I’ll admit it: I like slightly cheesy and depressing teen fiction novels. That’s not a secret. With that being said, I can’t stand that in movies. I don’t even really like movies to begin with, if I’m being completely honest. I don’t have a very long attention span, and a lot of times, movies just don’t keep me entertained for a long time.
The book “Dumplin” is one of those books that I started to read and got bored with, so I never finished it. When the movie came out, I didn’t even really want to watch it. However, I heard amazing things about it, and saw it all over Buzzfeed for a few weeks, so I decided I was just going to bite the bullet and watch it.
And I really liked it. I didn’t think I would because the book didn’t interest me at all. Usually I like the movie much less than the book, but I genuinely thought that this movie was better.
The best part of the movie easily was the casting. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the cast was “star-studded,” but almost every actor or actress was a person who I had seen in some movie or TV show before. Jennifer Aniston played Rosie, the main character Willowdean’s mom.
While I’m not the biggest “Friends” fan, I will admit any day that Ms. Aniston is a fantastic actress, and I personally think she pulled off her character in this movie better than a lot of other characters she has played.
Dove Cameron has always annoyed me for no apparent reason, but she really stuck out to me in “Dumplin” as Bekah. She had this energy about her that she hasn’t really had before, and I thought that the character was perfect for her. On the same note, former Disney star Luke Benward played Bo, Willow’s love interest. He and Ms. Cameron had a lot of on-screen chemistry when they both starred in “Cloud 9,” and though they weren’t love interests of each other in “Dumplin,” the chemistry has carried through.
And, the casting of both Millie and Willowdean, the two heavier-set girls in the movie, was absolutely perfect. A lot of times, movies won’t cast overweight actresses to play overweight characters, instead opting to put skinny actresses in fat suits (I’m looking at you, “Insatiable”). Maddie Baillio especially, who at only 16 years old became the breakout star of “Hairspray Live!” was amazing as Millie, and is someone who I hope to continue seeing in movies. Danielle Macdonald, who you might know from “Bird Box,” stunned watchers as Willow, and was the perfect casting choice for the lead.
That brings me to my next point. This movie, completely unlike “Insatiable,” showed girls watching that body weight really just doesn’t matter, and that anyone can do anything. It’s a cheesy message, sure, but it’s something that a lot of young girls could really stand to hear nowadays.
With shows like “Insatiable” fueling eating disorders with lines like “skinny is beautiful,” it’s important for people to hear that they should be happy no matter what they look like. It’s also important to show overweight girls in mainstream movies who aren’t trying to lose weight to be “prettier.” It’s all about self confidence for the girls in the movie, which is one of the most important messages to be putting out there.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about this movie was that romance wasn’t a prevalent part of it. Don’t get me wrong – I love romance in movies, but with a movie like “Dumplin” it just wasn’t necessary. There was the perfect amount in “Dumplin,” with Willowdean’s crush, Bo, being only a side character. The romance wasn’t used to move the story along but instead as a touch to empower Willow.
And yes, the story was cheesy, and predictable, but that’s okay. If you’re looking for something to watch absentmindedly while doing something else, it’s perfect for that.
If you want something that’s hard-hitting or cinematically amazing, this probably isn’t the movie for you. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if you’re someone who leans towards cute, cheesy movies like “The Kissing Booth,” first of all, I can’t relate, but second, you’re probably going to really love “Dumplin.”
