‘Brittany Runs a Marathon’ review — The title says it all

Brittany Runs a Marathon follows an overweight and lonely New Yorker as she sets out to turn her life around by training for a marathon.

One-sentence review: Brittany Runs a Marathon has enough charm, laughs, and wonderfully eclectic characters — especially Jillian Bell‘s eponymous Brittany — to get it past its weaker moments.

Details: ? Paul Downs Colaizzo // ⏳ 103 minutes // ?? U.S.

Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock

Where to watch Brittany Runs a Marathon: Now playing in theaters.

Brittany Runs a Marathon plays like a marathon. It begins light on its feet and breezy. It’s filled with sharp observational humor and a completely endearing performance by Jillian Bell in the titular role. Halfway through the pace slows before nearly crumbling in the final stretch. However, the movie, the first for playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo — he based the screenplay on a friend’s similar experience — eventually does cross the finish line. 

In the vein of I Feel Pretty starring Amy Schumer a few years ago — a more broadly comedic take on the same concept — Brittany Runs a Marathon follows the titular character as she takes steps to better her life. After an appointment with the doctor points out she’s technically obese, Brittany begins to spiral out of her already obstacle-filled life. She’s 27, single, broke, and seems to always get to the subway just as the doors close. It doesn’t help that her roommate Gretchen (Alice Lee) is an influencer with a seemingly perfect life.

Eventually, though, Brittany is able to muster up the motivation to go on a run donning two bras, sweatpants, and a pair of high top chucks. And she does it, igniting a spark that drives her to get her life together. Her first step is to join a running club recommended by her neighbor Catherine (Michaela Watkins). There she meets Seth (Micah Stock), a dad intent on showing his young son that he can be as athletic as his other dad. Side note: it’s so refreshing to see a happy gay married couple where their sexuality isn’t a plot point. 

Brittany’s second step is to get another job which comes in the form of a house/dog sitting gig that she shares with perennial slacker Jern (Utkarsh Ambudkar — a standout). However, Brittany’s transformation doesn’t just come physically as she sheds the pounds. Her attitude begins to change. At the beginning of the movie, she’s a typical class clown type who is never able to say anything in earnest. Everything she says is either a sarcastic quip or delivered in some offbeat way — it’s the main reason the first part of the movie works. 

As a former fat kid, it’s easy to see that Brittany uses humor as a defense mechanism. While coming off as agreeable and funny, she also keeps people — including friends and potential suitors — at an arm’s length. For a time, the movie balances that commentary with the laughs and fun romps with supporting characters. Eventually, though, it gets overtaken by its commentary and stops being fun. There’s a third act tonal shift that is abrupt and markedly difficult to get through. It feels as if Collaizzo starts to write and direct too much.

Though, thanks to Bell’s great performance, the movie mostly stays on track even when the plot gets unwieldy with one too many digressions. However, when Brittany Runs a Marathon sticks to Brittany… well, running a marathon, it moves with plenty of laughs and relatable commentary. I mean, you can never go wrong with a movie with the line, “it’s New York City, of course I’ve slept on a rat.”

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Hey! I’m Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic.

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