There is so much here to "unpack".
Sorry, this movie is not a 10, it is not a "masterpiece". It is not about a morbidly obese guy trying to make a change in his life. If you are looking for those things, you will be disappointed.
Brendan Frasier plays Charley, a morbidly obese college instructor who teaches college English classes online. He covers his camera so the kids don't see what he looks like. He is in extremely bad shape, but will not go to see expensive doctors. He has one friend, Liz, who takes care of him and likely keeps him alive. But she also feeds him terrible food as she feels sorry for him.
His health is rapidly deteriorating, and the movie is like a countdown to his end. In the meantime, we discover he was always heavy, but went way over the top once his gay lover killed himself.
A daughter he hasn't seen in years comes back into his life, via an awkward payment and homework "help" plan, as well as his ex-wife, and a missionary, and the sparks between all parties fly. There is plenty of good dialog and some truly moving moments. Great acting from all parties, particularly Frasier.
What loses the movie for me is the script. Not only do the characters act in ways that make no sense, the REASONS behind their actions are preposterous.
Second, the entire movie has a big, FAT thread of anti-Christianity running through it. To the point of absurdity. Everyone's parents seem to be obnoxious born-agains that absolutely ruin their kids' lives. The movie takes cheap shots at the Bible, including the dusty old premise of "how could a God do this" and, "I can't believe a God would populate the world and then send almost everyone to Hell". The only time Charlie gets angry in the whole film is when he is encouraged by the missionary to think about these concepts, and the idea of being saved.
As the movie goes on, the worst person in this little ensemble is elevated by Charlie as "amazing", his daughter, who is a sociopath. Charlie's ex wife is the ONLY character that makes sense. She is, with good reason, bitter that Charlie left her for another man. She is the only one that thinks her daughter is evil, which, sorry to say, she freaking is. Lots of kids are a bitter because a parent walked out. But this kid is a freak. The mom mentions horrific things she has done in school. She posts awful pictures of her dad online, and has done the same to her mom. We are supposed to accept the outrageous idea that she "helped" the missionary by reintroducing him to pot, recording his heartfelt comments about his life, and then sending awful pictures and personal thoughts to his parents--somehow she was so brilliant in doing that knowing that the parents would forgive him and want him to come home. Charlie babbles on through his hacking about this, so it must be so.
And let's talk about this missionary, Thomas. He's a white Christian, of course. The movie is "brave" for crapping on Christians, but not brave enough to make the character a black Baptist, or a soul-searching re-incarnationist, or heaven forbid, a Muslim. The only time Charlie gets truly passionate, beyond him going on and on how "amazing" his daughter is, is when he angrily assaults Thomas about gay sex to "gross him out" and expose his hypocrisy.
Charlie himself makes no sense. He is an enormously smart, kind, sweet person who genuinely cares about others. He truly loves his daughter with his whole heart. (One might believe he refuses to see her sociopathy because of how much he misses her, but the movie never presents that possibility). But how could a guy like that leave his family, because of "love"? He is never portrayed as selfish or bad in any other way. The movie may have done something to show his true character--beyond his demeaning of Thomas--but we don't get that. But he sure does love that 8th grade essay of his daughter!
The cheap Christian-bashing is only upstaged by the ending, when apparently Charlie reaches his end. Is his spirit pulled to heaven, even against his belief system? What's with all the lights, even on his daughter? And her sudden "Daddy" exclamation....
Of course, this "brave" movie isn't brave enough to tell us that, it just ends.
What I find so absolutely true is that if you have a movie with some good acting in it, a few good speeches, some scenes to make people come to tears, and some maudlin music, people will rate it a 10, without even thinking about it.
Sorry, this movie is not a 10, it is not a "masterpiece". It is not about a morbidly obese guy trying to make a change in his life. If you are looking for those things, you will be disappointed.
Brendan Frasier plays Charley, a morbidly obese college instructor who teaches college English classes online. He covers his camera so the kids don't see what he looks like. He is in extremely bad shape, but will not go to see expensive doctors. He has one friend, Liz, who takes care of him and likely keeps him alive. But she also feeds him terrible food as she feels sorry for him.
His health is rapidly deteriorating, and the movie is like a countdown to his end. In the meantime, we discover he was always heavy, but went way over the top once his gay lover killed himself.
A daughter he hasn't seen in years comes back into his life, via an awkward payment and homework "help" plan, as well as his ex-wife, and a missionary, and the sparks between all parties fly. There is plenty of good dialog and some truly moving moments. Great acting from all parties, particularly Frasier.
What loses the movie for me is the script. Not only do the characters act in ways that make no sense, the REASONS behind their actions are preposterous.
Second, the entire movie has a big, FAT thread of anti-Christianity running through it. To the point of absurdity. Everyone's parents seem to be obnoxious born-agains that absolutely ruin their kids' lives. The movie takes cheap shots at the Bible, including the dusty old premise of "how could a God do this" and, "I can't believe a God would populate the world and then send almost everyone to Hell". The only time Charlie gets angry in the whole film is when he is encouraged by the missionary to think about these concepts, and the idea of being saved.
As the movie goes on, the worst person in this little ensemble is elevated by Charlie as "amazing", his daughter, who is a sociopath. Charlie's ex wife is the ONLY character that makes sense. She is, with good reason, bitter that Charlie left her for another man. She is the only one that thinks her daughter is evil, which, sorry to say, she freaking is. Lots of kids are a bitter because a parent walked out. But this kid is a freak. The mom mentions horrific things she has done in school. She posts awful pictures of her dad online, and has done the same to her mom. We are supposed to accept the outrageous idea that she "helped" the missionary by reintroducing him to pot, recording his heartfelt comments about his life, and then sending awful pictures and personal thoughts to his parents--somehow she was so brilliant in doing that knowing that the parents would forgive him and want him to come home. Charlie babbles on through his hacking about this, so it must be so.
And let's talk about this missionary, Thomas. He's a white Christian, of course. The movie is "brave" for crapping on Christians, but not brave enough to make the character a black Baptist, or a soul-searching re-incarnationist, or heaven forbid, a Muslim. The only time Charlie gets truly passionate, beyond him going on and on how "amazing" his daughter is, is when he angrily assaults Thomas about gay sex to "gross him out" and expose his hypocrisy.
Charlie himself makes no sense. He is an enormously smart, kind, sweet person who genuinely cares about others. He truly loves his daughter with his whole heart. (One might believe he refuses to see her sociopathy because of how much he misses her, but the movie never presents that possibility). But how could a guy like that leave his family, because of "love"? He is never portrayed as selfish or bad in any other way. The movie may have done something to show his true character--beyond his demeaning of Thomas--but we don't get that. But he sure does love that 8th grade essay of his daughter!
The cheap Christian-bashing is only upstaged by the ending, when apparently Charlie reaches his end. Is his spirit pulled to heaven, even against his belief system? What's with all the lights, even on his daughter? And her sudden "Daddy" exclamation....
Of course, this "brave" movie isn't brave enough to tell us that, it just ends.
What I find so absolutely true is that if you have a movie with some good acting in it, a few good speeches, some scenes to make people come to tears, and some maudlin music, people will rate it a 10, without even thinking about it.