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Terri Trailer: Why Do Movies About Overweight People Go for the Easy Fat Jokes? Because the Alternative Is Too Painful

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (11)

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One of my favorite films growing up was Angus, the best John Hughes film that John Hughes never wrote. I’m sure many of you agree. It was a classic outsider teenage comedy, only this outsider had real, physical impediments to overcome, and there were no magical makeover cures. It was about looking within and pulling out that inner confidence beaten back by years of humiliation and fat jokes. It was also about James Van Der Beek getting punched in the face.

Terri, the upcoming indie with John C. Reilly and a very solid performance from Jacob Wysocki in the title role, is the more realistic, less superficial version of Angus. I saw it at Sundance this year, and it is hard to watch. It’s painful because it feels almost too real. It takes those humiliations and beats you with them. It gets you inside the mind of an obese sad-sack teenager, and it’s not a comfortable place to be. It has a few moments of sweetness, but mostly, like an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” without any humor, it’s just really uncomfortable to watch, to both its credit and detriment.

Here’s the trailer, which plays up the sweetness angle and downplays the intense discomfort.









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Comments

Holy crap, How can you set-up a trailer without telling us that Creed Bratton's in it?! That's like telling me Belle and Sebastian's next then throwing the Black Keys at me.
Wow, that got too hipster for even me......sorry.

Posted by: souprcrackers at April 20, 2011 11:43 AM

I'm all for it except the pajamas part. Do we really need to act like fat people don't fit in normal people's clothing so they can only wear the stretchiest and most billowing options possible?

Posted by: Robert at April 20, 2011 12:03 PM

Ouch. I have a niece who is horribly obese just entering the age when she's going to be so self-conscious about it. Maybe if I make her mother watch this it will stop her destructive mothering.

On the pajamas note however, every high school girl in my town seems to wear those checked flannel pajama bottoms all the time. When did this become acceptable?

Posted by: PaddyDog at April 20, 2011 12:32 PM

PaddyDog, around the same time that schools decided leggings are considered an acceptable form of pants.

Posted by: Robert at April 20, 2011 12:36 PM

It gets you inside the mind of an obese sad-sack teenager, and it’s not a comfortable place to be.

Well, duh.

As to the pajamas, he ought to look into Hawiian shirts, bowling shirts, and Mexican Wedding shirts. They're just as billowy with less shame. Then again, I didn't get laid in high school, either... the fact that I looked like a chubby Chandler Bing probably didn't help.

Posted by: RobP at April 20, 2011 12:38 PM

I think you've got the question wrong, Dustin. It should be:

Why do studios make movies about overweight people? Because they can go for the easy fat jokes.

Posted by: Three-nineteen at April 20, 2011 12:45 PM

It’s painful because it feels almost too real. It takes those humiliations and beats you with them.

Oof. I love a solid, affecting film, but this would draw out all the teenage insecurities in the viewer even if he/she didn't struggle with weight specifically.


When did this become acceptable?

More importantly, I still want to know who approved the use of elastic in socks. Bring back sock garters!

Posted by: branded at April 20, 2011 12:57 PM

This looks great. And thank you thank you thank you for reminding me about Angus. Turns out it's on Netflix Instant. Excellent

Posted by: THRILLHO at April 20, 2011 1:22 PM

I'm confused. Are we laughing with him or at him?

Posted by: Odnon. at April 20, 2011 1:41 PM

i'm with you odnon. this trailer was bad. the movie looks bad. uplifting even. ugh.

Posted by: splinter at April 20, 2011 2:51 PM

There are elasticized socks now?

When did that happen?

Posted by: PaddyDog at April 20, 2011 2:52 PM