15) Bliss Cavender – Whip It!
Have you ever seen roller derby or, more specifically, the roller derby scenes in Whip It? It is utterly brutal – and Ellen Page consistently excels at it in Drew Barrymore’s 2009 directorial debut.
In a rare film, populated by women who are in no way defined by their relationship to men, teenager Bliss Cavender is awestruck by roller derby team members. Having watched the Hurl Scouts perform in an exhibition match, she approaches team member Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) and pronounces her to be her new hero. Mayhem seems unimpressed and simply tells her, “put some skates on, be your own hero.”
Cavender does, and in doing so, discovers a natural aptitude and a love for the sport. But, roller derby can be exceedingly vicious. As a contact sport – like rugby and American Football – players are required to physically block their opponents in a variety of ways. Each competition features two teams of five players rolling round a sloping, circular track, in the same direction, and at high speed. One player on each team is designated as the ‘jammer,’ and must score points by lapping members of the opposing team. Players must help their ‘jammer’ by hindering the ‘jammer’ of the opposing team. Injuries can range from bruises and sprains to concussions and broken bones – including spinal injuries.
In order to try out for her chosen team, Bliss Cavender trains incessantly, lies about her age and eventually qualifies – against the approval of her best friend, and without the knowledge of her parents. However, it is this determination that follows through in her derby scenes. Just as she is 100% committed to following her dream, she puts the same level of commitment into her gameplay. She is scrappy, brave and instinctive – developing her own moves and strategies, and finally being designated ‘jammer,’ as her life outside of derby begins to disintegrate.
Characterized by high speed and violent collisions, roller derby as a sport makes for movie scenes that are like white-knuckle rides – and Bliss Cavender leads the pack as ‘jammer’ for the Hurl Scouts. As she begins to learn how to filter that passion and motivation through to other aspects of her life, she solidifies a derby career for herself, and kicks ass.
– Sarah Myles
Published: Jul 25, 2014 03:18 pm