Ellen Page, Whip It, and maybe a bit more

Why do I like Ellen Page? Hmmm…she’s cute, has a mysterious and somewhat sexy allure, is funny, a good actress, and all but her role in Hard Candy, I enjoy watching her perform. So, even though I rarely review mainstream stuff, Whip It made it’s way into my player and I felt compelled to talk about it.

I won’t bore you with a lot of the details, a trailer, or even an official rating, since this is simply just Hollywood’s lame version of the greatest female sport ever played, but Ellen plays a rebellious teen who finds passion in Roller Derby (something her parents would be totally against), and although she's only 17 years old, she excels in it, becomes a league leader, and even a poster child for the sport. She also falls in love (and is burnt), swims in her bra and panties (woo hoo), hangs her best friend out to dry, finally sticks up for what she believes in, and in the end, it all works out for the best…the perfect Hollywood ending.

But, this movie isn’t anything great, and even with the sarcasm and crude humor of Jimmy Fallon (for those who are fans), performances by Drew Barrymore (her directorial debut), Eve, Juliette Lewis, the Star-bellied Sneetch helmets, and Juno-esque moments, I still walked away empty.


And, I’m not quite sure why, but Ellen never really seems to fit into the whole roller chick shtick. Then again, neither does Juliette Lewis, but as most other Hollywood adaptations, there’s always that sense of unrealism, even with the greatest actor/actresses of the day. And, I haven’t had a chance to see a live roller derby match, but something tells me it would be just as hokey as watching a live wrestling match: staged hits, falls, and nothing but hype. Then again, that's what makes them so popular, right, the anicipation of what might happen if someone misses their cue or really goes off the deep end...

So, why do I like Ellen Page? It’s because she’s cute, has a mysterious and somewhat sexy allure, is funny, a good actress, and all but her role in Hard Candy, I enjoy watching her performances. But, I can’t really say I enjoyed her much in this one either, and although I fixated all my attention on her (maybe that was the problem), it just seemed like a lamely told story. So, I can’t really fault her for shitty writing, or can I? My recommendation after watching this is to pop in Juno, Never Been Kissed, and Natural Born Killers (in that order), a nice trifecta to top off the evening, then forget you ever watched Whip It.

Rating: 2 out of 5 Side Show Freaks, and I’m sure this is what Ellen thinks of it. Cute, yet so hostile.