Mendel, B. (Producer), & Barrymore, D. (Director). (Release date January 6, 1010). Whip It. [Motion picture]. United States: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
UPC 024543641964
•Plot Summary
Since she was a little girl, Bliss Cavendar has been in beauty pageants, primarily due to her mother's need to relive her youth in the same series of pageants. Bliss lives in Bodeen, TX, a fictitious town near Austin, where the most interesting thing to do is go to work-at the local B-B-Q stand. When Bliss goes to Austin to shop with her mother, she picks up a flier advertising an exhibition for the local roller derby team, the Hurl Scouts. Enthusiastic, Bliss and her best friend (Pash) convince their parents they are going to watch their school's football game, when in fact they take Pash's car into Austin. Maggie Mayhem, one of the Hurl Scouts, encourages Bliss to try out for the team. Bliss lies about her age in order to do so, and is soon part of a new life, which includes regularly lying her to her parents about her whereabouts. Meanwhile, Bliss has also started dating Oliver, a rocker she meets at one of the Hurl Scout parties. She's with him when Pash is arrested, her friend's dreams of attending an Ivy League school in order to get out of Bodeen, potentially up in smoke. When Bliss's mother finds out the truth of what Bliss has been doing, Bliss runs away, but Maggie gives her another piece of encouragement-to make up with her parents. Oliver goes away with his band on a small tour, and missing him, Bliss looks up the band's site on the Internet-allowing her to also see a picture of Oliver with a blonde, a blonde wearing the t-shirt Bliss gave to Oliver to take with him, a t-shirt that actually belongs to her mother. Bliss returns home, and tells her mother what happened with Oliver, and agrees to be in the major pageant that conflicts with the Hurl Scouts' final game. They never won before Bliss was on the team, despite their coach (Razor's) guidance, but Bliss is the faster HS ever and Razor has designed new plays. The Hurl Scouts finally have a shot at being in first place, and Bliss is literally the league's poster girl. It is seeing a clip of Bliss, and her poster, that finally results in her reticent father telling his wife that he thinks they ought to let Bliss have her chance with the roller derby. Bliss's mother gives in, her father takes she and the Hurl Scouts to the arena, and once more they lose. Still, her mother comes to watch Bliss, she has made up with Pash, and she has confronted Oliver, letting him know she won't be the girl that whines or puts up with the lying boyfriend. The Scouts lose, but there is always next year.
•Critical Evaluation
Humorous look at how a teenager comes into her own, despite small town life, and a controlling mother. Bliss is fallible, but has good intentions, and there is a certain proud moment when she tells Oliver she "won't be that girl", stating he has to return her mother's t-shirt.
•Reader’s Annotation
Suitable for tweens and teens. Bliss makes a few mistakes, but comes out as a viable role model for teen girls. Based on the novel Derby Girl.
•Genre
Motion Picture, Film, DVD, Movie
•Curriculum Ties
Sports
•Booktalking Ideas
Girls in competitive sports, small town life for teens, roller derby
•Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 6-12/Ages 11-19
•Challenge Issues
N/A
•Why did you include this book in you’re the titles you selected?
I grew up in Texas, and wanted to see Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. This film received good reviews when it was released, and turned out to be even better than I had expected. I plan to read Derby Girl soon.
