Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)
…………………………………………………
Brittany Runs a Marathon Movie Review
Brittany Runs a Marathon is a 2019 indie dramedy film directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo and starring Jillian Bell. It’s a pretty good, inspirational movie.
………………………………………………….
“You pieces of shit have been LIVING HERE?!“
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
It follows an overweight woman in New York City who sets out to lose weight and train for the city’s annual marathon. Being based on a true story gives credibility to this movie, but still that ending was overly inspirational and typical for me that it took the enjoyment down a notch for a movie which was previously quite strong and different.
I am talking about its tackling of the protagonist’s journey in a very clear-headed, emotional and impactful manner. It doesn’t shy away from portraying how truly difficult it is for obese people to properly lose weight, and it gives us some very powerful scenes when the protagonist is at her lowest.
I loved the dramatic elements to this film, but I also loved those comedic ones as the humor here is excellent. The protagonist is hilarious as is the actress playing her, the dialogue is stupendous and very clever and some lines are very funny how on-point they are.
My problem with the script is that it doesn’t really take a side in this issue by both making a point how overweight people should lose weight and checking those fat acceptance points later on. I would have preferred a focus on just one, preferably on the former one with which I personally agree.
Yes, Jillian Bell is the biggest reason to see this movie. She got snubbed from all the awards shows obviously as this type of movie and this type of role always do, but her work here is extraordinary. She proved how talented she was by making Brittany literally come alive, and she sold all the comedic and emotional scenes equally well. The fact that she lost weight herself while playing the role is very inspirational in and of itself.
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
I also liked the other characters. The mom fighting for custody, the gay parent wanting to prove to his son that he can run and the charming Indian boyfriend all have their purpose and share wonderful relationships with Brittany. Brittany Runs a Marathon is also very well shot, and solidly directed for a first-time director.
Brittany Runs a Marathon is a bit too inspirational in its ending and the film frustratingly never takes sides in the issue of overweight people, but Jillian Bell is so amazing in her role that she gets really overlooked when in reality her performance here is both inspirational and wonderfully complex. The movie also hits both the sweet and the dark moments in her journey very well while benefiting from a particularly strong humor and dialogue.
