Quartile rating: 6/10 · 2 ratings
In Bodeen, Texas, Land Of The Dragon, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin.
Whip It is a solid coming-of-age sports dramedy with genuine warmth and likability. The plot hits familiar beats — small-town misfit finds her tribe through an unconventional sport — but is executed with enough heart and specificity to rise above the formula. Ellen Page anchors the film well, with a fun ensemble including Drew Barrymore (also directing her debut), Kristen Wiig, and Juliette Lewis adding color. Cinematography is functional and serviceable but unremarkable, rarely elevating the material visually. The roller derby sequences have energy but lack the distinctive visual craft of top-tier sports films. Novelty is modest — the roller derby setting is fresh for mainstream cinema and the female-centric ensemble gives it personality, but the coming-of-age arc is well-trodden. The ending is satisfying and emotionally earned without being surprising. Overall a crowd-pleasing, above-average debut that succeeds more on charm than on ambition.