Ellen Page Whip It

It’s been a long time coming for Drew Barrymore. She gets the chance to take her career to the next level and do what she’s always wanted: Direct.

That being said, it may be her first film as a director, but she’s far from learning on the job. “She’s hardly starting out,” said co-star Daniel Stern. He’s done some directing of his own, and acted in a couple of films, too (“Harry….I’ve reached the top!”)

“To have the [directing] responsibility is somewhat new to her, but she knows the set like the back of her hand. She knows the audience and who she’s going for, she knows the results she wants, and she’s open to additions.

“She knows how to protect the set. She’s the wall between the pressure of the production and the pressures of the actors.”

Added Whip It star, Ellen Page; “She’s an awesome person. The luminous, infectious, passionate person you see…that’s who she is — She’s an incredibly powerful human being, an absolute pleasure to work with. She knew what she always wanted, and is remarkably present.”

The most important element with any successful film is the director’s vision; the ability to bring to life what’s on the page and to execute it with precision. Whip It captured all of that and more. And hearing Barrymore speak about the experience made it clear how a life-long actress could nail it, (directing and writing for that matter), so well.

“I wanted to make sure I was prepared,” said Barrymore.  “I worked with the script for three years. I wanted to put a lot into the characters, put a lot of myself into the writing.”

Drew Barrymore Whip It Director

Three years? Yep, three years.

“I worked with the writer on re-writing the script for a year….(stunt) trained for the first couple of months….shot for several months….edited for eight months…and then you have the marketing after that.”

That’s working more than most Olympians!

“It’s a long process, she admitted. “You really have to be in love with it because it becomes your whole world. What’s going to keep you that passionate?

“The film tells the story of the culture of an incredibly unique sport, but it’s not just solely an action flick. It’s not just about roller derby. Its’ a mother-daughter love story… It’s a persons journey. It’s set in a world that’s very unique and a back-drop with a culture we don’t see everyday.”

We do get to see Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut on the big screen. After three years of hard work…Whip It is definitely a film where all her hard work paid off. Go check it out in theaters near you.