'Whip It' didn't need to get whipped at box office

My colleague Patrick Goldstein weighed in this morning on why Fox Searchlight's "Amelia" failed to catch on with viewers. Well, for starters, the length and the hideous reviews probably didn't help.

I'm more curious about "Whip It," also from Fox Searchlight. I saw it this weekend along with about six other people (not in my group, in the entire theater). The movie, which stars Ellen Page and marked the directorial debut Drew Barrymore (who also co-stars) got mostly favorable reviews. Although the basic plot -- girl comes of age in small town Texas, rebels against her controlling mother and finds happiness in the offbeat world of roller derby -- had its fair share of cliches, it also had enough humor and wit to carry it well beyond those flaws.

Yet it flopped. It opened at $4.6 million and fell fast. Through October 25 it had taken in about $12.3 million. With a production budget of only $15 million, it won't take much for the movie to break even, but this movie should have been nurtured with a limited release instead of being tossed out there on 1,700 screens to sink or swim.

There seems to have been some confusion as to whether the movie is a sports flick, hipster flick, or a chick flick. In reality, it is a little of all three and word-of-mouth would have been better at spreading that message than a marketing campaign that wouldn't be able to capture all the elements of the movie.

Furthermore, although "Whip It" is far from "Juno" on skates, that role has become the one with which Page is most identified. It is hard to see her without thinking about that, especially when she is playing basically a sarcastic outsider who's not quite a complete outcast but still miles away from the cool kids. Since the decision was to go with a wide release, perhaps the push for "Whip It" should have focused on the rest of the cast as well as Page. Certainly there were enough known names including Barrymore, Marcia Gay Harden, Eve, Juliette Lewis and the other Wilson brother (Andrew) to market. All were great, even Jimmy Fallon.

Of course, it's easy to say some of this in hindsight, but it seems a shame that instead of "Whip It" being a sleeper hit it's on its way fast-track to the DVD bin.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: "Whip It." Credit: Darren Michaels

Comments

[Karlyn]

--had it's fair share of cliches--
-
-
To the writer of this article: the word its did not need an apostrophe as it is not being used as a contraction here.

[bobby the saint]

I happened to see Whip It, and thought it was a smart, if paint-by-the numbers, rendering about a girl coming of age in the debutante-fevered South. I told the friend with whom I saw it that it that the flick would do SOLID box office.

Until I saw its release date.

This movie needed the word-of-mouth buzz that would have propelled it through the weekend, toward a successful Week One gross. Instead, that buzz got stolen by..... Zombieland.

Whomever had the bright idea to release Whip It on the very same weekend as a movie that would draw from the same demo -- older teens to young adults -- missed the boat. Whip It should have been released a week earlier or later than Zombieland, or another time of year. The marketers and distributors unwittingly conspired to make sure Whip It got whupped. A damn shame.

[A]

I couldn't agree with you more Mr. Flint. Fox Searchlight should know better. They had great success with Slumdog Millionaire,Sideways,Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, and 500 Days of Summer. They marketed this movie terribly. They should have done an NY/LA premier,then gradually added more theaters. This probably should have been released in early November or early next year. They'd probably be better off pushing Whip It instead of Amelia for their awards contenders at this point. Even though Amelia and Whip It both flopped, Whip It has much better reviews and praise than Amelia.

BFCA Score for Amelia-65 (1 star) / Rotten Tomatoes Score for Amelia-16%

BFCA Score for Whip It-79 (3 stars) / Rotten Tomatoes Score for Whip It-82%

[Chris Brown]

You had me at "Drew Barrymore" and "whip."

Seriously though as a grown man I probably would never she this in the Theater (just like Juno)....but trust me when I say I will watch and laugh at home.

[rex]

you want to know why this movie fail talk to Drew Barrymore if is she is honest but if she is her normal crazy self do not bother, Drew was advise to platform her movie but went crazy and insisted it be a wide release, Drew fucked this film.

[Koab]

This is the best movie people are not seeing. The movie were so different and fun. Whip It presented teen girls who are smart, strong, funny and loyal. The parent/child relationships were fresh and honest. I hope Whip It finds an audience on DVD. Maybe Drew should have included some vampires or wizards to appeal to teen girls.

[Karolein]

I saw Whip It with friends this past week. We were the only ones in the theatre in Monrovia, but that's another mystery and off subject. It was sweet and quirky with a strong ensemble supporting cast of characters, particularly of note was Jimmy Fallon who's character was like a great SNL sketch. I had read the reviews from AskMen.com which indicated it was a chick flick and they were right, but it was exactly what I look for when going to the movies during the week - short, fun and light-hearted fare with a memorable cast.

[whamo]

My wife dragged me along to see "Whip It", but I found myself enjoying the movie. The sport of roller derby, the character web, and teenage angst, and the charm of the movie won me over. It's a good movie in a season of bad ones. I urge all to give it a look.

[Edward]

Two words: roller derby, which doesn't exactly resonate with kids today, unless those kids grew up in the 1950s. Sorry Drew, but a more contemporary plot line is needed to bring in the audience.

[Billy Fury]

You are assuming that, just because you liked this film, that others should, too. Slowly rolling a film out, piece by piece, does not insure success. If positive reviews and a substantial ad campaign cannot "sell" a film, than word of mouth is the only option left. It would seem, given the movie's current box office standing, that word of mouth isn't going to save this movie, either. Box office success (or more precisely, a prediction on a film's performance) is not a scientific process developed through method and practice. It is still a roll of the dice, and the tastes of the public can never be underestimated or completely understood.

[Jack Meoph]

I thought it was a good movie as well. Don't know why it tanked, but it did. There is no explaining the taste of the American movie goer, or the whims of the studio executives. I also saw Zombieland that same weekend and did like Z better. But I'm male and old and have been a zombie fan forever.

[carol duran]

sorry i made you sit through this
stupid movie miguel...that's what
i get for paying attention to reviews...

[in the 818]

Liked the movie but was disappointed the director (?) made the decision NOT to have anyone have a Texas accent - might have added a bit of authenticity to the thing. EP needs to pick a different character for her next role.

[derby]

Saw it, liked it much.

Went to work and told others I saw a 'chick flick'. They said, 'dude, you went to see a chick flick?' I told them it was good.

I have encouraged others to see it.

But the review was right, it's not just a chick flick it's a combination of genres.

[Gwen]

This movie definitely did not deserve to fail at the box office. I think Searchlight should make up for its poor marketing by trying to get some awards buzz for it. It's playing at the Stockholm Film Festival. Even though it's not a "typical" film that would be considered for awards buzz, I think it should receive some recognition. 2009 has been one of the absolute worst years for movies in a while. Whip It was one of the best and most refreshing movies I have seen this year. Would it hurt for it to be nominated for at least a Golden Globe? I'm so sick of hearing about the same movies being considered for awards this season. :(