Roller Derby is back and growing in popularity, so it was inevitable that someone would make a movie about it. Better that it is Drew Barrymore (in her directorial debut) rather than Disney looking to replicate the “success” of the Mighty Ducks. Roller Derby peaked in the middle of the 20th century before almost disappearing in the seventies. The glamorous, high profile, full contact women’s sport has been reborn (on basketball courts and in warehouses) with less hype, but a lot more soul, fashion sense, and DIY ethic. The new sport wears the old school quad skates and often appeals to girls who have no interest in more traditional sport. Whip It is based on the semi-autobiographical novel of just such a girl, Shauna Cross (aka Maggie Mayhem of the Los Angeles Derby Dolls.
Ellen Page (Juno) has had enough of her parents demands that she enter beauty pageants and finds a sport that lets her express her real self, roller derby. Page’s new identity as Babe Ruthless is wonderful for her until she falls out with her parents and best friend, and then her new romance goes sour. But, in typical Hollywood style, all things are better by the film’s end. It is disappointing that the movie is so cliched, with very little variation on the standard teen sports/coming of age movie. Why isn’t it okay to make a movie about a girl finding pastime she likes and becoming empowered without everyone being against her for doing so? Page is great and the scenes involving the derby girls (Juliette Lewis, Drew Barrymore, Zoe bell, etc) are good, but the rest of the film is mediocre and formulaic. The real derby is much more exciting.
Ellen Page does derby...
Ellen Page does derby...
As does Raquel Welch in Kansas City Bomber in 1972...
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