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Whip it - Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Drew Barrymore

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

For years, Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) has been dreaming of escaping her tiny, truck-stop of a town Bodeen, Texas. Unfortunately her devoted, beauty pageant obsessed mother (Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden) is convinced that Bliss can only succeed in life if she wins the crown at the local Miss Blue Bonnet Pageant, but the awkward outsider knows there's something bigger and better out there. When Bliss sneaks off to the big city of Austin with her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat) she discovers a world unlike anything she could ever imagine: roller derby, with its girl-power-meets-punk-rock spirit and its liberating celebration of wild individuality.

Inspired by the likes of Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), Bliss secretly tries out for a spot on the Hurl Scouts, a rag-tag team of scrappy underdogs. Soon she's trading in her gowns and crowns for skirts, skates and scrapes becoming her alter ego, Babe Ruthless. Leading a precarious double life, Bliss may be a waitress at Bodeen's Oink Joint by day, but by night, she's becoming the fastest thing on eight wheels. Now she's doing things she never dreamed of - fearlessly facing off with bad-ass rivals like Iron Maven (Academy Award nominee Juliette Lewis) and falling for a boy in a band (singer/songwriter Landon Pigg) - while trying to be a heroine to her new friends and team-mates. But when her secret gets out, Bliss will face her toughest fight yet: to take control of the future... on her own terms.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film comedy drama sport roller derby coming-of-age misfit skate

Persons of interest

Ellen Page .... Bliss Cavendar
Drew Barrymore .... Smashley Simpson
Juliette Lewis .... Dinah Might
Kristen Wiig .... Malice in Wonderland
Zoe Bell .... Bloody Holly
Alia Shawkat .... Pash
Marcia Gay Harden
Ari Graynor .... Eva Destruction
Daniel Stern
Andrew Wilson .... Coach
Tuesday Knight .... Shane
Eve .... Rosa Sparks
Sarah Habel .... Corbi Booth
Har Mar Superstar .... Coach Jeff
Sydney Bennett .... Kami Kaze
Landon Pigg .... Oliver
Carlo Alban .... Birdman
Shannon Eagen .... Amber Blythe
Joelle ten Damme .... Sasha
Rio Scafone .... Clara
Austin Bickel .... Riley
LaTasha Pippen .... Juana Beatn
Mark Boyd .... Ronny
Madge Levinson .... Helen
Shauna Cross .... Screenwriter
Shauna Cross .... Author: Derby Girl
Drew Barrymore .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

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Whip it film production notes
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Roadshow Films

Intelligence analyst

Secret Agent Acid Thunder

Theatrical report

I didn't know that Drew Barrymore directed films, yet that would explain why I haven't seen her recently in other projects. In the 80s I'd seen another similar film with a higher mature content and directed towards a B-grade audience, so I wasn't expecting too much from this production, but, once again I was surprised by the performances from Ellen Page and Andrew Wilson (the OTHER Wilson brother). Yes, yes, honourable mentions go to Marcia Gay Harden and Zoë Bell but Juliette Lewis's performance and character portrayal didn't show me anything new about her. Still the same bitch-with-an-attitude (or Only Child Syndrome™) which even to me is getting a little tiresome. Drew did well to have a character that's important but not stand-outish enough to affect her direction which complements the story.

I think many people will be pleasantly surprised but don't hold out for mind-blowing performances or plot.

The comedy, drama, sport movie Whip it is directed by Drew Barrymore and stars Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis.