Whip It

**** - How can you not like a movie that features Andrew “Future Man” Wilson – the most underrated of the Wilson Brothers – in probably his biggest role ever? The answer: you can’t! Why doesn’t that guy get more work? Maybe he doesn’t want it, I don’t know. Anyway, if I were a filmmaker, I’d cast him in everything, kind of like how Kevin Smith does with Affleck. Besides the unexpected pleasure of the esteemed Future Man’s presence, the rest of the film was pretty good, too. There was some decent dialogue and funny bits, competent direction from first-timer Drew Barrymore, and plenty of surprisingly enjoyable roller derby action. I certainly wouldn’t consider myself a roller derby fan after having watched this film, but if I was forced to sit through a sporting event of some sort, roller derby would probably now be near the top of the list choice-wise. I liked quite a few parts of this film, but I’d have to say my favorite was when the dumb jock guy at the diner eats some gigantic sandwich in under three minutes and then triumphantly exclaims, “It’s free, bitches! It’s free!” You can’t go wrong with filming an idiot yelling.