140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
Schwimmer’s directorial debut features the first Simon Pegg lead role I saw, and one of his best. He actually works as a fully-realized man.
Spoiler-free Movie Review of Run Fatboy Run:
I love this movie. Despite the popularity of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, this was actually the first of Simon Pegg’s movies that I saw. Up until this point I’d only seen him in supporting roles, and while I liked him very much, I had a hard time picturing him leading a film. That he’s very funny in this is a given. What is maybe more surprising and certainly more impressive is how well he plays it straight and how fully developed this character is.
Pegg plays Dennis, an underachiever who never finishes anything, least of all his marriage to his pregnant fiance Libby (Thandie Newton), whom he deserts at the altar in the film’s opening sequence. Things move forward five years and Dennis is still an immature lout who disappoints everyone. But when Libby and their son Jake are being swept away by the obnoxious new beau Whit (Hank Azaria), Dennis tries to change in order to win them back. With the support of his friend Gordon (Dylan Moran) and landlord (Harish Patel), Dennis trains for and enters the London Marathon.
The script by Pegg and Michael Ian Black, based on a story by Black, is really quite good. The dialogue is very funny, it’s got a great heart and the gross-out jokes are kept to a minimum (though not a low enough number for me). Thandie Newton is Hollywood’s most under-utilized talent and Pegg really does display a maturity here that I didn’t expect. Dylan Moran very nearly steals the entire movie as Libby’s cousin Gordon, who is best friends with Dennis. He has a marvelous deadpan delivery and great timing.
Possibly the most surprising aspect of Run Fatboy Run is how inspirational it is. I’m not saying it’ll make you rethink your life, but I was unexpectedly moved by Dennis’ quest to become a better person and touched by the relationship with his son. The movie really does make you feel good, in addition to being hilarious.
Poster:
Trailer:
Bechdel Test:
Fail
The Representation Test Score: B (7 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Simon Pegg Dennis, Thandie Newton Libby, Hank Azaria Whit, Dylan Moran Gordon |
| Rating | PG-13 |
| Release Date | Fri 28 Mar 2008 UTC |
| Director | David Schwimmer |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance, Sport |
| Plot | Five years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day, out-of-shape Dennis decides to run a marathon to win her back. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 100 |
| Tagline | Love. Commitment. Responsibility. There’s nothing he can’t run away from. |
| Writers | Michael Ian Black (screenplay) &, Simon Pegg (screenplay) … |
| Year | 2007 |
