Whip It

Yesterday morning, I went and spent some quality time by myself. I went to see Whip It. Sometimes when you get too excited about a movie, even if its decent, you end up being disappointed...just because you were too anxious and expected more. This was not the case with Whip It! I loved it!

The film has a great message--be your own hero. And the idea of girl power engulfs the entire movie. Its not entirely predictable--as sweet films like this often can be, and that is a breath of fresh air! It was funny, touching and the characters shone. Marcia Gay Harden was great as the traditional small town mother who wants her daughter to be all that she can be. She clearly loves her daughter, but it is tough for her to relate to Bliss. And I LOVED Daniel Stern's football fan father character...one of my favorite moments of the film was when he nailed his daughter's derby number into his front lawn...just like the neighbor with two football playing sons had done (and had earlier scoffed at Daniel Stern's daughters coming home in pageant dresses). He also had one of the best lines when he says "I can risk losing the money [about her $800 pageant dress], but what I can't risk is a chance for our kid to be happy." And of course, Ellen Page is a joy as always. She embodies her characters through and through and brings with her so many character quirks. This movie is fun all the way through and I doubt this is the last we'll see of Drew Barrymore's directing talents! (It was so cute, she had Steven Spielberg there at the premiere to support her on her first directing gig!)

Go GIRLS!