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Weighing in on "Pizza" from IFC Films
Monday, March 7, 2011 at 7:09PM With Springtime fast approaching, I'm reminded of being completely behind on my moviemaking goals for this year. In an attempt to keep up the momentum at some extent, I am going to "weigh in" with The Bumbles for this week's Monday Movie Meme. The topic is movie characters who are battling weight issues. At first glance, I couldn't think of anything...or at least, anything that The Bumbles didn't already mention.
Actually, movies that highlight someone being too fat or too skinny still isn't really ringing the bell right now. The IFC Films release, "Pizza" (circa 2005) directed by Mark Christopher and produced by InDigEnt (which appears to have went out of business) is the only movie that comes to mind right now. Probably because while it was an entertaining 80 minutes, watching Cara-Ethyl stuff her face with food was a very uncomfortable experience given the fact that she was a teenager who looked like she could clearly pass for like 250 pounds or more. Granted, it was her birthday in this movie's storyline so I expect her to have the whole ice cream and cake deal.
The very cute Kylie Sparks did an awesome job of showing Cara-Ethyl's insecurities, which almost crushed the developing friendship with between the birthday girl and Matt, her hot pizza delivery guy.
While Matt seemed comfortable with her weight, his friends and even strangers weren't so forgiving (doesn't it usually happen that way?...mean people suck sometimes). In one scene, a very attractive
Funny "Pizza" Quote from Cara-Ethyl and her alter ego:
Cara-Ethyl
My legs are kind of...stuck together.
Cara-Ethyl's other self
Well, don't tell people that. You'll never get a date.
Well, I think Cara-Ethyl did pretty well in this movie despite her pessimist outlook during the beginning of the movie. I mean, She DID get a date...sort of...a non-date or something, didn't she?
Some of the dialogue in this movie was a little over the top though. Still, it's very fitting for this week's "weigh in".
Check out The Bumbles Blog: ON MOVIES ~ Trimming The Fat... if you're interested in reading which movies more people came up with.
Technorati Tags: monday+movie+meme, the+bumbles+blog, the+bumbles+movie+meme, pizza+film, mark+christopher,
Reader Comments (3)
Now that you bring up the subject, I'm instantly reminded of Gabourey Sidibe at the 2010 Oscars. She was up for an Oscar for the movie Precious. At the Oscars she was seated in the front left with nobody else sitting next to her. This, more than anything else, showed me how Hollywood treats overweight people. It really upset me. :-\
Oh Herman,
How could I forget about "Precious"! Wow. That movie and Gabbie totally skipped my mind. It's a depressing film that I likely won't plan to watch again. The first time with "Precious" was the last time.
I'm glad that you mentioned her and while she is very sweet and has a lovely personality (I've watched some interviews with her and wondered why she hasn't gone into standup comedy, she's pretty funny).......I do still think that she is huge for her age, especially because she is so very young. Gabbie could probably benefit from inspiration from fellow actress Jennifer Hudson, who lost some weight, but the thing is....Hudson wasn't that big either so she didn't even really need to so maybe she did it for personal reasons.
When I watch actresses like the beautiful America Ferrera and the multi-talented Queen Latifah it's nice to know that it isn't a one-size fits all world after all. Ferrera and Queen Latifah aren't pencil then by any means but they still look really good. (Add to that, Jennifer Hudson prior and after to her Weight Watcher)
Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Gabourey Sidibe and I want to...because I like her, but I can't put her in the same category with them.
I agree regarding the Hollywood treatment of non-skinny people but doubt that those behaviors will change because the fashion industry says thin is in and you know Hollywood studios want people to go see their movies and watch their TV shows....so they take a note from the fashion world and put the thin actresses on a pedestal. It's sad but I think they only care about box office receipts and stuff so they'll probably keep doing things like that.
Still, where weight is a subject of concern, I do not believe that Gabourey Sidibe should be praised for her size because it is not a healthy representation of the type of woman other women should aspire to emulate.
I'd rather watch healthier looking women shine in the real world.
You'll get no arguments from me here. I would like to see her in another film, but she does need to look out for her health!