The Evolution of Ellen Page

The Tracey Fragments (2007)

Filmed on a tiny budget The Tracey Fragments opens with Page's title character sitting naked under a shower curtain on a bus as she begins to tell us her story.

This 2007 drama directed by Bruce McDonald (and based on the novel of the same name) wasn't a commercial hit, but it got a mixture of good reviews and it even premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Page is a star quality, bringing naivety and purpose to a dark role

Witty Whippersnapper? Oh yes. Taking it one step further.

An American Crime (2007)

No stranger to difficult roles after Hard Candy , Page next played a tortured teenager in this disturbing and harrowing drama based on the true events of the murder of Sylvia Likens in Indiana in 1965.

Co-starring Catherine Keener, it was an incredibly brave performance for Page to undertake, including filming scenes that required horrific abuse and torture. Page also immersed herself into the role by dieting during the production.

The film opened to very mixed reviews when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007, but it was nominated for a both a Golden Globe and Writer's Guild Award.

Witty Whippersnapper? An innocent victim.

Juno (2007)

Page hit the big time with this delightfully funny and intelligent indie comedy. Co-starring a brilliant menagerie of actors including Jennifer Garner and J K Simmons, it also launched the career of Michael Cera.

Page owned the role of Juno MacGuff, an independent and smart mouthed teenager who falls pregnant after one night with her school geek boyfriend.

She won audiences over and also received several prestigious award nominations including a Best Actress nomination. Juno was the highest grossing of the five Best Picture Oscar nominations that year.

Witty Whippersnapper? Witty, whimsickle and sometimes wise, she invented sarcasm.

The Stone Angel (2007)

A more or less unknown performance in Page's resume, in 2006 she filmed this small film starring Ellen Burstyn as Hagar Shipley, a woman in her 90's reliving her memories before her son and daughter in law try and place her in a nursing home.

In early memories, Page plays the spirited Arlene who became involved with son years ago.

It's a pretty plain film overlooked by many critics as fluff and underwhelming.

Witty Whippersnapper? Not really, only in the sense that her boyfriend's mother disapproved of her.

Smart People (2007)

Starring Dennis Quaid and Thomas Haden Church this black comedy wasn't especially great, but it was another nod towards the respected Juno character she had not long left behind.

Quaid played an embittered middle-aged professor, whose cracked relationship with his lonely teenage daughter (Page) is slowly rebuilt with the help of his estranged adopted brother (played by Church).

The script is weak considering the acting talent on display here and there aren't that many laughs, but Page got the chance to play the other side of the card as an overachiever at school without many friends

Witty Whippersnapper? Witty yes, smart-aleck for sure, but she's a geek not a trouble maker.

The Simpsons (2009)

We all know that an actor has only really made it after being asked to cameo in a Simpson's episode.

In 2009 Page featured as teen singer Alaska Nebraska in season 20's episode Waverly Hill 9-0-2-1-D'hoh. As always it's a hilarious episode and a fun outing for Page in her first animation gig.

Witty Whippersnapper? Yep, she even snubs Lisa!

Whip It (2009)

Whip It was Drew Barrymore's directorial debut and this sweet and funky comedy showcased a great turn from Page.

She starred as Bliss, a girl who shuns the beauty pageant world her mother pushed her into in favour of the high thrills and risky world of roller derby skating.

Featuring a funky bubble gum soundtrack and great comedic turns from Juliette Lewis and Bridesmaid's star Kristin Wiig, it's a fun and entertaining ride. Although it didn't do very well at the box office it's a great slot on her CV and it brought Page back to what she does best.

Witty Whippersnapper? She's an independant thrill-seeker in this coming of age chick-flick.

The Vanishing Of The Bees (2009)

Along the same lines as Fahrenheit 911 and An Inconvenient Truth , this environmental documentary was in interesting choice for Page and a respectable gig narrating the film.

Regarding the recent collapse of bee colonies, it tells us the truth behind what would happen if bees disappeared and how mankind would be severely threatened due to bees pollenating nearly everything we grow and produce.

A thought provoking film.

Witty Whippersnapper? An Informative and intelligent documentary.

Peacock (2010)

After originally being cast in the lead role of the upcoming Jane Eyre adaptation but dropping out due to filming delays, Page found herself in this straight-to-DVD psychological drama.

Starring Cillian Murphy and Susan Sarandon the film begins with a train accident in Nebraska which gradually unveils a mystery involving a bank clerk and his multiple personality disorder. Page plays a young mum who holds the key to his past.

Not well known, but as Page herself said at the time, " This is one of the boldest screenplays I've come across in my career; it's a character I can throw myself into and exactly the type of movie I love to be a part of."

Witty Whippersnapper? Strange territory here as she plays a mother!

Inception (2009)

Starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levit in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi fantasy epic will never do your career any harm, and with Inception she bagged herself a part in one of 2010's largest grossing films.

Starring as a student who joins a group of experts who enter, manipulate and control people's dreams to extract information, it was was one of the biggest films of last year and catapulted her to super-stardom.

Witty Whippersnapper? An intelligent leading lady, Page has graduated from teen roles to star status.