Movie Review: Dumplin'

In case you missed it, I've already done a review for the book, but after recently rewatching the movie, I figured I'd need to do a review about it, too.

This movie speaks to my SOUL, y'all. Listen. There's something about listening to Dolly Parton, seeing people who LOOK LIKE ME enter pageants, and Luke Benward that makes me all types of pumped for this movie. The weekend this movie released in December I watched it all of about six times in two and a half days. I couldn't get enough. I still can't. Here's why.

The casting for this movie is spot on with the book -- but even before I read the book, I knew the cast was going to do justice to this story.

I even watched it BEFORE I knew my boy Luke Benward was playing Bo Larson -- I HAD TO EVEN DO A DOUBLE TAKE. Why? Because he has aged, uh, quite well since his Disney days. I wasn't expecting him AND Lucas Till to have the same glow-ups here in the recent future (and I'll do a MacGyver post soon so I can gush about LT).

Anyways, back on track. Jennifer Aniston is in this film, and everything she touches turns to gold. I was expecting nothing less. Even Dolly herself blessed this film and wrote some original songs for it.

What I was not expecting was to fall completely in love with this film. I wasn't expecting for every. single. one. of my personal insecurities as a fat woman to be portrayed on screen. I wasn't expecting to hear the thoughts that were in my head to be said aloud. I wasn't expecting to find characters that empowered me while also terrifying me at the same time. I wasn't expected to be shaped so much by a film and Aunt Lucy to where I wear my red shoes every chance I get. I wasn't expecting to find a film that explains E V E R Y T H I N G that I feel and dream about.

Let me let you in on a secret: Ya girl here has always secretly wanted to be in a pageant but was always too scared to do it because of her size. Ya girl has been terrified to chase certain dreams because of her size. Ya girl has avoided certain things BECAUSE OF HER SIZE.

You read it -- the girl who tries her darnedest to empower others and tell them to not be afraid because of whatever reason -- IS TERRIFIED BECAUSE OF SOMETHING SHE TELLS PEOPLE NOT TO BE TERRIFIED FOR. I'm a hypocrite and the film brought that out in me.

The movie reminded me of why I love doing what I do. It reminded me of who I am on the inside. It's shaped how I approach things since.

Since first watching this movie, I've watched it so many times since and every time is a different experience. Every time I catch something new. Every time I get to the end and I'm crying my eyes out. It's so much more than about a pageant. It's about finding friends. It's about finding yourself. It's about saying "HECK NO" to everything you're afraid of and saying "HECK YEAH" to everything you want in life.

Now, find out who you are, do it on purpose, and do it while wearing a red pair of shoes. (Especially if it's set to a Dolly Parton song, because Y'ALL everything in life is set to Dolly if you try hard enough.)