I expected this movie to be about body image, and how the world sees and treats 'fat' people, and how they are actually just like everyone else and the resolution would be that people realised that, and started treating overweight people like the human being that they are and that they should start embracing their bodies rather then hiding and believing what everyone else thinks. I was greatly disappointed when the message of the film was nothing of the sort. The movie talks a lot about how weight can greatly effect someones health, leading to diabetes and heart attacks, etc. Ally's mum had suffered from a heart attack because of her weight, and Ally was angry because her hospital bills took away Ally's college fund. Ally believed that her mum made herself sick, because she was constantly mood eating and Ally never let her forget it. Ally's little brother was constantly being bullied, and he thought it was because he overweight, Ally believed it was just because he was a 'smart-ass' to everyone and that 'fat' people all just have the wrong attitude, and if they were more positive (like Ally) more people would like them. When Ally gets the opportunity to enter a film competition where the winnings are $10000 (that she could use for college tuition), she decides to make a documentary about 'fat' people. So she dresses up in a fat suit, and goes to Summer School with hidden cameras and films the way she is treated. She makes friends with a dorky guy, and another 'fat' girl (Ramona). She talks to Ramona and gets her to open up to her, because Ramona thinks Ally understands what she has to go through everyday. She gets 'moo-ed' at and people say things like 'whoa look out fat girl coming through' and 'whale must've gotten lost on it's way back to the ocean.' Ally is hurt by this, because she still keeps her positive, up beat, friendly personality, and the way people treat her, proves her little brother right! Meanwhile, Ally is being a bitch to her mum, has the hottest and popular guy in school crushing her, and still has her rocking hot body. I got three messages out of this movie. 1) 'overweight' people only have themselves to blame, and they need to be more aware of their health problems. 2) In societies eyes, your weight determines who you are as a person 3) You have to be skinny, pretty and popular for the hot and popular guys to like you. Well, my response: 1) True. SOME (not all) overweight people can only blame themselves because they aren't taking care of their bodies, however, football players, swimmers & other star athletes, and perfectly normal healthy people are still considered overweight or 'fat' on the BMI scale, and that makes those people feel like sh*t which leads to perfectly healthy people becoming unhealthy through the way of eating disorders. 2) YOUR CHOICES AND YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINE WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON. YOU'RE WEIGHT, HEIGHT, RACE, GENDER, RELIGION ETC. DOES NOT!!! 3) Ugh. The movie was somewhat great! It had a good plot, and a good story line, great acting, but I hated that it ended with a negative message, and that message made me angry and want to shove my head through a brick wall. :) I did like the movie however, I just think it needed a more positive message. **triggering film**
Review of To Be Fat Like Me
