Ellen Page Fan Site

Drew and Ellen Are Getting Whipped Into Shape

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:50:44 +0000

Drew Barrymore kept an eye on things from behind the scenes on the set of her directorial debut Whip It in Austin in Monday as Ellen Page got a piggyback ride from a costar. Their project is carrying on despite Justin Long dropping out earlier this Summer when he was too sad about the split to work with his ex Drew though he seems fine consoling himself with Kirsten Dunst. Meanwhile it looks like Drew is pouring all her energy into her career — her production company recently acquired the rights to turn the book How to Be Single into a movie.

Splash News Online

Variety’s Women’s Impact Report: Diablo Cody and Ellen Page

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:50:43 +0000

Variety has issued its annual Women’s Impact Report, highlighting women who have made an impression at all levels of entertainment. Just like last year, the list includes executive powerhouses, household-name performers, and lesser-known talents. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be spotlighting some of the women whom I find particularly noteworthy. Today’s pick: the screenwriter and the star of Juno, Diablo Cody and Ellen Page.

Variety has a whole category devoted to Diablo Cody and Ellen Page, titled “The Muse and the Messenger.” I had no way of knowing back in December when I first saw Juno that it would explode on the movie scene as much as it did. It even went on to earn Oscar nods as one of the few heartwarming Oscar films, and one of the even fewer female-centric Oscar films.

We can thank screenwriter Diablo Cody for dreaming up the sweet script, but it was the combination of that and a smart, sassy, lovable lead character that so endeared this film to many people. For more on these two ladies,

Man, I Can’t Wait to Whip It!

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:50:43 +0000

Get your mind out of the gutter! I’m talking about Whip It!, the film adaptation of Shauna Cross’s novel Derby Girl, which just added Alia Shawkat (a.k.a. Maeby Fünke) to the cast. I knew that Drew Barrymore had signed on as the director of the film (and she’ll be playing a role), and that the main character will be played by Ellen Page, but with every new addition to the cast I am even more intrigued to see this movie.

In addition to Page, Barrymore, and Shawkat, we’ve got Marcia Gay Harden (who I love), Juliette Lewis, Eve, former Xena stuntwoman Zoe Bell, and funny lady Kristen Wiig. The cast used to include Justin Long, but he quit after his relationship with Drew Barrymore ended.

The IMDB page for Whip It has this plot description:

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.

Have you read Shauna Cross’s novel? Do you, too, think this might end up being totally adorable? Are there any additional fun actresses you’d add to this cast?

Source and source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:50:42 +0000

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Smart People
I had high hopes for Smart People, mainly due to the stellar cast that includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church, and Dennis Quaid.

The story takes place near the Carnegie Mellon campus and centers around a family headed by a widowed professor (Quaid) who are all having a terrible time relating to each other and the outside world, despite how book smart they are. When the professor’s free-spirited brother (Church) crashes into their lives they all start to thaw out a bit and discover how far a little humanity can go.

The movie didn’t quite meet my expectations but it’s certainly a worthwhile rental if you’re looking for a few laughs and a genuinely talented ensemble cast.

Special features include interviews with the producers, cast and crew of the movie, commentary from the director and writer, a collection of outtakes, nine deleted scenes and exclusive footage from the premiere of Smart People at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Two more new options on DVD if you

Pop A DVD In: Smart People

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:50:42 +0000

Smart People is a blackly comic drama set in Pittsburgh, which focuses on widowed professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), his study-mad daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page) and his student poet son James (Ashton Holmes).

Lawrence struggles to communicate with his family and his colleagues at the university where he teaches literature, even though his is a “smart person”.

When his adopted brother Chuck (Thomas Haden Church) moves in, the slacker brings some much needed warmth in to the family, which is further improved when Lawrence gets involved with another “smart person”, Dr Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker).

To find out what I thought about the film just