So last month, I was invited to see a free preview of Brittany Runs a Marathon, a movie I had high expectations for. The people behind the movie reached out to runners, bloggers, and social media influencers to get the word out. I had a lot of thoughts about the movie, but I wanted to wait to squawk about it until the film came out, as talking about what I thought will involve spoilers. I would give it 3 stars for this feel-good film and would highly recommend Brittany Runs a Marathon. But I did have a few issues with it.
Anyhow, without further ado, here are my thoughts of the film. Again, please stop reading if you are worried about hearing spoilers regarding the movie!
What I liked about the movie:
- That they showed what it's like to start running when you have never done it before. Those scenes rang true, like going to a running club event and being in the back of the pack, not sure if you are going to finish. Her relationship with Seth, a fellow new runner, was great. They also showed that it takes time to get to progress.
- I also liked that Brittany had actual worries about how to pay for her running habit and a gym membership. That helped set up one of the more interesting parts of the movie -- her housesitting job where she meets Jem, her love interest in the film.
- Several scenes really rang true to me with her weight loss journey. Like when she goes to the fast food restaurant and spots Catherine seeing her from outside, or when she dug into trash for the cheese fries after throwing them out.
- I liked when she told her annoying roommate off and stood up for herself. I also liked that this film had a very diverse cast.
- Seeing scenes from a marathon I ran -- the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon -- was exciting.
- Catherine, the snooty neighbor who turns out to be a good friend, was a good character and had more depth than I expected.
- I liked part of the fact that Brittany wasn't really likeable a lot of the time. I found her fake accent annoying, not funny. I could relate to how upset she was when she got injured and didn't do the race. I was expecting that they would have her hobble across the finish line, and I thought it was good they didn't. And while she went way too far when yelling at the fat woman with the handsome husband when she was visiting her sister and brother-in-law, I could understand how she felt.
- Most importantly, the movie really shows the power of running, and how it can change lives. I am living proof of that.
What I didn't like about the movie:
- My biggest issue with the film is that while her goal is to run a marathon, this is more of a movie about running than it is about the marathon. Especially the NYC Marathon. They didn't really show long runs, or gels, or what it takes to get from half-marathon distance to doing the full race. I thought that was a missed opportunity. They just went from "Brittany gets injured and is upset" to one year later where she is doing the marathon.
- The race itself seemed so rushed. She had no self-doubt or feelings of exhaustion or overexcitement or much of anything until like Mile 22 or so? I just did not find that realistic. As somebody who has run 8 marathons, I can say you have all of those emotions, but we didn't really see that.
- And when she did feel hurt in the race, the way she talked to the volunteer -- in complete sentences and everything -- just came across as not real to me. My hip was bothering me during last year's NYC Marathon, and my best friend Squawker Jon walked with me for a while. I was not talking coherently, that's for sure.
- Brittany also doesn't see any friends during the race until after that point in the race? Wait, what? Weren't they on First Ave or even in Brooklyn? I don't have a huge social circle but I even had friends in multiple areas during the marathon.
- And geez, where the heck was the medal scene? How do you not show what getting that was like?
- I get that for dramatic reasons, they would need to have the lottery drawing in June, not February, but you would think that they could have explained 9+1 as a way to get in.
- Also, other than the actual marathon bib, the race bibs were not the right size. Way too big.
- The scene that bothered me the most was the terrible way Brittany treated Catherine after she gave her the check to cover the fundraising goal. Not only was she positively awful, but it didn't make dramatic sense. You've been running with and hanging out with this person for many months, and you accuse her of pitying you? C'mon now. I could see her feeling overwhelmed over it, as if she owes her friend something she couldn't repay, but the pity thing makes no sense at that point.
I still recommend the movie, despite these flaws. I was worried that there wouldn't be room in the media space for my own marathon journey. But I still think there is a spot for Mario, the Marathon, and Me, my own story!
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