Whip It

Ellen Page totally holds Whip It together despite the incongruity of her being dwarfed by the other distaff actors in the film's ensemble. Whip It will have you believing that the diminutive Page holds her own physically against the pushing and shoving of much taller and bigger roller derby chicks.
This Fox Searchlight release knows which side of the bread is toast. Early on we see Page, as mousy Bliss Cavendar from a small town outside of Austin, mention that one of her idols is Amelia Earhart, which just happens to be Searchlight's big Oscar push film coming out in another month. Plus the film plays on Page's persona and the fact that Searchlight's Juno was her breakthrough role. Page pays off with dividends often diverting some of Whip It's smaller flaws like script logic and continuity.
Bliss' parents want her to be a debutante of sorts. The performances of Marcia Gay Harden and Daniel Stern recall classic parents of John Hughes films; they're concerned about their kids but they also have lives and personalities of their own. The pair give added resonance to the film and contribute to its future cult status. The empowerment theme of a young girl accomplishing a sports oriented goal speaks for itself.
First time helmer Drew Barrymore also co-stars along with Kristen Wiig, Zoe Bell and Juliette Lewis, all playing tough taking skaters. There's a constant sense of camaraderie along with the competition and Andrew Wilson (the unsung Wilson brother) adds real zest as a coach. The film was mostly lensed in Michigan according to the end credits but several establishing shots of the cast in Austin firmly give it a Texas feel.