Banha

Greetings again from the darkness. Being a high school kid has always been challenging, and today's added pressures of social media makes being an outlier almost unbearable at times. Writer-director Paul A Kaufman (in his feature film directing debut) has adapted the 2012 novel by Erin Jade Lange into a film that tackles several emotional hurdles, some of which are downright devastating.

Marshall (an excellent Alex Kirsting) is a morbidly obese high school student. He plays a mean jazz saxophone, yet yearns to be heard, seen, and accepted as a person, rather than as a target for the bullies who call him "Butter". He weighs in at 423 pounds at the dietician's office, and he's catfishing Anna (McKaley Miller), his secret crush at school. Online, he's posing as JP, a soccer star at a private school, and Anna confides secrets so that he can provide sage advice. At home, his mother (Mira Sorvino) enables him with her 'food art', while his dad (Brian Van Holt) barely acknowledges the presence of his fat son.

There are no heroes in this story, and despite being partially described as a comedy, this is in fact a dark commentary on how people behave. Butter is so fed up (unintended pun) and desperate to be seen, he devises a plan to go out with a bang. He creates a website and announces online that he will literally eat himself to death. Yep, suicide by smorgasbord at midnight on New Year's Eve via live webcast. The reaction of his fellow students catches him off guard. Butter becomes popular overnight. People talk to him ... while at the same time placing bets and serving up menu suggestions for the final feast.

Butter also provides the narration to his own story, and along the way we meet his doctors played by Ravi Patel and Annabeth Gish, and a supportive teacher played by Mykelti Williamson who encourages Butter to expand his musical talents. We note how attitudes change once communication and interactions replace withdrawal and ignoring. Some of the heavy topics handled here include bullying, suicide, depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem, a lack of empathy and compassion, and body-shaming. It's interesting to watch as the classmates and Butter get to know each other, how Anna shows there is more to her than a pretty face, and how Butter's parents seem oblivious to their son's internalized feelings. The film does get a little preachy near the end, but for the most part, it's a pretty effective look at what it's like being an outcast.

In theaters February 25, 2022.

This movie isn't your Hollywood definition of a blockbuster or hit movie. However, it was such a good movie that i am shocked the reviews are so low! It handled delicate subject material respectfully tastefully in my opinion while managing to give a good message that is realistic. It's okay not to be the most popular in school or date the hottest girls because everyones life has worth. It's a good lesson for teens on both sides of the spectrum, the bully and the bullied. I would have given it a ten if not for the last 15 minutes that I thought they could have done more with. Would have loved for Trey and Parker to talk to "Butter" directly instead of through email. I truly think this movie should be shown in every middle school and high school. The actor who played Butter was nothing short of amazing!

I'm not going to explain the plot because it's been done in other reviews. I want to say that Butter kept my attention through the whole movie. It was interesting to watch. Very few movies keep my attention nowadays, but this one truly had me enthralled. I'm usually a crime and horror fan but wanted something different tonight. I'm happy I picked this movie. The scenario is very different from your run of the mill movies. The star in it was so unique that I couldn't look away. ......,...................,.....................................................................

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I've seen many movies that portray high school bullying and self harm- this one has a slight edge due to the saxophone music. And I thought the ending, while unrealistic and sickly-sweet, was rewarding.

However there were no laugh out loud moments and the relationship between the young man and his parents wasn't fully explored. The parents are essentially placed on the sidelines while their son is hurting, and they don't seem concerned at all about his morbid obesity nor do they encourage their son to exercise or diet. Some of this movie did seem downright exploitative and mean-spirited. So much so that the mother enables her son to eat high caloric meals, and she even seems shocked when her son cuts down on his portions.

In terms of the scenes with the high schoolers partying or hanging out, those do drag on. I didn't think I'd rate this above a 5, but the Professor and Doctor characters were fun to watch and were great advocates for Butter. As a whole, I think this movie is worth watching due to its musical interludes and emphasis on self respect and healthy relationships.

Butter fills the void of movies with a message for young adults. It's intelligent and engaging for adults too. Everyone should be on board to keep this movie in theaters long enough for organizations, groups and schools to catch on and advocate for this important gem of a film. Don't wait - go and see it!