Drama
United States of America
Whip It is a coming-of-age sports comedy-drama film directed by Drew Barrymore in her directorial debut. The movie stars Ellen Page as Bliss Cavendar, a 17-year-old high-school student who is bored with her small-town life in Bodeen, Texas. Despite her mother's wishes that she participate in beauty pageants, Bliss discovers a love for roller derby after attending a match in nearby Austin with her best friend, Pash (Alia Shawkat).
Bliss lies about her age and joins the Hurl Scouts, a team in the Austin Roller Derby league. She adopts the alter ego "Babe Ruthless" and quickly becomes a pivotal player on the team, but struggles to balance her newfound passion with her family's expectations and her obligations to her best friend and her beauty pageant coach, played by Marcia Gay Harden.
As Bliss navigates the drama and rivalries of roller derby, she also begins a romantic relationship with a musician named Oliver (Landon Pigg). Meanwhile, her mother discovers her secret and, after an argument, forbids her from playing. Bliss defies her mother and rejoins the team for an important championship match against the defending champions, the Holy Rollers.
The film celebrates the empowerment and camaraderie of women in sports, and features a diverse cast of actors including Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig, and Eve. It was praised for its fresh take on the coming-of-age genre and its positive representation of female athleticism. Whip It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009 and was released in theaters that October.
