The Fat Boy Chronicles

Based on a true story but choppy in its presentation. Acting is pedestrian.

I bought this film because it's about bullying for an overweight boy. He weighed 188 pounds and has started high school. He hates school but hates himself more. The actor who plays him does a fabulous job in the role. You feel for his character and sympathize with him. His teacher insists that everybody including himself write in his journal. He begins to explore life and friendship with Paul and a girl named Sable. He tutors a jock named Robb. Unlike Paul, he comes from a religious functional family with both parents at home. His best friend Paul's parents are divorced and his father is an alcoholic. Sable appears to have her own problems. The movie is about self-loathing especially in world's standards of beauty and physical presentation.

As a child, I was bullied for the same reasons as the main character. I didn't like how everything suddenly became okay in the end. Life is not like that, you can't just decide to change things and have them eventually be okay. There are always bullies, there are always people being put down for one reason or another. One movie is not going to change that. But I suppose it is a start.

One thing I really disliked about the story is the characters made changes to fit in with society. Real courage, in my opinion, occurs when someone stands their ground, plants their feet, raises their voice and shouts "I will not change to better fit your perceptions of NORMAL!" We are all human, beautiful as we are both inside and out. I don't like preachy movies that tell you to gain acceptance by losing weight if you're fat. Sometimes, problems go a lot deeper than that. It can take years of counseling to erase the psychological scars of peer torture, poor self body image, and depression. Better to love ourselves FIRST and THEN affect change (if so we choose) because that is REAL change, not transient.

There were a lot of positive messages in the movie, however, which I suppose was the point. To me, any of the good was lost in the profound naivete this movie showed about high school and real life situations in particular.

And I don't say this often.

Sometimes I give a 9 or even a 10 because I liked the movie.

This wasn't the case this time.

I find it hard to understand the negative reviews, because I think in this 75 minutes movie, there is a lot of reality.

OK, it wasn't a big dollar movie, but in it's 75 minutes real situations were told, real emotions were expressed.

And that is what I like in a movie.

This movie, although it didn't concern me personally, was great.

A lesson.

THIS MOVIE HAS CHANGED LIVES. And will continue to do so. I have been at school screenings of this movie and seen the emotional impact it has on students and adults. Schools/communities/churches who have shown the film report that kids finally understand the power of their words and how harmful their actions can be. Bullies have changed their behavior, "bystanders" speak up for those who need a voice, and bullied kids realize there is hope for tomorrow. With all the emphasis on searching for a solution to bullying, this movie and the book that it was adapted from would be a good place to start. Schools that read the book and follow with a special movie screening have seen a positive impact upon students. Many bullied kids have written the filmmakers to say that now people treat them better. "Thank you for making this movie," one overweight student told the director and writers. What this film does best is get students actively, and emotionally, involved in creating a better future for their generation.