Whip It (2009)
82%RT Audience Score: 74%
Awards & Nominations: 8 nominations
While made from overly familiar ingredients, Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut has enough charm, energy, and good-natured humor to transcend its many cliches
Whip It is the perfect movie for anyone who loves a good underdog story, girl power, and roller derby. Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut is a fun and feminist film that will have you cheering for Bliss Cavendar, aka Babe Ruthless, played by Ellen Page. The training montages, team spirit, and retro glamour make for a visually stunning movie, and the food fight scene is a highlight. While some critics may find the movie cliched or brainless, it’s hard not to enjoy the charm of the cast and the rock-solid lead performance by Page. So grab some popcorn, put on your skates, and get ready to whip it!
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Penthouse Video Long Road Productions,
Distributor
Fox
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Austin, Texas, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material
Year of Release
2009
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 12.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 51m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 2, 2009 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 26, 2010
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Elliot Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Daniel Stern, Shauna Cross, directed by Drew Barrymore, written by Shauna Cross, Comedy, Drama, PG-13, Fox, $13.0M, reviewed by Nell Minow, Xan Brooks, Sukhdev Sandhu, Kim Newman, David Jenkins, Nigel Andrews, Joe Lipsett, Alex Behan, Yasmin Omar, James Croot, Stuart McGurk, Elliot Page as Bliss Cavendar, Marcia Gay Harden as Brooke Cavendar, Kristen Wiig as Maggie Mayhem, Drew Barrymore as Smashley Simpson, Juliette Lewis as Iron Maven, Daniel Stern as Earl Cavendar
Worldwide gross: $16,691,303
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $23,069,229
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,663
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,515,728
US/Canada gross: $13,043,363
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $18,027,372
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,445
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,650,812
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $6,427,937
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,052
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $20,731,661
Production budget ranking: 1,346
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,163,999
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$8,826,431
ROI to date (est.): -28%
ROI ranking: 1,550
Marcia Gay Harden – Brooke Cavendar
Kristen Wiig – Maggie Mayhem
Drew Barrymore – Smashley Simpson
Juliette Lewis – Iron Maven
Daniel Stern – Earl Cavendar
Director(s)
Drew Barrymore
Writer(s)
Shauna Cross
Producer(s)
Barry Mendel, Drew Barrymore
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (194) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (164) | Rotten (30)
February 18, 2012 | Rating: B
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
Drew Barrymore makes her directing debut with a join-the-dots sports outing that’s so brightly played – and so essentially sweet-natured – that its manifest cliches come up smelling of fresh paint.
April 9, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Xan Brooks
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Although there’s nothing original about it, and although it’s handled competently rather than with breathtaking élan, it’s almost impossible to dislike…
April 8, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
As a sports movie and as a mixed-up teen flick, it keeps taking unexpected turns, and unlike so many in the former genre, remembers there’s more to sport dramas than just winning.
April 8, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Deftly moderating her patented eye-rolling poseur shtick, Page delivers her most charismatic and least divisive performance to date as Bliss Cavendar, aka Babe Ruthless.
April 8, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
David Jenkins
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
If the film were any more brainless, it would be a lump of rock. But if it were any less brainless, it might be less fun.
April 8, 2010 | Rating: 2/5
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
An enjoyable directorial debut from Barrymore, carried by the charm of a very game cast and anchored by a rock solid lead performance by Page. Whip It is just plain fun
May 6, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Joe Lipsett
Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast
It’s a funny, feel good, feminist film that throws elbows, pulls no punches and features a fantastic food fight.
October 1, 2021
Alex Behan
Stuff.co.nz
Whip It blends training montages, team spirit and retro glamour.
June 25, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Yasmin Omar
Harper’s Bazaar
A sassy, yet ultimately sweet tale of girl power.
May 27, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
James Croot
Stuff.co.nz
At a time when the above films make the character their selling point – there’s something so refreshing in Barrymore simply saying: no, let the kid just be a kid.
May 19, 2021 | Rating: 7/10
Stuart McGurk
NME
It’s a surprisingly boring, hopeless sports drama with a flat narrative that dissipates as quickly as the tracks of a roller skate on asphalt. [Full review in Spanish]
August 8, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados…
Plot
In a town near Austin, Bliss Cavendar’s strong-willed mom believes that 17-year-old Bliss can win pageants, which she considers the key to a happy life. Bliss isn’t the beauty pageant type: she’s shy and quiet and has just one friend:Pash, her fellow waitress at a diner. Things change for Bliss when she discovers a women’s roller-derby league in Austin, tries out, proves to be whip-fast, and makes the team. Now she needs to become someone tough on the rink, keep her parents from finding out where she goes twice a week, and do something about her first crush, on a musician she meets at the derby. Meanwhile, Mom still sees Bliss as Miss Bluebonnet. Things are on a collision course; will everyone get banged up?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for Whip It, but Elliot Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, and Juliette Lewis are all part of the cast.
Drew-Barrymore.jpg
