Upon joining the roller derby, Bodeen, a young beautiful and smart girl, who by the desire of her mother enter the beauty pageants competition, struggles against facing the real face of life, love, and betrayal.
Barrymore is just as determined to land some insightful and unexpected dramatic punches as she is with the inherent physical comedy for which the sport is renowned.
[Whip It] treats its mostly female cast of characters with respect, and this is (sadly) a rare treat in cinema. Hannah Montana may be this generation's Spice Girl, but Bliss Cavender is the one really waving the 'girl power' flag.
For the most part, the 34-year-old Barrymore, with much of her life spent in front of the camera and more than a few impressive producing credits already in the bank, proves steady on her feet, able to handle curves and straightaways with equal grace.
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.
