Warning: spoilers for Brittany Runs a Marathon, out Aug. 23, ahead!
There are many methods of losing weight and getting in shape, and what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. That’s why Brittany Runs a Marathon is refreshing — while it highlights a weight-loss journey with a set goal (Brittany ‘s doctor tells her to lose 55 pounds after he says her blood pressure is high and her BMI is in the obese zone), it also shows the truth behind that journey and doesn’t shy away from revealing Brittany at her worst.
Brittany Runs a Marathon is based on the true story of Paul Downs Colaizzo’s former roommate Brittany O’Neill, played by Workaholics and 22 Jump Street actress Jillian Bell. Sure, it’s about striving for the New York City Marathon and getting in shape in the process, but by the time you finish the film, the message is one that we all need to hear: that loving your body doesn’t just happen instantaneously — hell, it might not happen fully for some — and if you don’t work on yourself internally, no amount of change on the outside will bring you closer to self-love. Ahead, I break down more of the ways this film gets weight loss right.