Locals roll to theaters for the opening night of "Whip It"
A girls’ night out is always fun, but when one of your friends might appear in the movie you’re about to see, well, that’s even better.
Sandra Gittleson, an Ann Arbor-based watercolor artist, attended Friday night’s 7:25 p.m. Quality 16 Theater screening of Drew Barrymore’s “Whip It” with three friends, hoping to see the fruits of working three days last summer as a “pageant mom” extra on the film. (The film was shot in Saline, Ypsilanti and the Detroit area; and although Friday’s screening wasn’t sold out, those who arrived as the movie began were stuck sitting in the theater’s front two rows.)
“I just saw the Real Style (the casting agency for ‘Whip It’ extras) thing in the newspaper when it ran last summer, and I was interested because they were blowing up a car in downtown Ann Arbor then,” said Gittleson, referring to a shot filmed for “Youth in Revolt.” “I thought it was just really exciting, and I thought, you know, at my age I should try some new stuff. So I got online, put my name in, and they called me and said, you fit the profile, let’s get you in here.”
And while Gittleson only spotted herself briefly in the coming-of-age roller derby comedy, her friends were enthusiastic about her involvement and the movie itself.
“She was fabulous!” said loyal girlfriend Debbie Haas, a self-described author/designer/secretary from Dexter.
Not surprisingly, many people who packed into the Quality 16 on the first night of “Whip It”’s national release had some kind of link, directly or indirectly, to the film.
Ann Arbor salesman Jon Mattis and his homemaker wife, Danielle, came out hoping to spot Danielle’s brother, Drew Knight, who also worked as an extra. The film not only exceeded the couple’s expectations — thanks to its humor and its heartwarming story — but it featured a clear shot of Knight.
“You actually see him!” said Danielle. (Early in the film, he’s seen throwing around a football in the yard next to the main character’s house, and it hits Daniel Stern, who plays Ellen Page’s father.)
Meanwhile, screening attendee Lea Morello, who works for U-M’s theater department and attended the screening with her (very proud) daughter, performed three weeks of costume work for “Whip It.”
“I enjoyed seeing the things that I worked on in the movie,” said Morello. “I made some patterns, and I did some alterations, and I stitched a lot of letters on the back of those Hurl Scout uniforms.”
These are the roller derby uniforms that Page, Barrymore, Kristin Wiig, Eve and others wear, which prominently feature their derby names (Babe Ruthless, Smashley Simpson, Maggie Mayhem and Rosa Sparks).
From left, Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page and Kristen Wiig in "Whip It." Fox Searchlight Pictures
Of course, some people came out to Friday’s “Whip It” simply because it was filmed in the area.
Graphic designer and multimedia artist Shawna MacUrio of Superior Township fell squarely into this category, but the movie’s roller derby story was another draw.
“I liked it a lot,” MacUrio said of the film. “It was fun, funny and exciting. Makes me want to go rollerskate again. I rollerblade all the time and stuff, but now I want to go out and get some quads.”
Ypsilanti’s Doyle Parks, a retired photographer, spied out several local spots in the film. “A lot of the places in Ypsi were recognizable,” said Parks. “The old bakery, the old Smith’s Furniture place, and a lot of places on Michigan Ave.”
Other attendees recognized I-94; a Saline sign; the Ypsi neighborhood where Page’s family lived; and the Belle Isle Yacht Club.
Given the area’s geographic and human presence in the film, and the satisfied moviegoers at Quality 16 — not to mention Jimmy Fallon and Barrymore’s unabashed gushing about their time in Michigan (and the Ann Arbor area specifically) on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Friday — “Whip It” seems to be providing many locals with a reason to feel good about their hometown.
Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.