Bechdel-Wallace Test Contest: Whip It

This is my entry for @lilyraabe's Bechdel test contest.

My pick is one of my absolute favorite films, Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, Whip It, starring Ellen Page. It's a fun, smart, exciting coming of age story about Roller Derby. Roller Derby is awesome. While the film has a romance plot, it is secondary to the main character's story, and the film deals much more with my favorite thing: Friendship.

Whip It doesn't just pass the Bechdel-Wallace test, it also passes the Mako Mori test.

The trailer for this film passes the Bechdel-Wallace test multiple times.

Whip It is the story of Bliss Cavendar, a Texas teen lacking direction, who finds her calling, her passion, and her friends in the world of Roller Derby. It's a sports film about women. It's a funny comedy. It's a moving teen drama.

It was written by a woman, Shauna Cross, based on her own novel "Derby Girl." It was directed and produced by a woman, Drew Barrymore, who also plays a supporting character. And it shows. It isn't objectifying, it isn't male gaze-y. It tells the story of a young woman in the same way countless sports films have told the stories of young men.

This is the first Steemit contest I'm participating in, and I gotta admit, I mostly participated in it for the opportunity to talk about this film, which did not enjoy the commercial success it deserved, and which I hope more people watch.

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