Whip It Good

During the school year, I allow myself to become completely engulfed in university life. For the eight months that I live “in the bubble”, my computer screen functions as my window to the ‘real world’. On a particularly unproductive day last week, I found myself wandering the endless viral videos on Youtube and ended up browsing movie trailers. To my surprise, Hollywood was still thriving despite the fact that I no longer had time to frequent my local AMC.

As I browsed through the online trailers, I found the Technicolor, mock-indy movie Whip It; the newest ‘alternative’ comedy soon to be cult film. The movie is further proof that the ageless Ellen Page can popularize anything. She did it with teen pregnancy and now she is doing it with the underground world of roller derby.



Though the movie cited the formulaic layout of Juno, it has once again summed up to a great movie. The script is packed with quotables from every character, small town quaintness, retro rock references, and unattractive male leads that awkwardly smile their way into your heart despite their minimal dialogue. Like its counterpart, Whip It boasts a phenomenal soundtrack that highlights Indy artists teetering on the edge of mainstream music. The twenty-one songs that make up the soundtrack are the original reason that I wanted to go see the movie and I have since played them on constant repeat.

The trailer gives away the overarching story but the movie does save a few punches for moviegoers. In her directorial debut, Drew Barrymore achieves a balance between beauty and brutality. The intertwined love, family, maturity, friendship, and sports sagas that make up Whip It all work together without overpowering each other. I walked out of the movie wanting to hug my mother, support my best friend, and put on a pair of skates and take out anyone who got in my way.