Fat (film)

Last updated
Fat
Fat (2013 film) poster.jpg
Directed byMark Phinney
Written byMark Phinney
Produced byMark Phinney, P.H. O'Brien, Tim Baker, Mel Rodriguez
Starring Mel Rodriguez, Ashley Lauren
CinematographyP.H. O'Brien
Edited byMichael Gill, Bruce Green
Production
company
Kreate Films
Distributed bySyndicado
Release date
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Fat is a 2013 American drama film directed by Mark Phinney filmed in Boston, MA. [1] It also showcases the Boston music scene prominently on its soundtrack [2] and music plays a major driving role in the film. [3] It had its world premiere on September 8, 2013 at the Toronto International Film Festival [4] and stars Mel Rodriguez as Ken, a food-addicted man struggling with getting his life in order.

Contents

The film was released in select theaters and via video on demand platforms on December 15, 2015. [5]

Synopsis

Ken won't change his ways. Addicted to food, Ken is in bad health, and is headed to an early grave. Despite getting help and advice from his friends and doctors, he does what he wants, when he wants; until a chance encounter with love that might just give him the motivation he needs to save himself." [6]

Cast

Reception

Critical reception for Fat has been predominantly positive with a 60% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. [7] The film has been particularly praised for its gritty, realistic look at food addiction. [8] In its October 30, 2015 issue, The Globe and Mail said, "The story, inspired by the writer-comedian and first-time director Mark Phinney's own life, is told in pseudo-documentary style. A dark film about shame and self-sabotage, Fat is not a pretty picture. The truthful ones rarely are." [9] James Verniere of The Boston Herald gave the film an A−, noting, "What writer/director Mark Phinney’s semi-autobiographical fiction film 'Fat' lacks in subtlety, it makes up for in brutal honesty, insight and genuine rage." [10]

Matt Goldberg of Collider gave the film a more mixed review and a B− grade, but also noted its realistic depiction of the topic: "Fat still manages to hold together long enough to keep its emotional impact intact, and it serves as a cautionary tale without ever feeling preachy. It can disgust, depress, and frustrate, but it doesn’t patronize its audience. Phinney’s film isn’t designed to be motivational but observational. The distance provided by the documentary style makes the strong performances come to us. It’s only when the plot forces a maudlin conclusion that Fat can only mirror the pain of obesity by (to borrow a lyric from Nirvana) taking comfort in being sad." [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Linklater</span> American film director, producer and screenwriter (born 1960)

Richard Stuart Linklater is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for making films that deal thematically with suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies Slacker (1990) and Dazed and Confused (1993); the Before trilogy of romance films, Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013); the music-themed comedy School of Rock (2003); the adult animated films Waking Life (2001), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (2022); the coming-of-age drama Boyhood (2014); and the comedy film Everybody Wants Some!! (2016).

<i>A Dirty Shame</i> 2004 film by John Waters

A Dirty Shame is a 2004 American satirical sex comedy film written and directed by John Waters and starring Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair, and Chris Isaak. It follows a community in suburban Baltimore divided between people with highly conservative attitudes towards sexuality, and those who have been turned into sex addicts after experiencing concussions.

<i>Fatso</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Anne Bancroft

Fatso is a 1980 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Anne Bancroft, her only such credit, and starring Dom DeLuise, Ron Carey and Candice Azzara. It was the first film produced by Mel Brooks's Brooksfilms company. The film examines the subject matter of obesity, addiction, family, self-acceptance and singlehood.

<i>The Corner</i> American television series

The Corner is a 2000 HBO drama television miniseries based on the nonfiction book The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (1997) by David Simon and Ed Burns, and adapted for television by David Simon and David Mills. It premiered on HBO in the United States on April 16, 2000, and concluded its six-part run on May 21, 2000. The series was released on DVD on July 22, 2003. It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in 2000.

<i>Theodore Rex</i> (film) 1996 American film

Theodore Rex, also known as T. Rex, is a 1996 buddy cop science-fiction comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Betuel and starring Whoopi Goldberg. Though originally intended for theatrical release, the film went direct-to-video, and consequently became the most expensive direct-to-video film ever made at the time of its release.

<i>Far from the Madding Crowd</i> (1967 film) 1967 British film

Far from the Madding Crowd is a 1967 British epic period drama film adapted from Thomas Hardy's 1874 book of the same name. The film, starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Terence Stamp and Peter Finch, and directed by John Schlesinger, was Schlesinger's fourth film. It marked a stylistic shift away from his earlier works exploring contemporary urban mores. The cinematography was by Nicolas Roeg and the soundtrack was by Richard Rodney Bennett. He also used traditional folk songs in various scenes throughout the film.

<i>Sherrybaby</i> 2006 film by Laurie Collyer

Sherrybaby is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Laurie Collyer. Screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2006, the film received a limited release in the United States on September 8, 2006.

<i>The Future of Food</i> 2004 American film

The Future of Food is a 2004 American documentary film written and directed by Deborah Koons Garcia to describe an investigation into unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods sold in grocery stores in the United States for the past decade. In addition to the US, there is a focus on Canada and Mexico.

<i>King Corn</i> (film) 2007 American film

King Corn is a documentary film released in October 2007 that follows college friends Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis as they move from Boston to Greene, Iowa to grow and farm an acre of corn. Coincidentally, the trip also takes them back to where both of their families have roots. In the process, Cheney and Ellis examine the trend of increased corn production and its effects on American society, highlighting the role of government subsidies in encouraging the huge amount of corn grown. Furthermore, by studying the food economy through the history of corn in America, the two realize most foods contain corn in some form.

<i>Nurse Jackie</i> 2009 American medical comedy-drama television series

Nurse Jackie is an American medical comedy-drama television series that aired on Showtime from June 8, 2009, to June 28, 2015. Set in New York City, the series follows Jackie Peyton, a drug-addicted emergency department nurse at the fictional All Saints' Hospital.

<i>Requiem for a Dream</i> 2000 American psychological drama film by Darren Aronofsky

Requiem for a Dream is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher McDonald, and Marlon Wayans. It is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr., with whom Aronofsky wrote the screenplay. The film depicts four characters affected by drug addiction and how it alters their physical and emotional states. Their addictions cause them to become imprisoned in a world of delusion and desperation. As the film progresses, each character deteriorates, and their reality is overtaken by delusion, resulting in catastrophe.

<i>The Man of My Life</i> 2006 French film

The Man of My Life is a French film directed by Zabou Breitman, written by Breitman and Agnès de Sacy, and produced by Philippe Godeau. It was first released in 2006.

<i>Shame</i> (2011 film) 2011 film

Shame is a 2011 British erotic psychological drama film, set in New York, directed by Steve McQueen, co-written by McQueen and Abi Morgan, and starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan as grown siblings. It was co-produced by Film4 and See-Saw Films. The film's explicit scenes reflecting the protagonist's sexual addiction resulted in a rating of NC-17 in the United States. Shame was released in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2012. It received generally positive reviews, with praise for Fassbender's and Mulligan's performances, realistic depiction of sexual addiction, and direction.

<i>Forks Over Knives</i> 2011 American film

Forks Over Knives is a 2011 American advocacy film and documentary that advocates a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet as a way to avoid or reverse several chronic diseases. The film recommends avoiding overly refined and processed foods, including refined sugars, bleached flours, and oils, and instead eating whole grains, legumes, tubers, vegetables, and fruits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Rodriguez</span> American actor (born 1973)

Melvin Dimas Rodríguez is an American actor, best known for starring as Nurse Patsy de la Serda on the HBO comedy Getting On, as Todd Rodriguez on the Fox comedy The Last Man on Earth, and as Ernie Gomes on the Showtime drama On Becoming a God in Central Florida. Other notable works include recurring as Marco Pasternak on AMC's Better Call Saul and co-starring on the short-lived Fox sitcoms Running Wilde and Enlisted. In 2021, Rodriguez appeared in the crime television series CSI: Vegas.

<i>Fed Up</i> (film) 2014 documentary film by Stephanie Soechting

Fed Up is a 2014 American documentary film directed, written and produced by Stephanie Soechtig. The film focuses on the causes of obesity in the US, presenting evidence showing large quantities of sugar in processed foods are an overlooked root of the problem, and points to the monied lobbying power of "Big Sugar" in blocking attempts to enact policies to address the issue.

<i>Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone</i> 2010 documentary film

Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone is a 2010 American independent documentary film about the U.S. alternative rock band Fishbone. Co-produced and co-directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, and narrated by actor Laurence Fishburne, The film is listed on the 100 Best Documentaries as ranked by the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes coming in at #74.

<i>Kilimanjaro</i> (film) 2013 American film

Kilimanjaro is a 2013 American independent romantic drama film starring Brian Geraghty and Abigail Spencer.

No Future is a 2021 American drama film directed by Mark Smoot and Andrew Irvine and starring Catherine Keener, Charlie Heaton, Rosa Salazar, Jefferson White and Jackie Earle Haley.

There Are No Saints is a 2022 Mexican-American action thriller film directed by Alfonso Pineda Ulloa, and starring José María Yazpik, Paz Vega, Ron Perlman, and Tim Roth.

References

  1. The Boston Globe , December 01, 2015 - Local film ‘Fat’ gets Coolidge premiere By Meredith Goldstein
  2. Vanyaland.com, December 1, 2015 - Show Casing: Mark Phinney’s film ‘Fat’ captures a local music scene on the fly By Michael Marotta
  3. Wylie Writes, October 29, 2015 - Movie reviews, Fat
  4. "Toronto Film Festival: Movies About Fat People". IndieWire.
  5. Variety , October 19, 2015 - Syndicado Expands Distribution Business Into North American Theatrical Market (EXCLUSIVE) By JENNIE PUNTER
  6. Laemmle Theaters - FAT
  7. Rotten Tomatoes - Fat, Movie Info
  8. The Star, Thu., Oct. 29, 2015 - Reel Brief: Mini reviews of The Assassin, The Keeping Room, Victoria, Heart of a Dog and Fat By Peter Howell Movie Critic, Bruce DeMara Entertainment, Linda Barnard Staff Reporter [ dead link ]
  9. The Globe and Mail , October 30, 2015 - Film Review, Fat explores shame and self-sabotage of food addiction - Brad Wheeler (subscription required)
  10. The Boston Herald , December 1, 2015 - Heavy topic: Mel Rodriguez weighs in with ?dazzling performance in ‘Fat’
  11. Collider, September 10, 2013 - TIFF 2013: FAT Review by Matt Goldberg