Whip It

If I were Drew Barrymore this is definitely the movie I would have made. It's good news for movie fans when an established actor turns director because actors love actors. They tend to cast by way of fan service, peopling and overpeopling their feature like the cover of Sgt Pepper.

For instance, as a former child star of the 80s I would definitely grant the role of the likable pop, an unspoken honor, to Daniel "voice of the Wonder Years" Stern. Remember that time on the Simpsons when Bart had a Wonder Years voiceover moment?

[To earn money for his comic book, Marge suggests that Bart get a job.]
BART: Me!?
VOICEOVER: Get a job? Were they serious? I didn't realize it at the time, but a little bit of my childhood had slipped away...forever.
HOMER: Bart! What are you staring at?
BART: Uh...nothing.
VOICEOVER: He didn't say it and neither did I, but at that moment, my dad and I were closer than we ever —
HOMER: Bart! Stop that!
BART: Sorry!

I wish Daniel Stern were narrating my life.

Since the flick is about Austin and Austin roller derby you've got to have an authentic local representative. Cue fully bearded Andrew Wilson, aka Future Man, the forgotten Wilson brother, as team coach. I honestly didn't recognize him till the end, having never expected to see the big lug outside of a Wes Anderson movie. Next thing you know Rob Zombie is gonna hire Pagoda.

On loan from Tarantino is that playful Kiwi stuntwoman — a no-brainer. But the most truly irrefutable choice is Juliette Lewis as the badass queen bitch of the derby. (I'm suddenly struck by the realization that in the past week I've seen both Mickey and Mallory kicking fresh butt.) Jammed as this movie is with cameo characters, a familiar assignment for Barrymore, she finds a personal moment for many of them and the cross-generation confrontation behind the rink between Lewis and Ellen Page is the best.

Naturally Barrymore takes upon herself the greatest risk of looking foolish by playing the team's unabashedly physical space cadet. (She jokes at one point about making little Ellen the team mascot, but really it's Drew who acts as mascot for her own movie.) This leaves the leadership slot open to SNL's Kristen Wiig, who deservedly adds a semi-dramatic breakthrough part to her resume of consistently spot-on comedy.

With all sincerity: Jimmy Fallon's finest hour.

The only lifeless corner of the movie, oddly enough, is our dear Junebug; Page's character feels underwritten as if taken for granted. Best friend Alia Shawkat upstages her in wryness and spunk in every scene — Maeby knows how to quickly carve out a sharp supporting role among bigger players. Page meanwhile seems to be waiting for the heavy drama to fall on center stage.

Barrymore knows how to throw a crazy party (she ought to), which is what Whip It amounts to even despite the fact that Page shows up without her dancing shoes. It's a damn fun time. As a director her feelgood sensibilities are impeccable and we should be so lucky as to have Ms Barrymore lift up and bear forward the torn denim standard of Riff Randell.