To Be Fat Like Me

velix · April 2011

Pretty decent movie actually. I watched it last night with my two daughters (14 & 18). It's a bit cheesy at times - a light after school special feeling, (2007 w/ Kaley Cuoco of Big Bang Theory fame - IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889600/), but overall, there were some great moments and the overarching theme was worth the 80 minute run time.

Short synopsis, the daughter Alyson (Kaley) is a high school athlete who (for reasons explained in the film - will not spoil it) dons a fat suit as part of a film project to experience the hardships facing overweight high school students. But there is much more to it really. Her mother struggles with her weight, which causes Alyson some resentment and anger towards her (and perhaps false opinions on overweight people in general). And Alyson ends up not only looking at what others think and believe about overweight people, but is faced what is inside herself as well.

Not necessarily Oscar-worthy, but in light of so many topics discussed on these boards about mothers and daughters, weight loss (and gain for some - there is a bit of a reference of Alyson not eating in response to her mother's over-eating past...), misconceptions and perceptions of obesity in our culture, this is a good family film.