Run Fatboy Run

Year of Release: 2007
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Rating: PG-13 for rude sexual humor, nudity, language and smoking.
Director: David Schwimmer
Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran, Harish Patel.

Date Of Review: March 2008

When I saw the trailer for “Run Fat Boy Run” I thought it would be nothing more than your standard gag-fest, in fact I was reluctant to see it because I felt that it was one of those films that puts all the gags in the trailer. Nevertheless, I went along because of an invitation I had to an advanced screening and guess what? I was pleasantly surprised. The film had a lot more going for it than the gags in the trailer. “Run Fat Boy Run” is a British film with old-fashioned charm and a mighty big heart.  If it wasn’t so much about a marathon race, “Run Fat Boy Run” could so easily have been called “How To Succeed In Life With A Little Help From Your Friends” or maybe “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends” but then again, that’s a Beatles song. All I can say is, if you lack confidence or self-esteem this film might help you! If you don’t, then this film will certainly give you some insight into how the other-half-live.   If you are quitter then you should definitely see this film. Yes, friends play a big part in “Run Fat Boy Run” and more than help this small-time film make it over the finish line.

Plot-wise, the film is straightforward and good-natured, just like some of the Best episodes from British television way back in the 1970s. Yes, this film has such an old fashioned flavor that when you slip into the theatre it makes you feel like you have gone back 20 or 30 years. In the story, Dennis (Simon Pegg) leaves his pregnant sweetheart at the altar. Flash forward about 5 years, his child is now in school and the mother of his child has found herself an American boyfriend (Hank Azaria) with six-pack abs. Dennis’ life on the other hand is truly a mess. He’s now a slightly overweight security guard at a woman’s clothing store and he continually locks himself out of his own house. In a last ditch bid to win his ex-finance back and the respect of his child he enters a charity marathon race called the “Nike River Run”. Yes, “Run Fat Boy Run” is the “Rocky” of marathon films. It takes a loveable loser with all the odds stacked against him and turns him into a champion.

It’s refreshing to see a genuine comedy with a sweet-natured storyline that doesn’t rely on gross-out gags as its main attraction. Although, I must say that the blister and the itchy crutch gags are a definite standout. Performance wise, everybody is on target but it’s the lead actor that proves he owns the show. Simon Pegg adds warmth and humor to his portrayal of Dennis the deadbeat. With “Run Fat Boy Run” Pegg proves he’s a comedic talent who can carry a film on his own and can also write with the best of them. It seems that Pegg wrote the story himself and it is now clear that with the right material he should continue to strike comedy gold in whatever projects he does. “Run Fatboy Run” is an inspirational, heartfelt, romantic comedy that will put a smile on your face before it makes you feel like a winner.

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