Drew Barrymore and the LA Derby Dolls arrive on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Whip It at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight.

Drew the Director? Did that ring an alarm to your inner movie skeptic?

I had doubts about a Barrymore directorial debut. But Whip It convinced me otherwise. The movie tells an uplifting journey to adulthood with strong characters to whom you relate and for whom you cheer. I mean, who wouldn’t root for girls in fishnets? Especially if they have Ellen Page’s innocent face and Drew Barrymore’s merry laughter.

In Whip It, both star as derby girls of a underground roller skating team in Texas, but Page takes up the main storyline. As Bliss Cavendar, she accidentally stumbles upon the feisty sport, finding love, passion and freedom. The once-submissive pageant contestant skates her way to become fearless Babe Ruthless, whose gumption knocks out not only fast girls in fishnets but also her pageant-obsessive mom (Marcia Gay Harden) and (at times) trusty best friend (Alia Shawkat from Arrested Development).

With a straightforward narration, the film falls into the traditional coming-of-age genre. Identity, love, acceptance and rebellion are all present in Whip It. Bliss’s journey to the derby stage bears resemblance to classic adolescent tales, such as Baby’s path to mambo in Dirty Dancing. But a familiar story well-told can still be a good tale. If your heart brightens up to hearty feelings and youthful actions, Whip It is a win.

If by chance you are looking for a Juno equivalent, this movie isn’t it, although plenty of elements will remind you of the 2007 indie flick. Page is again a quirky and unpopular teenager trying to find her place in the world. Her performance doesn’t seem to wane a bit from the last hit; in fact, Whip It adds fast pace and lively actions to her already vibrant acting.

However, unlike Juno, Whip It doesn’t try to be ambitious. Juno tackles big issues (i.e. unplanned pregnancy) through light comedy, while Whip It simply stays away from that territory. Sure, there are first loves and first love-makings, underage drinking and underage arrest, but they are presented as facts of life, not stepping stones to bigger debates.

The writing styles are also tellingly different. In Juno, Diablo Cody constructs highly contrasted scenes and quirky dialogues and regularly plays with anticipation. Shauna Cross writes from her own experience with roller-skating; it is no coincidence that Whip It proceeds in series of small movements, not big changes or eye-opening surprises. At its core, Whip It is just a tale that many people can relate to. High school isolation, suppressive parents and a yearning for something bigger and better — we’ve all been there.

If you go to see Whip It, don’t forget to stay until the last production note for the wonderful music. You should also stay to see the names of the cool actors and actresses in minor roles. I loved the fresh performance of Carlo Alban (Bliss’s boss at her part-time job) and his coupling with Shawkat. Both of them are fun and believable. Not to mention the entire cast of fierce derby girls (including Barrymore herself) — their stunts bring fire to the screen.

Whip It probably won’t win Ellen Page another Oscar nomination and most likely won’t go into history as a Barrymore-directed masterpiece. But like the movie that launched Page into mainstream recognition, Whip It is an engaging story — and it offers a healthy dose of hope, not only for the youthful heroine, but also for its director.