I'm Canadian, I skate.

 

Essentially, the film is a chicks-on-skates/coming-of-age/sports-drama/comedy/feminist polemic set in the racy world of roller derby. If it sounds as if it would be easy to lose your footing in all of that, it is. And on occasion Barrymore does, and not just because the floors are slick.

"Whip It" stars Ellen Page as Bliss, a teenager unhappily stuck in Bodeen, Texas, best known for a giant barbecue sandwich called the Squealer, served at the inglorious Oink Joint, where Bliss works. The story is set in the indie-punk derby renaissance that began in 2000 in Austin and is based on the semiautobiographical novel by Shauna Cross, who also wrote the screenplay. Bliss, in the middle of an identity crisis, stumbles upon two things she loves: the derby and an alternative rocker named Oliver (the very engaging singer-songwriter Landon Pigg). Both will cause her pain; one will seriously disappoint her.

What makes "Whip It" a blast is the action in the rink. What gives "Whip It" heart is the pathos, pain and mettle-testing elements that accompany any serious athletic competition. It doesn´t hurt that its diminutive star is surprisingly athletic and agile on the track. "I´m Canadian. I skate," Page has said.