While it's a coming of age story we've seen before the film being set against roller derby makes it's something new and different. I saw this movie yesterday at TIFF and the screenwriter was there for the Q&A. This story is taken from her experiences discovering roller derby and many of the characters are based on real people. The writer is also from Texas and grew up near Austin where the story is set. Ellen Page and Marcia Gay Harden are excellent and the mother/daughter scenes are very real. Ellen Page did all her own stunts - learning to skate which adds a lot to the movie. Many of the older actresses did many of their stunts as well so the wipe outs and the scrapes and bruises are real!! Kristen Wigg is also great - one of the first times I've seen her be a real person on screen instead of just a funny character.
