Movie spotlight
To Be Fat Like Me
Pretty, popular, and slim high-schooler Aly Schimdt had plans of earning a sports scholarship to college but a knee injury ruins her chances. She decides to enter a documentary contest in the hopes of winning money for college. She believes that overweight people, like her mom and brother, seem to make excuses about how the world perceives them. So Aly decides to attend a rival high school as a heavily overweight person for the documentary, but not change her personality. Aly intends and hopes to prove that personality will outshine physical appearance. But when she's met with ridicule, harassment, and name-calling she begins to see things differently.
Insights
Plot Summary
A high school student, feeling invisible and insecure about her weight, decides to embrace her size and gain more weight intentionally. Her journey leads her to a support group for overweight individuals and a new perspective on self-acceptance. Along the way, she confronts societal pressures, personal challenges, and the complexities of body image.
Critical Reception
The film received a mixed to negative reception, primarily airing as a made-for-television movie. Critics often pointed to its heavy-handed approach to a sensitive topic and its sometimes simplistic portrayal of body image issues. However, some viewers found its message of self-acceptance and encouragement for overweight individuals to be positive.
What Reviewers Say
The film tackles the difficult subject of weight and self-esteem with a generally earnest, though sometimes unsubtle, tone.
While aiming for a positive message of body acceptance, the narrative is often predictable and lacks depth.
Kirstie Alley's performance was noted as a highlight by some, bringing a grounded presence to the film.
Google audience: Information on Google user reviews for this specific made-for-television film is not readily available or consistently aggregated.
Fun Fact
The film was made-for-television and aired on the Lifetime channel, aiming to address body image issues relevant to a younger audience.
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