FAT GIRLS

RYAN: The premise is hilarious. It’s about a high school gay boy/outcast and his 300 lb. female best friend.

CAROLINE: I thought it was going to be a fun, fluffy indie like “Camp,” but it’s actually kind of dark. And the fat friend is so sourpuss and sullen.

RYAN: But I think that was the intention. A 22-year-old boy, Ash Christian directed,
wrote, produced and stars in the film, which is an amazing accomplishment.

CAROLINE: Totally. I just went into it with the wrong attitude. There’s a general malaise about this film, about how awful high school is, how crappy his life is, etc. And I just didn’t relate at all.

RYAN: Sadly, I very much related to this film, and it was similar to mine own high school experience. I was always picked last in gym class and was an outcast for being effeminate.

CAROLINE: Did you also have a 300 lb. friend with a lesbian mom?

RYAN: No. But for a young man, this Ash Christian did a great job as a filmmaker. It’s a little immature and the writing isn’t always great, but it was definitely funny.

CAROLINE: True, there were several laugh-out-loud moments that we enjoyed, so in that sense, I liked it. But overall, I got kind of fidgety and bored about halfway through the movie.

RYAN: The secondary characters are good, like the guy who plays the hot British student, and the teacher played by Jonathan Caouette in his first-ever acting role. He directed that movie “Tarnation.”

CAROLINE: So what’s your bottom line on “Fat Girls”?

RYAN: Look, it’s a low budget, independent film, but I still think it holds its own. And for a gay film, it’s really good; we’ve seen some bigger budget gay movies, and I liked this one better. But obviously, compared to the big Hollywood films, it’s not like the stuff we normally see.

CAROLINE: “Fat Girls” is certainly not a must-see. If the topic speaks to you, then definitely see it; otherwise, skip it.