Whip It

Whip It is like the prom queen girl next door who puts on too much mascara, gaudy lipstick and a skirt so short she would be kicked out of Catholic school to make herself appear to be more dangerous, more daring and a little dirty for a Saturday night at the club. Yet, underneath it all, you know she is sweeter than apple pie with a heart of gold that still beats to the rhythm of a Hannah Montana song.

Ellen "Juno" Page stars as Bliss - an out of place, high school girl in Bodeen, TX. While she continues to parade along the beauty pageant circuit to please her mother, Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden), the outcaste Bliss is seeking more than this small town can offer. Looking for excitement, she and her best friend, Pash (Alia Shawkat), head off to Austin to watch a roller derby match, where Bliss has an epiphany. This is what she wants to do.

Will Bliss be tough enough to be a roller derby queen?

Can she hide it from her parents?

Director Drew Barrymore places Whip It in an awkward position. On the one hand, she wants Whip It to be a movie with an independent, alternative, gritty feel as these unlikely heroes steal our hearts and act out against everything in life and society that has been keeping them down (grrrl power!). On the other hand, Barrymore sprays the movie with pretty flowers and perfume to deliver a big, safe, cliché film. The result is a mixed Whip It crying out for more edge and honesty.

Barrymore and writer Shauna Cross provide the set up and framework for a wacky comedy, complete with a head coach who gets no respect, teammates and opponents who are more than pleased to dish out some violence, and a roller derby announcer who is very skeevy. However, with this cast, it feels like everyone is playing dress up.

Jimmy Fallon is too nice, safe and likeable to be this perverted and nasty announcer. Barrymore still has those tender, youthful looks that make you believe she couldn't hurt a fly, let alone be the physical enforcer on a roller derby team. Face it. Just because you put on a fake beard or dye your hair multiple shades of the rainbow does not make you tough, on the outskirts of society or rebellious. Everyone seems to be holding back too much to make sure they aren't offensive or alienate their typical fan base, so they present characters who are cute versions of the tough, gritty characters these should be.

Page is the only one who gets it. She is one of the best actresses working today because she can equally kick booty and need a hug to shelter her vulnerability, and you believe both sides of that persona. Unlike the other characters in Whip It, she is supposed to be this innocent girl with a rebel trying to burst out, but she knows when to let it all hang out.

Whip It will get you to laugh, maybe even feel a bit of a tear welling up in your eye, but it's obvious Barrymore will need to direct a few more movies before she will compete with Scorsese or Spielberg.

Whip It is rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material.