Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Jillian Bell | ... | Brittany | |
Jennifer Dundas | ... | Shannon | |
Patch Darragh | ... | Doctor Falloway | |
Alice Lee | ... | Gretchen | |
Erica Hernandez | ... | Molly | |
Max Pava | ... | Drunk Guy | |
Michaela Watkins | ... | Catherine | |
Adam Sietz | ... | Glenn | |
Dan Bittner | ... | Terrence | |
Mikey Day | ... | Dev | |
Lil Rel Howery | ... | Demetrius | |
Kate Arrington | ... | Cici | |
Beth Malone | ... | Tesla | |
Micah Stock | ... | Seth | |
Esteban Benito | ... | Peter |
Hilarious, outgoing and always up for a good time, New Yorker Brittany Forgleris everybody's best friend -- except maybe her own. At 27, her hard-partying ways, chronic underemployment and toxic relationships are catching up with her, but when she stops by a new doctor's office to try to score some Adderall, she gets slapped with a prescription she never wanted: Get healthy. Too broke for a gym and too proud to ask for help, Brit is at a loss, until her seemingly together neighbor Catherine pushes her to lace up her Converse sneakers and run one sweaty block. The next day, she runs two. And soon, after finishing her first mile, she sets an almost unthinkable goal: running in the New York City Marathon.
Based on a true story, Jillian Bell plays Brittany, a woman with insecurities and an unhealthy lifestyle, who is told by a doctor that it would be healthier for her to lose weight. This leads her on a path to discovery and eventual plans to run a marathon. I found this to have a generally good uplifting story, but the specific parts don't all work. The script could'v gone through another revision.
There are moments where the humor and dialogue really snaps and others where they don't work at all and scenes feel drawn out or superfluous. Brittany herself at times can be very sympathetic with real world doubts, but at other times her negative actions are so over-the-top that you can't relate to her.
Speaking of Brittany, Jillian Bell does a great job in the role. Many of us have probably seen her in things over the years, such as 22 Jump Street and Date Night, but she's mostly been a supporting player. It's nice to see her take center stage and show that she can do a bit of drama.
This movie is shot interestingly. It uses bright colors like a comedy but uses handheld camerawork and has sort of a more down-to-Earth feel.
As a feel-good movie, I thinks this works more than it doesn't. Just don't expect perfection.