31. Your Fat Friend; movie review

 

YOUR FAT FRIEND

Cert 15

94 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

The theatre was sold-out, and it was clear that Aubrey Gordon had become a heroine for fat and queer women.

These are not labels that I am comfortable writing, but she insists on using them.

Aubrey doesn't beat around any bushes. She uses plain language and feels confident because the adjectives apply to her.

She is Your Fat Friend, initially an anonymous social media and then podcast tag, which she has used to protest against what she describes as anti-fat bias.

Gordon became the film's subject after director Jeanie Finlay began to research a documentary about being fat.

Initially, she asked the writer to contribute but saw her interacting with her family and changed her emphasis.

I can see why. Gordon is a charismatic figure, a super-sharp speaker and a compelling advocate for her cause.

The significant weight gain in her teens coincided with her parents' separation and the trauma of coming out.

But Your Fat Friend addresses that key issue subtly and with great humour.

Indeed, her dad, Rusty, becomes the film's accidental comedy turn as he combines hilariously inappropriate comments with a lovely growing respect for his daughter's work.

It was a pleasure to watch Your Fat Friend at Broadway, where Finlay has her office, which provided finance for the film.

It went down exceptionally well, and I can understand why.

The consensus was of support for Gordon's campaign against anti-fat bias and empathy for her travails with her parents.

But the question of health needed to be more adequately answered. 

She says fat people will almost always stay fat despite the proliferation of diets, but what are the health implications of that?

Is diabetes and, consequently, heart attacks and strokes not a danger?

Finlay suggested that her movie is a 'stepping stone' and there is much more information on the subject. Dare I say, I thought that was too easy an answer.

Reasons to watch: The weight debate from a refreshing new angle

Reasons to avoid: Brushes medicine under the carpet

Laughs: Five

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Partial

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The now discredited BMI (Body Mass Index) was a tool developed in the 19th century by Adolphe Quetelet - a mathematician, astrologer and statistician who wanted to apply probability calculus to human bodies.

The final word. Jeanie Finlay: "When I read Aubrey’s piece, that first piece When I Talk About Bodies that went viral, I just loved it, so I thought, "Here it is. It’s personal. It’s political. It made me feel stuff.""Moveable Fest

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