport, you follow the action easily. The cast is outstanding. Juliette Lewis and Kristen Wiig are two of the classiest actors around, and they obviously love their roles as two key roller derby players - very unconventional, gutsy women. Andrew Wilson, who plays the coach, is fantastic. Basically he's the butt of all their jokes, pretending to be tough when he's really a softy. Of course Ellen Page as the naive newcomer, Bliss, is outstanding. Few female actors get the chance to play such a spirited, smart character who goes on a genuine journey of discovery. And Page nails it. And as her very conservative mother, Marcia Gay Harden is great with a character who is flawed in trying to make Bliss something into something she's not -- a straightlaced debutante - but who is also someone Bliss still loves, and who wants the best for her daughter. Drew Barrymore does a great job both as director and as one of the roller derby team. Above all, even while there's a solid plot and lots of drama, Whip It never fails to entertain and make us laugh. And it tells stories about women, front and centre, which is refreshing. There should be more movies like this one.