Coming of age stories are a dime a dozen. Along with romantic comedies and inspirational sports films, there are not a lot of surprises to be had. I do not foresee anyone completely reinventing any of these genres. I am not sure it is even possible to do such a thing, although I am definitely open to the possibility. Frankly, I would love to see it happen. Until that time, I will be content to keep my eye out for those that look interesting and those that look like they make the genre conventions work for them. Enter Whip It, a coming of age story that makes the conventions work in its favor and in turn delivers a superior cinematic experience.
Whip It does not reinvent the genre, it does not do anything particularly new, yet it is able to work and massage the genre in such a way that it feels fresh. Perhaps it is the directorial presence of Drew Barrymore in her first outing behind the camera. Maybe it is the work of Shauna Cross who wrote the screenplay based on her own novel. Or maybe it is the cast that elevates the material to the next level. In the end, it has to be the combination of all three of those elements. If one of them were to fail the potential for this to fold like a house of cards greatly increases; at the very least the failure of one could potentially expose some cracks in the armor.
The movie centers on a teenage girl named Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page). She is a smart girl with a slight rebellious streak, demonstrated by the dying of her hair prior to a beauty pageant. After said pageant, her strict mother (Marcia Gay Harden) lectures her on life lessons and potential opportunities down the road of life. It is clear that Bliss has different ideas on where her life should go. It is also clear that she does not quite know where to go herself.
Article comments
1 - Nick
Thanks for the review. I'm curious to see this film -- great cast, and I love Drew Barrymore. Looks like fun.