Shauna Cross

...Barrymore makes her directing debut with a film that is strong on acting and pretty slapdash on narrative. "Whip It" (written by Shauna Cross, based on her book) is about Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page of "Juno" -- PG-13, 2007), who is chafing...

In this article: Wild Things, Chris Rock, Maurice Sendak, Anna Faris, Spike Jonze, and Juno

...some beautiful frames and seems to know exactly the right spots to inject adrenaline through her soundtrack. The one letdown is Shauna Cross' screenplay, based on her novel, Derby Girl, which never finds a natural flow. As a result, the...

In this article: Whip It, Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Barbie, Maeby, and Kristen Wiig

...a device, as songs naturally fade in and out of the background as characters move from diners to parties. Inspired by the Shauna Cross novel "Derby Girl," Barrymore's film follows Page's Bliss as she discovers a world beyond middle-class...

In this article: Whip It, Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, Kids, MGMT, No Surprises, and IPod

...submerged under an impassive blank slate; she's Little Miss Downbeat. In part, the fault lies with the script, which was written by Shauna Cross, adapting her book "Derby Girl." The small-town, teen-queen story line, which features Marcia Gay...

In this article: Whip It, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig, Ellen Page, Juliette Lewis, Landon Pigg, and He's Just Not That into You

...and Daniel Stern as Bliss' parents, who play it so Texan it's as if nobody else needed to be. Very consciously, as guided by Shauna Cross' script, taken from her 2007 novel "Derby Girl," Page makes a break from the hyper-quippy rhythm...

In this article: Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Whip It, Kristen Wiig, Marcia Gay Harden, Juno, Landon Pigg, and Raquel Welch

...Associated Press) just wanted to wring it out in this movie." Barrymore was introduced to the modern roller-derby world by Shauna Cross, an L.A. screenwriter who adapted her own novel about her experiences in the Austin derby scene into...

In this article: Drew Barrymore, Whip It, Kristen Wiig, Juno's Ellen Page, Toronto International Film Festival, and Grind House

...in concealing her excitement about her new gig: director. </p><p>Barrymore fell for Austin native Shauna Cross' novel "Derby Girl," based on Cross' experiences with the Austin Rollergirls, when she read it in galleys. She signed on to...

In this article: Drew Barrymore, Whip It, Juno, Ellen Page, Dallas, and Banana

...delightful movie, with great characters and snappy dialogue, Ellen Page is the standout star. The film, based on the book by Shauna Cross, is Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. It centers on Bliss Cavendar (Page), a bohemian girl trapped...

In this article: Whip It, Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, and Jimmy Fallon

...would have lost my mind." For Barrymore, who's been acting since she was a baby, the script by first-timer Shauna Cross (based on Cross' young-adult novel) was a "perfect first fit," partly because she's an actress directing a rink-load of...

In this article: Whip It, Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig, God, Landon Pigg, and Juno

...of misunderstandings, smothering love and ultimate triumph is loaded with cliches, as might be expected. But somehow writer Shauna Cross (adapting from her novel) manages to inflect the story with fresh twists, most of which come from...

In this article: Whip It, Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, Juno, Toronto International Film Festival, Fox Searchlight, Juliette Lewis, and Marcia Gay Harden