Whip it

Drew Barrymore has the makings of an all-American icon. She inherited the surname of a renowned acting dynasty. She wowed audiences very young, in ET. She grew up in Hollywood, apparently without ill effects. She made a wise investment in, and high returns from, transforming an old TV series, Charlie's Angels, into a snappy action movie franchise co-starring herself. She's gained awards and kudos for serious acting in TV movies such as Grey Gardens.

Now she's directed her first feature, Whip It, successfully in the eyes of critics (83% per Rotten Tomatoes). It's a charming, fun-filled romp about a Texan girl (Ellen Page) who joins a roller derby team. That makes it a chick flick on skates. So why did it fail at the box office, grossing less than US$19 million? I'd guess its producers hadn't found a target audience. Who goes to roller derby carnivals in real life? Not so many, I guess. Then the producers (including Barrymore) picked the wrong lead actress.

Ellen Page is a winsome little actress (who gained attention with Juno) without a wide fan base. She was miscast as a small-town nobody finding herself and a vicious streak on the roller track. The role needed a credibly tough bully-girl to fit into the rough contact "sport". Anyone who tries to look tough alongside team-mates like Juliette Lewis needs to look much older and wickeder than Ms Page. She looks lost on the track, in ensembles, and set beside Lewis and other ageing pros (including Barrymore herself, playing a dumb-belle).

The producers obviously wanted a family-friendly censors' rating, so there aren't even any shower or locker room scenes to attract male teen interest. Everyone in Hollywood should know that a sports movie without semi-nudity isn't very sporting.

In order to appeal to moms and pops, the movie offered them recognisable faces -- Marcia Gay Harden and Daniel Stern as the girl's confused parents, Jimmy Fallon in a one-note role as a comic manic roller derby emcee. Unfortunately, everyone involved got very recognisable cliched characters and dialogue.

Ms Barrymore's debut as a director could be seen as promising; she's crafted a competent effort. Does that sound as if I'm damning her with faint praise? No, I don't damn her, but I do hope she gets a meatier script and clearer cinematic vision next time. How else is the USA to gain a worthy successor to Shirley Temple as a national icon?