It is a bit of an odd film, this, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and I think that's largely because of Ellen Page... she rises to the occasion tremendously.
Comment
10/08/09
Whip It (2009)
82
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:141
Fresh:116
Rotten:25
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: While made from overly familiar ingredients, Drew Barrymore's directorial debut has enough charm, energy, and good-natured humor to transcend its many cliches.
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $12,994,912
Synopsis: Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with this feisty, female-friendly action-comedy. JUNO's Ellen Page stars as Bliss Cavendar, a young woman who longs to break free of her small-town bonds... [More]
Starring: Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore
Director: Drew Barrymore
Reviews for Whip It
Top CriticThere is a strange tone to the film. It’s as if it knows there’s a cliché at the heart of this story of an outsider finding expression of her true self and works hard to avoid it.
10/08/09
Top CriticNot the holy roller expected of such a promising cast, premise and debut director.
10/08/09
Top CriticSurprisingly touching moments of realisation and emotional connection manage to rise above the dramatic cliches that pepper the rest of the film and account for the best scenes in Whip It. Next to all the punch-ups on the track, that is.
10/08/09
Top CriticWhip It is not the most original flick to come along this year, the knockabout (and knock 'em flat) way in which Barrymore captures the wired atmosphere of roller derby is genuinely irresistible.
10/08/09
Top CriticDrew Barrymore’s directorial debut is an absolute delight, with fast paced action, hilarious comedy and outstanding performances from the majority female cast.
10/08/09
Top CriticWhile Whip It follows the pattern of the majority of underdog sports dramas, Barrymore's film has a vitality, energy and heart (in the beautifully acted mother-daughter story) that's often lacking in male-centred movies.
10/08/09
Top CriticTo date, as an actress and producer, Barrymore has made some excellent choices and has always seemed to have a gut instinct for what works. Until now. The saving grace of the film is the disarmingly appealing Ellen Page who escapes unscathed.
10/08/09
Top CriticWhat Whip It does make clear is that all girls are expected to perform, whether expectations are embodied by parents or audiences.
11/19/09
Drew Barrymore's directorial debut is slight yet charming.
11/03/09
Drew Barrymore's directorial debut is an energetic celebration of grrrl power, and it sure is fun to watch.
10/31/09
Its refreshingly unjaded look at humanity is not something I'm prepared to sneer at.
10/25/09
Barrymore's Irresistible 'Whip It': 'Kansas City Bomber' Crossed with 'Gidget'
10/18/09
...the stellar performances and Barrymore's obvious enthusiasm for the material ultimately proves instrumental in allowing the viewer to overlook the myriad of flaws.
10/18/09
Barrymore makes her directorial debut her with an astute eye for the complex emotional passage being experienced beneath Bliss's crash helmet.
10/16/09
It takes girl power to the extreme and made me wish I was a roller derby girl. Jam packed full of excitement, action, humor and intensity.
10/16/09
It's just "Footloose" goes to the roller derby.
10/14/09
Despite its somewhat contrived formula, Whip It feels like a spirited Indie that refuses to sell out, demonstrating respect for both its characters and its audience.
10/11/09
The marvel of Whip It is that Barrymore's freewheeling spirit is infectious, even when her direction borders on sloppiness and the script skirts with cliché.
10/11/09
Whip It, the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore, is friendly and fun-loving and nurturing, as she seems to be.
10/11/09
Latest News for Whip It
October 01, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Zombieland Is Bloody Good
This week at the movies, we've got zombie zaniness (Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg); derby dolls (Whip it, starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page);... More...
October 01, 2009:
Whip It Good: Our Favorite Rollerskating Jams
As Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka so eloquently put it: "If the good lord had intended us to walk, he wouldn't have invented roller skates." Indeed. Yet while this week's Drew... More...
September 28, 2009:
Drew Barrymore Calls the Shots with Whip It 
Many years after a six-year-old Drew Barrymore handed Steven Spielberg a copy of her first script, she's ready to unveil her directorial debut with "Whip It." More...
July 19, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review
More...
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