ViewGuide

Created Nov 10, 2011 10:18PM PST • Edited Nov 12, 2011 01:37AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   OK 2.5

   Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut nails her target audience’s erroneous zone: every good girl’s desire to breakout. Running riot in bohemian Austin’s roller-derby circuit gets ’er done, especially given how Texans revere contact sports.

   Still, star-driven female empowerment does not a transcendent movie make. As proof, the successful metaphor of roller-derby as female football isn’t enough to make Whip It good. If you’re not a young woman, it’s just this side of silly.

   But that’s OK ’cause Whip It whips it … OK.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   Star power – top to bottom.

   • Ellen Page’s Bliss Cavendar ain’t no Juno yet is a classic High School girl.
   • Jimmy Fallon slums as Hot Tub’ Johnny Rocket, Roller-Derby Announcer.
   • Alia Shawkat always impresses, her as Ellen Page’s BFF.
   • Marcia Gay Harden does beautifully as the Mom.
   • Daniel Stern essays Texas Man.
   • Landon Pigg, well named, plays rocking boyfriend Oliver

   Then come the best named characters you’re every going to find, the Hurl Scouts roller-blade team.

   • Kristen Wiig as Maggie Mayhem
   • Zoe Bell as Bloody Holly
   • Eve as Rosa Sparks. Risky move for the big Hip Hop star.
   • Drew Barrymore herself as Smashley Simpson, a great name if ever there was one.

   Captain of the opposition.

   • Juliette Lewis as Iron Maven. Lewis clocks in two decades older than Page, and pulls off a female Kurt Russell thing. Good for her.

5. Male Stars OK 2.5

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars OK 2.5

10. Film

    OK 2.5

    Director Drew Barrymore’s first feature is hardly a disaster, though it has several amateurish moments. She’ll get better.

11. Direction OK 2.5

12. Play OK 2.5

13. Music Good 3.0

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.8

17. Sex Titillating 1.7

18. Violence Fierce 1.6

19. Rudeness Salty 2.1

21. Reality

    Glib 1.4

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.3

23. Biological Glib 1.4

24. Physical Glib 1.4