Roller Derby Movie Whip It Inspires Hero Within
Drew Barrymore’s Directorial Debut Stars Ellen Page
Sep 27, 2009
Whip It starring Ellen Page is a rolling good time and fans will not be disappointed as the hip and kitsch coming-of-age flick offers a glimpse into the sport and life of roller derby. Its authenticity to derby life can be attributed to Shauna Cross, screenwriter for Whip It and roller derby girl Maggie Mayhem for the Los Angeles Derby Dolls. She penned Derby Girl, the novel the movie is based.
Whip It: Synopsis
The lighthearted comedy finds 17-year-old indie-rock loving Bliss Cavendar, played by Ellen Page, living small-town life in Bodeen, Texas. Her mother, played by Marcia Gay Harden, is living beauty pageant youth through Bliss and younger daughter Shania played by adorable Eulala Scheel (who is the daughter of Marcia Gay Harden and Thaddaeus Scheel). Bliss discovers roller derby team the Hurl Scouts in Austin and is encouraged to "Put some skates on, be your own hero," by Maggie Mayhem, played by Kristen Wiigs. Bliss straps on her childhood Barbie roller skates without her family's knowledge and becomes Babe Ruthless.
While Babe Ruthless is a roller derby rock star on the track, small-town Bliss struggles for acceptance from her family when she realizes she wants to trade in beauty queen royalty for the roller derby punk life. She falls in love, loses love but gains strength when she finds her independence, gains her family's acceptance and falls in love again. Whip It is a love story but not typical boy and girl romance. What begins with little girl lost ends with a strong and independent young woman.
Whip It: How it Compares to True Roller Derby
Grueling training and requirements for roller derby are nearly brushed aside but the passion, rivalry, and family-like structure associated with the sport bleed throughout Whip It. Roller derby scenes add campy humor which is typical of the sport. Roller derby girls don fishnet stockings, short skirts, some with elaborate makeup and all have alter ego names.
Whip It will encourage new recruits to play roller derby and will probably increase attendance at roller derby bouts but when it comes to rules of the sport, the movie has some of it wrong. For instance, punching, clothes-lining, and tripping opponents and skating the wrong direction on the track are illegal. The type of roller derby played in the movie is banked-track and while this is popular in some parts of the country so is flat track roller derby.
Whip It: Additional Cast
Whip It is the directorial debut by Drew Barrymore and the director plays dingy yet violent roller girl Smashley Simpson. Other actors in Whip It are Zoe Bell as Bloody Holly, Eve as Rosa Sparks, and Juliette Lewis plays nemesis Iron Maven. Jimmy Fallon is announcer 'Hot Tub' Johnny Rocket and Andrew Wilson is the Hurl Scouts coach named Razor. Daniel Stern is teddy bear father Earl Cavendar. Authentic roller derby girls have roles including Kristen Adolfi, Rachel Piplica, and Chloe Truehart while others are stunt doubles.
Whip It: Roller Derby Revolution
Roller derby girls can visit the Whip It Web site to upload their derby name and photograph to their league account. Roller derby fans can find a league and register, too. Women wanting to skate in roller derby can begin to prepare with "Ingredients of a Roller Derby Girl" and "The Rules of Roller Derby."
A Fox Searchlight Pictures release, Whip It was initially set for distribution in U.S. theaters on October 9 and moved to October 2. A Whip It sneak preview was offered in 500 movie theaters on Saturday, September 26. T-shirts printed with "Whip It. Be Your Own Hero," were distributed with admission.
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