Thursday, Mar. 04, 2010

Whip It

Drew Barrymore is Hollywood's feel-good story. A beloved child actor with a drug habit, a teenager lead into bad career decisions, a rebellious young adult flashing David Letterman, then - America's sweetheart - the comeback, ushered to the limelight by Adam Sandler and "Charlie's Angels." So now, in her early 30s, it is only natural that she picks up a camera and makes her own movie from start to finish. It is hard to bash this movie that she produced, directed and starred in. Barrymore started well enough in making a dramedy; choosing to adapt the successful novel of the same title, hiring the equally cute and brainy Ellen Page to lend indie credentials, bringing in "SNL" alums Jimmy Fallon and Kristen Wiig for comic relief, dribble some quality dramatic actors for the heavy parts with Marcia Gay Harden and Juliette Lewis. But here is the rub; there is about one hour of good movie here and one hour of complete filler. There is a span of about 20 minutes at the end of the movie that will leave you begging for it to end. I mean really, how much feel-good climax do we need? Drew, you've done it; you have redemption in your life, your career is a bright expanding star, now, please stop making movies like this before you blow it again.