Exit Music: "Whip It"

In the Exit Music section, I would like to introduce some wonderful music that I have discovered from the movie soundtracks.

Apollo Sunshine - Breeze

A while back, I saw Whip It, a semi-indie comedy about a teenager girl who joins a local roller derby team. Surprising herself with the natural talent for the sport, she is quickly accepted into this motley coterie, a decision which immediately puts her at odds with the expectations from her parents. With the indie darling Ellen Page staring as the main character, the comparisons with Juno were inevitable. And the movie didn't shy away from going down the same path as Page's previous success. From the witty banter and the gentle ridicule of small-town life to the meticulously-chosen, indie-snob-approved soundtrack, the movie has got a lot of things right. The musical highlights of the movie would include an irresistibly cute pool scene, perfectly timed to Jens Lekman's "Your Arms Around Me". And yet, for whatever reason (maybe partially due to the unavoidable expectation of Juno's comedic deadpan finesse), the film does slightly fall short. In the final scene of the movie, as the protagonist looks far off into the distance and reflects on her experience (easily the cheesiest moment of the entire 111 minutes), a beautiful song starts playing. From the first dream-like strums of the pedal steel, I was hooked.