(Rhino) Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with Fox Searchlight Pictures' Whip It, a coming-of-age-on-wheels comedy set in the wild world of all-girl roller derby. Premiering October 2 in theaters nationwide, the film stars Academy Award nominee Ellen Page, Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Academy Award nominee Juliette Lewis and Barrymore. WHIP IT – MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE will be available from Rhino Records September 29 at all retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $13.98 (physical) and $11.99 (digital). Later this fall, the soundtrack will also be available on a special collectible vinyl.The girl-power-meets-punk-rock spirit of the music featured in Whip It plays an integral role in telling the story, from setting the film's rebellious tone to celebrating its characters' wild individuality. Barrymore says music was frequently played on the movie set, where a hot-pink boom box was her constant companion. "We spent countless hours listening to as many different songs as possible, always searching for just the right song for just the right moment," she says. "Some of these songs were inspirational to us from very early on in the process, and really set the tone in our minds of the movie we were trying to make."
Conceived as a mix tape, the soundtrack's 19 songs are peppered with talented young artists like Belgian electro-rockers Goose ("Black Gloves"), Mercury Prize nominees The Go! Team ("Doing It Right"), L.A. beat-punks The Ettes ("Crown Of Age"), Rolling Stone Artist to Watch Apollo Sunshine ("Breeze"), Swedish singer-songwriter Jens Lekman, Nebraska indie-pop quintet Tilly And The Wall ("Pot Kettle Black"), and Peaches' raunchy fun ("Boys Wanna Be Her").
The up-and-comers appear along with a diverse selection that includes the Ramones ("Sheena Is A Punk Rocker"), The Breeders ("Bang On"), Dolly Parton ("Jolene"), The Raveonettes ("Dead Sound") and .38 Special ("Caught Up In You"). Singer-songwriter Landon Pigg appears in the film and is also featured on the soundtrack, performing "HighTimes" with the Turbo Fruits. The soundtrack also features contributions from The Section Quartet, a group of composers with a knack for turning popular rock songs into string quartet compositions.
The film stars Page, who was nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance in the 2007 comedy Juno. For Whip It, Page plays Bliss Cavender, an indie-music-loving Texas teen who dreams of escaping her tiny, truck-stop town. While her beauty-pageant-obsessed mother (Harden) dreams of her daughter winning the coveted Miss Bluebonnet crown, Bliss discovers the liberating power of roller derby in nearby Austin.
Inspired by local roller derby stars (played by Barrymore, Wiig and Lewis), Bliss secretly tries out for a spot on the Hurl Scouts, a rag-tag team of scrappy underdogs. Soon, she's skating as a "jammer," taking on the nickname Babe Ruthless, facing off with her bad-ass rival, Iron Maven (Lewis) and falling for her biggest fan (Pigg). But when her secret gets out, Bliss faces her toughest fight yet, taking control of her own future. Rounding out a dynamic ensemble cast, Whip It also features Eve, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern, Alia Shawkat, Ari Graynor, and Zoe Bell.
WHIP IT – MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE
Track Listing
"Pot Kettle Black" – Tilly And The Wall
"Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" – Ramones
"What's The Attitude" – Cut Chemist featuring Hymnal
"Bang On" – The Breeders
"Dead Sound" – The Raveonettes
"Blue Turning Grey" – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
"Your Arms Around Me" – Jens Lekman
"Learnalilgivinanlovin" – Gotye
"Boys Wanna Be Her" – Peaches
"Jolene" – Dolly Parton
"Caught Up In You" – .38 Special
"Never My Love" – Har Mar Superstar (feat. Adam Green)
"Black Gloves" – Goose
"Crown Of Age" – The Ettes
"HighTimes" – Landon Pigg featuring Turbo Fruits
"Unattainable" – Little Joy
"Lollipop" (Squeak E. Clean & Desert Eagles Remix) – The Chordettes
"Doing It Right" – The Go! Team
"Breeze" – Apollo Sunshine