BuzzSugar

Whip It: A Rollicking Good Time

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:30:56 -0700

Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, roller derby comedy Whip It, is not unlike the actress's persona: cute, fun, and with a whole lot going on.

Ellen Page stars as quiet 17-year-old Bliss Cavendar, whose mother (Marcia Gay Harden) wants to make her the queen of small-town Texas beauty pageants. Bliss meekly goes along with the idea, her voice too small to tell her mom she hates the contests. But one chance visit to nearby big city Austin and everything changes. Bliss admires some intimidating derby girls, and after sneaking off to a match, decides to try out. What follows is a fast-paced, highly entertaining girl-power anthem.

To read more about what I did and didn't like about the movie, just read more.

The movie is perfectly cast; Page plays a shy teen easily, never giving up her sweetness even after she adopts the moniker "Babe Ruthless" and gets repeatedly knocked into the rink sidelines. The team who welcomes her, the Hurl Scouts, is a motley crew: Eve and Zoe Bell don't become much more than background players, Barrymore is an ebullient if minor supporter ("Smashley Simpson"), but team captain Kristen Wiig is one of the hearts of the movie. With a part bigger than the trailer implies, Wiig (I never get tired of the derby names: "Maggie Mayhem") emerges as a mother figure when Bliss's relationship with her own mom is strained. It's nice to see her playing straight for once, and besides Page, Wiig is really the only multi-faceted derby girl.

That's not to say that the derby girls aren't anything special. Beautiful, tough, and impossibly cool, maybe you wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alley, but you'd definitely want to be invited to their party. Juliette Lewis looks every part the queen bee - aggressive and sexy, she'll push you in a locker before you know what hit you. And naturally, there's a love interest, musician Landon Pigg - but he's kind of an afterthought, which I liked. By not giving in to the cliche that a girl gets everything she wants when she finds her passion, it strengthens the movie's pervasive girl power idea.

The movie isn't just about derby; it's a coming-of-age tale too, and Bliss didn't come from a shaky foundation. Alia Shawkat (yay, Maeby!) plays the hilarious and supportive BFF who doesn't exist just to cheer Bliss on from the sidelines. She's got her own thing, and is too confident to be left behind when Bliss gets wrapped up in her new life - a refreshing departure from the typical best friend character. And Harden isn't merely a strict parent caricature; she may want something completely different for her daughter, but her caring nature shines through.

It's not all success on skates, though. Sometimes the portrayal of the derby world gets to be an overzealous glorification. Sure, it's an amazing outlet for a lot of people and one of the few contact sports that really belongs to women, but the movie pushes the sexualization of the players a little too far. It's already sexy that the women play such a powerful sport, so it's not really necessary to do close-ups of the actresses' bare flesh to show the bruises.

There are a few things you could criticize about Barrymore's direction; for instance, Shauna Cross's screenplay is really quite funny, but some of the actors' lines fall flat. Also, the roller derby scenes have such potential to be exciting, and they could have been even more epic. Then again, this is Barrymore's first outing as a director, and it's still what you would expect from her: a fun-loving, freewheeling confection of a movie with a killer soundtrack.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Our Take on a JT/Biel Split, Justin Talks Drew on the Whip It! Red Carpet, and Kristin Gets Gleeful

Molly — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:25:18 -0700

Amid rumors of a split, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were spotted out holding hands on Monday night. Plus, check out what Justin Long had to say on last night's Whip It! red carpet and get a sneak peek at Kristin Chenoweth on Glee. Don't miss our exclusive message from a cast member too - super cute. Also, Lisa Kudrow whips out "Smelly Cat" at a benefit in LA last night. Watch it all on PopSugar Rush now!

Which SNL Host Are You Most Excited About?

BuzzSugar — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:00:06 -0700

Love her or hate her, Megan Fox is unavoidable these days, and we'll see her yet again tonight hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. Most of you aren't that psyched to see her flex her comedic muscles, but the great thing about SNL is that there's always a new host just around the corner. Ryan Reynolds, Drew Barrymore, and Gerard Butler will follow Fox this season, so tell me - which of these hosts are you most excited about?

Movie Preview: Robert De Niro in Everybody's Fine

BuzzSugar — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:00:20 -0700

I kind of love every movie about grown children going home to their parents - Home for the Holidays, Junebug, The Family Stone. There's just so much fodder for humor and emotion.

But in Everybody's Fine, none of Robert De Niro's grown children go home to visit him, sending him on a journey to visit each one of his offspring. Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, and Kate Beckinsale star as the trio of "kids" - pretty cute cast, right? You know what's even cuter? De Niro as a caring father and grandpa. Don't get me wrong - I love him in the heavy, dramatic stuff, but when I see him as a family man, I melt like butter. Family matters aren't always all lightness though, and it looks like we can expect some complicated interactions, too. Even if it's a bit sappy, I'm looking forward to this one.

To see the trailer, just read more.

Photo courtesy of Miramax

Movie Preview: Drew and Ellen in Whip It

BuzzSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:00:35 -0700

"So what are you, like, alternative now or something?"
"Alternative to what?"

Those images from last week were just a little taste of the Drew Barrymore-directed roller derby comedy Whip It - now there's a full trailer for the movie which gives us Ellen Page in a character that isn't nearly so smart-mouthed or brash as her previous roles. In fact, she's downright meek (and she wears glasses which, in my opinion, are incredibly cute on her)! Page plays Bliss, a quiet misfit who discovers that she's pretty good at roller derby, an "unladylike" activity that serves two purposes: it makes her happy and it annoys her controlling mother (Marcia Gay Harden - yay!). A bunch of other people also star, including Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis and Kristen Wiig (yay, again!).

Also, kudos to the trailer creators for using Weezer's "Pork and Beans." Awesome. Whip It opens Oct. 9. To see the trailer, read more.

This image premiered in USA Today

New Pics: Ellen and Drew as "Hurl Scouts" in Whip It

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:40:39 -0700

I've been interested in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, Whip It, ever since I first caught wind of the news and now there are some pretty awesome stills to check out. USA Today premiered these pics, explaining that the roller derby movie follows Ellen Page's character, "a rebellious teenager who signs up to play the brutal and sexy female sport against her mother's will, finding friendship and freedom among the bruises and falls." Drew also stars in the movie, as does Kristen Wiig and Juliette Lewis.

View Slideshow ›

Grey Gardens: Appropriately Bleak, Yet Illuminating

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:30:30 -0700

It takes serious moxie to make a feature film from an excellent documentary, especially one as cultishly beloved as Grey Gardens. But, hey, it worked for Milk, and dare I say, it works for the new HBO movie, premiering this Saturday night and starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange.

Like the 1975 documentary by Albert and David Maysles, this Grey Gardens zooms in on "Big Edie" (Lange) and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale (Barrymore), aunt and first cousin to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The story follows the pair from their flossy socialite (if emotionally unstable) beginnings to the bizarre codepedence of little Edie's adults years, spent living with her mother in their decaying Hamptons mansion, surrounded by diseased cats, feral raccoons, and armoire-size mounds of filth.

The making of the documentary is a plot point in HBO's rendition, so die-hard fans will appreciate the movie's ability to illuminate the once dark and murky parts of the Beales' story. For what I thought, read more.

Speaking of die-hard fans, I suspect Barrymore is one of them: she turns out an eerily accurate portrayal of Little Edie that is authentic, disarming, and far from impersonation. At times, I forgot it was Barrymore, which is something I've never thought before about her acting. Her face perfectly conveys Edie's flightiness and fear, as she feels obliged to stay with her mother yet lacks the wherewithal to live another life.

Like the documentary, Grey Gardens succeeds by not being strictly linear, flashing backward and forward to form the story's beginning, middle, and end. As Big Edie's husband leaves and the meager allowance runs dries, Little Edie's shaky big city dreams are dashed; on the night she returns, her mother's first question is, "Did you get the cat food?"

In Jackie O. accents, the movie answers a question asked by anyone who has seen the documentary: how did it get this bad? Watching the HBO movie, we learn that it got even worse before their famous cousin (portrayed in a cameo by Jeanne Tripplehorn) bails the Beales out. Unfortunately, but perhaps expectedly, the updated film can't match the raw masterpiece of the original. In its musical score and its vision, Grey Gardens lacks the artfulness of its source. To see this movie without also seeing the documentary would be like not reading Lolita because you already saw the movie. Both offer very different interpretations and, taken together, they form a fascinating biography.

Photos courtesy of HBO

Drew and Justin Reunite For Romantic Comedy

BuzzSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:30:02 -0700

Former real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long worked together a bit on He's Just Not That Into You but now they'll get even cozier as the lead onscreen couple in the romantic comedy Going the Distance. The feature will be directed by Nanette Burstein, who last directed the documentary American Teen, and is described as an "observational comedy" about long distance relationships. Drew and Justin will play "a young couple navigating their way through the perils of a long distance relationship who quickly discover that 'going the distance' might cost them everything they have, including one another."

It seems like long distance relationships are more feasible than ever in this technological age, though they can still be difficult and problematic. I'm curious to see how the movie deals with this kind of relationship that many of us have had (or currently have!).

What about you? Intrigued? Do you think Drew and Justin are cute together (either onscreen or off)?

Source

HBO Movie Preview: Grey Gardens

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:30:50 -0700

I've never understood how the ridiculously compelling 1975 documentary Grey Gardens ended up as a Broadway musical. (Given, I haven't seen it, but the whole concept seems wrong somehow.) But now that the trailer is out, I'm getting used to - maybe even fond of - the idea of Grey Gardens as an HBO movie starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore.

Debuting on April 18, Grey Gardens reinterprets the raw slice-of-life captured so gracefully by the Maysles brothers, the documentarians behind Gimme Shelter. Like the documentary, the movie follows the funny, sad, bizarre, and baffling daily lives of "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, aunt and first cousin to Jackie Onassis.

But while the documentary was haunting for its lack of background, explanation, or even captions, the movie offers glimpses into the women's past, so that we might actually learn how they ended up living in squalor in a decaying Hamptons mansion surrounded by countless cats. The Beales' story is so intriguing that after seeing the documentary, I wanted to know much more, so I'm encouraged that the movie might offer that. Also intrigued? Then watch the trailer when you read more.

Source

Drew and Ginnifer Talk Relationship Advice and Movies

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:30:27 -0800

As the movie based on the relationship advice book He's Just Not That Into You opens this Friday, Drew Barrymore and Ginnifer Goodwin are opening up about their thoughts on the whole thing. Ginnifer gushes about her costars while Drew says she admires the "sage wisdom" of the movie. Plus, she gives a bit of info on her directorial debut, Whip It! starring Ellen Page. Check it out:

Drew, what do you think is the best piece of advice in the movie?

Drew: There are two things. One, a lot of the stuff that Justin Long says about the rules, like don't buy into this behavior. His sage wisdom, I love. We all need a friend like that. And I love Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck’s character which is that sometimes society forces you into thinking that love is supposed to be this certain mold or it’s supposed to look a certain way, it's supposed to entail certain things, and really it’s about the person and the partnership. I love that.

Do you think every woman has a He’s Just Not That Into You moment in her dating life?

Drew: If you're human, yes.

For more from Drew and Ginnifer, read more.

Can you tell me a little bit about Whip It!? We’re very excited about that.

Drew: I'm really excited about it. . . It’s very personal for me, it's about finding a tribe in this world and it's a love story between the mother and the daughter. If you feel different and you’re trying to get your family to accept you, finding, like I said, your tribe in this world is crucial and just coming into yourself and feeling comfortable with that. Ellen Page is incredible and people really root for her in the movie and in life and I’m so lucky that she’s the person I got to do this with. I'm honored.

Ginnifer, did you read the book before taking the part, filming the movie?

Ginnifer: I did not. I purchased the book when I got the role. I take a very academic approach to my crafting of characters. I think I read the intro and I realized that I was going to be affected by this book, that I was going to grow somehow. I believe strongly that what an actor thinks or feels is expressed through the eyes when we’re talking about a screen the size of a school bus. It was important to me that I not have this information before the end of the movie.

Do you feel like your character Gigi is the most relatable character in the movie?

Ginnifer: I hope so because I found her the most relatable. To me she was the audience. She's every woman. She's fiercely intelligent and it’s not that there are foibles out of naïveté or ignorance or air-headedness. It’s that she’s been given the same skewed dating compass, the same bad fabricated, misleading man manual that we’ve all been given. It’s because of this that she walks boldly in the wrong direction. I found her so relatable. I didn’t want the audience to be able to excuse her actions because she was an idiot. I wanted them to say "I am brilliant. I am beautiful and I have this mistake, but it's only because I've been misled. I've been given the wrong guidance."

What was it like working with so many seasoned actors? Did you learn anything from them? Was it exciting to work with them?

Ginnifer: Oh my gosh, every last one! When I signed on to this project I was completely unaware of the casting. I read it a long while back and was obsessed with it because the writing was so brilliant. I actually cried with happiness when I was sent the list of the people who were interested and the people with whom they were talking because I admire them all so much. Their caliber is unparalleled, their talent untouchable. Their choices are always brilliant and the movie can only be made better surrounded by such people.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.