Whip It (PG-13, 2009)

In WHIP IT (which is based on the book Derby Girl by Shauna Cross), Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) is a small-town Texas teen being groomed to win the Blue Bonnet pageant, a beauty contest that her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) won long ago. But it's not exactly what Bliss envisions for herself. A visit to a roller derby match in Austin with her best friend, Pash (Alia Shawkat), reveals Bliss' next move -- and, after a successful tryout, Bliss morphs into her new incarnation: Babe Ruthless, a power skater with a thirst to win. Bliss' transformation has a profound effect on the rest of her life, but her parents have no idea about her secret passion, and her teammates don't know she's underage. When the two worlds collide, Bliss' dreams seem likely to be derailed.

Though Page's Bliss exhibits some of the chutzpah of her most famous character to date -- pregnant teen Juno -- she's an entirely different concoction. Though Bliss doesn't eclipse Juno's quirky charm, there's still plenty to like about her. She's a quiet rebel who'd rather wear Stryper T-shirts and military boots than the cutesy dresses that her pageant competitors prefer, and her taste in guys runs along the lines of long-haired indie rock hipsters, rather than boorish jocks (of course, working with generalizations like that, whose wouldn't?). Page manages to pull off "counterculture" without coming off as a poseur.

The supporting cast is terrific, especially Shawkat, who lights up every scene despite being written similarly to most other "cool best friend" roles. The ensemble also features Drew Barrymore, who debuts here as a director. She lets scenes unspool a little too long in places and hammers certain plot points home a little too hard, but she rightfully keeps things loose for the most part. And, since plenty of people will be wondering: The roller derby action isn't always suspenseful, but boy, is it fun to watch. Groundbreaking Whip It isn't, but who can argue with an entertaining girl-power flick?