26.2 Miles of Laughs and Tears on “Brittany Runs a Marathon”

Brittany learns to run. (Courtesy of Twitter)

“Brittany Runs a Marathon.” The title seems to give the entire plot of the movie away. To a certain extent it does, but it also goes deeper than just a person running a marathon.

Brittany, a 28-year-old New Yorker played by Jillian Bell, experiences a wake-up call after her doctor diagnoses her as obese. She realizes just how much her life has derailed from the plans her 20-year-old self made. Brittany is unhappy with her friends, her job and her love life (or lack thereof).

With the help of her upstairs neighbor Catherine (played by Michaela Watkins), Brittany slowly begins to piece her life back together through something which she never expected herself to be capable: running. What starts out as a daunting goal quickly turns into a hobby and even something she starts to enjoy. After joining Catherine’s running club, Brittany befriends other members and builds friendships with unexpected people.

As the pounds begin to shed, Brittany starts to regain her confidence and even challenges herself, Catherine and her new friend Seth (played by Micah Stock) to run the New York City Marathon. Through a series of uphill battles and setbacks, Brittany changes her life and becomes someone of which her past and future selves can be proud.

Depicted to be what some might call a “feel good” movie, “Brittany Runs a Marathon” extends beyond that limiting descriptor. Its themes of friendship, self-love and forgiveness come together to create a film that leaves the viewer inspired and heart-warmed. I was initially skeptical of seeing this movie because of the generic fat-to-fit theme the movie’s preview made it out to be.

While parts of the plot were predictable — Brittany will obviously sustain an injury that seriously impacts her plans to run the marathon — there were some twists by which I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a crier — who am I kidding, yes I am — but I never expected that a movie about a woman running a marathon would make me shed a few tears (much to my roommates’ enjoyment).

Watching “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” I realized Bell’s character has a little bit of everyone inside her. Saying “I quit” after doing one crunch at the gym was something that resonated deeply with me.

Film director Paul Colaizzo does a phenomenal job of creating a movie that is comedic yet serious. Bell will keep you laughing throughout the entire 104 minute runtime and leave you sad when it ends. Paired with an excellent, upbeat soundtrack featuring popular artists Lizzo and Bebe Rexha, this movie can inspire even the most close-minded people.

After watching, I felt the need to sprint back to the Ram Van at Lincoln Center because Bell put on such an amazing performance — and I never run.