Ellen Page is great in a familiar coming-of-age teen angst role… but its a role she excels in again.
 

(My spoiler-free review)

This is a new classic growing up outcast movie, centered on the life of an awkward low self-esteem girl that neither fits into the life of pageants her mother wants nor the high school in-crowd that make fun of her.

The 22-year old Page plays the teenage main character Bliss so genuinely and with such conviction, you might forget that that she is a few years beyond her character’s age.

Bliss’ mom is played wonderfully by Marcia Gay Harden who really helps enhance the mother-daughter tensions, while Daniel Stern plays her supportive football loving dad with a natural ease… add in Eulala Scheel as the little sister and this comes across as a very believeable disfunctional family.

The strength of the cast goes beyond the main characters: 

from Alia Shawkat playing a trusted but confused best friend… to Kristen Wiig as roller derby mentor… to Andrew Wilson as the coach frustrated with mediocrity… to Eve, Zoe Bell, Drew Barrymore as teammates… Landon Pigg as Bliss’ love interest…. Jimmy Fallon as the roller derby announcer… and Juliette Lewis having no problems playing the antagonist.

If the acting and script aren’t the stars of the film, then Barrymore is the star in her first movie as director, creating cute little moments, tense drama, and hilarious comedy that are sweet and endearing to the audience.  She seems to get the most out of the performances from her solid cast, and I am happy to report does not give herself the best lines or moments of the movie.

If that’s not enough, “Whip It” includes Rachel Bockheim of the  Grand Raggidy Roller Girls and was filmed earlier this year in several Michigan cities, including Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Ferndale.

Some references to enjoy: 1980’s music group Stryker, Barbie, the movie “Oliver”, the movie “The Jerk”, and Young MC.

THE BOTTOM LINE: the movie does many things very well, its sporty and romantic, dramatic and comedic, uplifting and heartbreaking, and about family and friendship… I give it 7.9 out of 10 … a very solid effort that should warrant some award consideration.

 “Whip It”

(2009) (rated: PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material)
(1 hr, 51 min)

Starring: Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat, Marcia Gay Harden, Eulala Scheel, Daniel Stern, Landon Pigg, Sarah Habel, Carlo Alban, Shannon Eagen, Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Wiig, Zoe Bell, Eve, Drew Barrymore, Andrew Wilson, Juliette Lewis, Rusty Mewha, Will Brick, Madge Levinson, Alexis O’Neill, Eli Bleiler, Kristen Adolfi, Rachel Piplica, Ari Graynor, LaTasha Pippen, Sydney Bennett, Mary Callaghan Lynch, Nina Kircher, Rachel Bockheim (Grand Raggidy Roller Girls)

Director: Drew Barrymore

Genre: Comedy/Genre

The Plot: In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin.

Filmed in Michigan: Ann Arbor, Birch Run, Detroit, Ferndale, Frankenmuth, Novi, Royal Oak, Saline, Troy, Ypsilanti

Grand Raggidy Roller Girls http://grandraggidyrollergirls.com/ season begins October 24th.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

.
“Whip It” poster courtesy Fox Searchlight

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The Red Wings hit the ice for their “morning skate” at 10:25… a little later than normal, but not much.  Not everyone is skating… but that’s not unusual.  Still no sign of either Dan Cleary or Kris Draper… neither of whom skated yesterday either… but both are expected to play tonight.  Oddly, Marian Hossa has yet to ice, but again, not all players do.  I can only guess at this point, Marian is trying to keep the legs fresh for, what will be, without a doubt, the biggest game, and perhaps moment of his professional career.  Hossa, as most of you are well aware… will either hoist the cup tonight in Detroit… or have to sit and watch the team he LEFT, to pursue “better opportunities” in Detroit, celebrate victory, on his new team’s home ice.  Ouch!  It will either be the greatest or worst night of Hossa’s hockey life.

Grand Haven native Dan Bylsma and Penguins are schedule to hit the ice at about 11:30 this morning.  When the Wings are done, my partner and photographer “Eli the Penguin” and I will head to the Detroit locker room to do player interviews, and then attend Mike Babcock’s final pre-game news conference.  After that we’ll shoot the Penguins practice and attend Dan Bylsma’s final pre-game news conference.  You can hear from both sides, tonight as our live coverage from Detroit and the Stanley Cup Finals, continues tonight, on-air, at 5:00pm.

Go Wings.

Michigan mechanics and auto body specialists, here’s your chance to use your skills and be on national tv…

The former Discovery Channel TV show “Monster Garage” will be returning with Detroit as its new location of operation.

The shows premise is transforming cars in strange and unusual ways.

An open casting will take place this weekend: Saturday, May 16 and Sunday May 17, 2009 at the Atheneum Hotel at 1000 Brush Avenue, in Detroit from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day. All applicants are asked to bring video, photos, and other media that shows off their skills.

The show will begin filming new episodes in late May and could take six months.

The show is expected to air in the fall on the Discovery Channel.

Burbank, California based Original Productions says the show will also have a new host.   The original host, Jesse James, will not be returning. James, who is currently appearing on “The Celebrity Apprentice” is launching a new series on SpikeTV next month.

The Detroit News and WXYZ have more details on the casting call.

Good luck! 

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"The Wannabes" starring Radio Disney teen singing group sensation "Savvy". Photo courtesy Showcase Entertainment, Inc.

 It could be another feather in the cap of Michigan’s film incentives: a tween tv show “The Wannabes”

The Detroit metro area may be the location for the first tv series ever to be completely filmed and produced in the state.

But, the Michigan Film Office has said that they have not yet received an application for the state’s tax breaks.

According to several Detroit media reports (The Detroit Free Press, WXYZ), shooting is expected to begin in June with a mostly Michigan crew.  Reportedly, hundreds of new jobs will be created during the term of the series and local Michigan talent may also be hired.

The pilot episode has already been shot.

Ferndale based S3 Entertainment Group LLC announced Monday that it plans to produce the “The
Wannabes” and that the show will be shot entirely in Michigan.

Savvy on the set of "The Wannabes". Photo courtesy Stern-LeMaire Productions, Inc.

 S3 says the show will feature a lot of singing and dancing and will star members of the Disney pop recording group, Savvy, who have been performing in the United Stated since 2004.

The show’s website says: “The series will follow these wannabes as they learn to tolerate, but appreciate their high school career and really enjoy their secret life as pop stars.  And we’ll see how funny things can get as they try to climb their way to the top of the pop charts.  Hiding their identity from their strict principal won’t be easy but they’ll do anything to keep singing and dancing the way they like it—Savvy style!”

The company says it’s working with Woodlands, Texas-based Stern-LeMaire Productions Inc., which manages Savvy.  A U.S. network deal is expected soon.

S3 Entertainment Group will eventually have information on their website regarding acting and crew positions that will be available for the series.  The show will be distributed by Showcase Entertainment, based in Los Angeles.

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Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s budget proposal cut state support for both poison centers that receive funds, including the one in Grand Rapids and one at the Detroit Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan. A spokeswoman for the governor said it was one of the many cuts proposed for all state departments. “It was an extremely painful budget,” said the spokeswoman, Megan Brown.

Some in the state House have considered consolidating state funding to support just one poison control center, the one in Detroit.

A Spectrum statement said the possible closure of the Grand Rapids center would not interrupt statewide poison control service.

The Poison Control Center at DeVos Children’s has an operating budget of $1.4 million, and 17 percent of it — $250,000 — is an annual subsidy from the state of Michigan, according to the Spectrum statement. Another 21 percent of the funding comes from the federal government and three percent is support from the United Way. But the majority of the center’s funding — roughly 60 percent — comes from DeVos Children’s itself and the Spectrum spokesman, Bruce Rossman, said the possible state funding cut would force the children’s hospital’s patients to subsidize the poison center.

The state subsidy covers an ever-decreasing share of the cost of the center as expenses continue to rise, Rossman said, “And if they’re going to put all their funding to one poison center, we can’t in good conscience continue to run this service.”

He stressed that Spectrum will not make a final decision on the status of the facility until the state’s funding plan is clear.

The Grand Rapids center employs 17 people, including some part-time workers, and two doctors who also work elsewhere at Spectrum Health. It is unclear how a possible closure would affect those employees, Rossman said.

The centers in Detroit and Grand Rapids already share the same phone number,  1-800-222-1222 .

In addition to singing the national anthem prior to Red Wings games and participating in teams community relations events, Newman has produced several of her own C.D’s, has sung backup for major acts including Kid Rock and Bob Segar and the Silver Bullet Band and has put on annual Christmas shows in Detroit for the past eight years.

“I said (to a Griffins employee), why am I not doing my Christmas shows here in Grand Rapids,” Newman said.  “I’m going to explore that.  I’d love to bring my Christmas show (here), it’s a very family friendly show.  There are some great people here, great hockey fans, great music lovers, I need to bring it here.”

While Newman is known best for beautiful voice and well…  beauty…  I found her to be incredibly nice and personable.  She’s also a huge hockey fan.  In fact, growing up in metro Detroit, she became a die hard Red Wings fan well before she joined the team nearly two decades ago.  “I grew up listening to the Red Wings,” Newman said.  “My dad always had the Red Wings on.  I’ve been with the them (the Wings) for 19 seasons.”

After singing the national anthem at a recent Griffins game, Newman joined me for a brief intermission interview on the Griffins radio network to talk about her love of the Red Wings, music, and bringing her Christmas show to Grand Rapids. 

You can find that video of that interview, on line, at www.woodtv.com

See ya at the rink,

Larry Figurski

Joe Pantoliano interview

Actor Joe Pantoliano talks to Laff at the Movies
GO TO THIS LINK TO SEE THE VIDEO

The state school superintendent, Mike Flanagan, has sent Gov. Jennifer Granholm a letter stating that Detroit Public Schools is in a “serious financial problem.”

According that email statement from the Department of Education, sending that letter means the state will establish a “Review Team” to “examine the district’s finances under the state’s Local Government Fiscal Responsibility Act.”

The Detroit district had put together a “Deficit Elimination Plan” because of its already dire financial circumstances. Flanagan said in the statement that after meeting with school officials in Detroit it became clear an “outside review” was needed.

According to the statement, the “Review Team” has 30 days to assess whether that serious problem is truly a “financial emergency.” If such an emergency is declared, an emergency financial manager would “assume authority over all fiscal matters of the school district and makes all fiscal decisions for the district.”

The action sets in motion that possibility, but Flanagan said in the statement it wasn’t a certainty and stressed the action was not a “state takeover.”

I’ll be keeping my eye on what’s happening in Detroit — your thoughts?

Tony