Brittany Runs a Marathon

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON (Jillian Bell) © 2019 Elevation Pictures

Paul Downs Colaizzo's Brittany Runs a Marathon is a profound and emotionally compelling story of body confidence and self-acceptance with an idyllic and perfect lead performance from actress Jillian Bell as the titular character.

Writer-Director Colaizzo crafts something unique in terms of not preaching to an audience with excessive sentimentality but instead installs hope, acceptance and education of the trials and tribulations of not only struggling with weight but also gender roles within social circles — elements that have tremendous depth and weight and are expertly evoked by Bell as Brittany. It never falls into the category of preaching to its audience and thankfully so. The titular character is a compelling and flawed individual and thus the immersion and engagement with her plight are intensified in relationships and feelings that are honest and realistic.

Bell's character and arc is a deeply profound one. An organic and authentic portrayal that excels the talents of the actress to a newfound degree, resulting in a performance that engulfs the screen with tremendous charisma and presence, wonderfully induced with outstanding emotional range in a captivating arc. It is as much Jillian's film as it is that of her character Brittany's. To see Bell, at this point, on the leading front and not a supporting player in itself is a tremendous sight to witness, with the actress giving the impression that this is nothing new and in a place undoubtedly she belongs.

The tone is perfectly balanced from heartfelt drama to enlightening comedy. Partly due to the talents of Bell, with the supporting talents of Michaela Watkins's Catherine — who brings a real-world gravitas but is unfortunately underutilised — as well as the comedic and heartfelt strides of Micah Stock's Seth and Utkarsh Ambudkar's Jern. Nevertheless, it is a tremendously restrained, fresh and warm screenplay from Paul Downs Colaizzo. At times it actively proposes that Brittany is a terrible person but with that analyses that follows her arc to see how she develops. It's an eye-opening and emotional rollercoaster from its humble start to its delicate and touching finish.

Brittany Runs a Marathon is released November 1st, 2019