August 24 - Whip It

This is a film with a scene that happens today – August 24. I hope you enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

WHIP IT

Bliss Cavender is a 17 year old living in Bodine, Texas. Her mother enter her in beauty pageants, but Bliss hates them. Bliss works in the Oink Joint, a local BBQ restaurant as a waitress with her best friend Pash. On day while shopping in Austin, Bliss sees a flyer for a local roller derby match. On August 24, 2008 [9:56 to 10:45] Pash picks up Bliss at the Oink Joint and they decide to attend after lying to their parents about where they’re going. After seeing the match Bliss lies to the team and says she’s 22,  and to her parents about what she’s doing, so she can try out for the Hurl Scouts, the perennial doormat of the roller derby league. Bliss makes the team and is soon nicknamed ‘Babe Ruthless’. At a party after the first match she meets Oliver, an aspiring musician and they later take a day long road trip. Her mother pushes Bliss to get ready for the Miss Bluebonnet pageant. The team starts to win, and make the finals, in part due to Bliss, who becomes so good she is selected as the league’s new poster girl. Of course the league finals and the pageant are scheduled for the same day. After a match the police raid the event, resulting in Pash being arrested for underage drinking. Bliss is unaware of this as she has gone off with Oliver for a romantic midnight swim before he leaves on tour with his band, taking Bliss’s favorite t-shirt as a memento. Her parent’s find out what Bliss has been up to as a result of Pash’s arrest, leading to Bliss moving in with a fellow teammate, ‘Maggie’ Mayhem” and having a falling out with Pash.  Bliss finally confesses to the team that she’s only 17 and thus can’t skate unless one of her parents gives permission. Bliss finds an online photo of Oliver standing with a girl who is wearing the  t-shirt Bliss gave him. She is devastated, moves back home and decides to compete in the Miss Bluebonnet pageant. Bliss and Pash make up after Pash gets accepted to an Ivy league school in spite of her arrest. Her father investigates roller derby and gives Bliss permission to skate. Bliss skates in the finals, but the Hurl Scouts suffer a heart-breaking last second loss. Oliver returns, but Bliss breaks up with him, not believing his vow that he didn’t cheat on her.  At the end of the film Bliss has even reconciled with her mother after her mom learns Bliss planned to name her the person Bliss was most proud of in the pageant.

A quirky coming-of-age story. Very refreshing that this is a girl’s story, but it is still somewhat clichéd. Of course the finals and the pageant are on the same day! Oh well, this movie’s unusual storyline and believable characters make it worth watching.   

The flyer gives the date of Aug 25 at 9:56. At 10:35, looking at the flyer Pash says “that’s tomorrow”

Director - Drew Barrymore

Runtime – 1 hour 51 minutes

Released – September 13, 2009

Starring –

Ellen Page as Bliss Cavendar (Babe Ruthless)

Alia Shawkat as Pash

Marcia Gay Harden as Brooke Cavendar

Daniel Stern as Earl Cavendar

Carlo Alban as Dwayne (Birdman)

Landon Pigg as Oliver

Jimmy Fallon as 'Hot Tub' Johnny Rocket

Kristen Wiig as Maggie Mayhem

Zoë Bell as Bloody Holly

Eve as Rosa Sparks

Drew Barrymore as Smashley Simpson

Andrew Wilson as Razor

Juliette Lewis as Iron Maven

Ari Graynor as Eva Destruction

Har Mar Superstar as Fight Attendants Coach