Usually...

Rating: 8/10 (2 October 2009)

...movies don't get better as they move along, but here's one that really flowers in the second half. The first half is rickety and blunt. But as these very strong performers (particularly the supporting ones) garner more time on the screen, the more you fall for them.
Ellen Page is a little too winsome for my tastes. She's beautiful and brings a persona that's fresh to the screen, but I always feel like her performances are rehearsals and she needs one more take to nail it.
But once the second half of the movie arrives (after a party where she connects with a guy), I really fell in love with Ellen Page. The film builds to a choice her character has to make, and while it's a little generous to think a young kid would make the choice she does, it's very heart-warming. Her scene with Marsha Gay Harden sitting in front of a refrigerator is one of the nicer pieces of acting this year. And all of that is boosted by a sensational performance by Daniel Stern as Page's Dad. He epitomizes great screen acting.
The roller derby team which Page's character joins is likely the reason most of us bought a ticket to see this movie. It's an eclectic bunch and everyone fulfills what we like to think roller derby mama's might be like (always happy to see Zoe Bell doing ANYTHING on the screen). Unfortunately, Barrymore bit off a little more than she could chew in making the roller derby sequences coherent or exciting, and that drags the movie down. Even the crowd scenes feel hollow, and at least we can still look forward to that great roller derby movie in the future.
But Barrymore does make the heart of this movie both touching and fresh. Since it's like a hundred movies we've probably seen, that's quite an accomplishment. We know where the movie is going, and Barrymore keeps steering just slightly off course so we don't anticipate too much. I look forward to a quieter, more intimate film from her, since I think that's where her talents really lie.
Just to mention: We get to see a great deal of Juliette Lewis in full roller derby scowl. I couldn't wait for her character to reappear and each time she does, the movie lights up. More, more, more (please).