Watched: Whip It
Observations:
- Aww. No, really! This was very sweet, and just shy of cloying.
- This deserves pointing out (and will continue to deserve it until there’s a bit more parity on this front), but this film aces the Bechdel test throughout. Yes, there’s a romantic subplot, but it’s a subplot - there is a lot more going on, and it’s more important than all that kissin’.
- Can any Texans verify if Ellen Page can pass as one or not? I heard the odd “y'all” here and there, but for the most part she sounded a bit… refined? Not that that’s a problem. And Marcia Gay Harden (which, sorry, is a hilarious name) is sublime.
- It’s also a big fuck you to Hollywood execs who talk about appealing to core demographics, because you know what? This is relatable on a few huge levels, and interesting, and I didn’t need some blond-haired-blue-eyed-betesticled proxy to get that effect.
- It was billed as a comedy when it came out, and I’m not sure about that - there are laughs, but most of them come from feel-good places. There are emotional points, but it’s generally all quite light and fluffy. Which is fine! You don’t have to kill off your characters to create emotional investment!
- Generally, besides the automatic points for breaking gender conventions (and, seriously. That shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is) this was solid, and pretty good. Not a classic, but fun to watch.