Movies
BRITTANY IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF
fun that big girls are supposed to
be; she’s always ready for the next
drink and the next joke, and she
never asks for too much. But what if
she did? Brittany Runs a Marathon
is the answer: a whip-smart comedy
that manages to deliver genuinely
funny uplift without ever swerving
away from its own dark side.
Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) stars
as a New York party girl whose
high BMI brings a harsh awakening,
though the truth is she’s already
tired of being the fat best friend—the
one who pivots to silly accents every
time the moment gets too real, and
hasn’t had actual reciprocal sex in
years. So she digs out a pair of sneak-
ers and an old sports bra, and pledges
to make it at least to the end of the
block. It doesn’t go well. But when
she finds an unlikely pair of running
buddies—Michaela Watkins’ wealthy,
chirpy divorcée and Micah Stock’s
sardonic gay dad—her life and her
body slowly begin to take on a new
shape. Bell’s Brittany is cuttingly
clever, but she’s also hurt, angry, and
insecure; losing weight or meeting
a nice guy doesn’t fix her problems
on screen, just like it’s not a magic
wand in the real world. Maybe that’s
why the movie’s final scene feels
both well-earned and appropriately
open-ended—the sweet victory lap
of a race she’ll have to keep running
long after the credits roll. A–
Brittany Runs
a Marathon
STARRING Jillian Bell, Michaela
Watkins, Lil Rel Howery
DIRECTED BYPaul Downs Colaizzo
RATING
+ TIME R 1 hr., 43 mins.
REVIEW BY Leah Greenblatt
@Leahbats
JOE GOLDBERG,
IMMORTALIZED IN
KEPNES’ BEST-SELLING
NOVELS AND THE HIT
TV SERIES YOU, IS
ONE SCINTILLATING
STALKER. THE AUTHOR
TELLS US ABOUT HER
OTHER FREAKY FAVES.
Caroline
Kepnes
Recommends theFive Most
Magnetic Movie Stalkers
Caroline Kepnes
WRITER FOR EW 2001–2003
NOTABLE WORKS
You, Hidden Bodies,
Providence
LATEST PROJECT
Currently working on a sequel
to Hidden Bodies
Uma Thurman Hysterical Blindness
Thurman’s Deb meets who she thinks could
be the One, and she drives and dreams
through Bruce Springsteen’s “Tunnel of Love.”
She implodes when she’s not “Invincible” as
Pat Benatar promised. Pop music and obses-
sion, together forever.
Glenn Close Fatal Attraction
She is the gold, blond standard for not want-
ing to be ignored. And for passing as so
normal and smart and being complicated that
way. I stand by my EW review from 2002:
“The unhealthy charisma between [Michael]
Douglas and Close crackles.”
Treat Williams Smooth Talk
The last act is like a play between two actors
in top form. It’s a dreadful, frightening pro-
cess. He doesn’t storm the gates. She doesn’t
run shrieking up the stairs. It’s terrifyingly
effective with impeccable dialogue. He’s so
horrifying and Laura Dern is so exquisite.
Emilio Estevez St. Elmo’s Fire
Beware the floundering man who has an
active imagination. He’s cute. He also smells
her pillow, which is creepy. But in this ’80s
coming-of-age context, adorably creepy. He’s
like, “I’m obsessed, thank you very much.” It’s
a great example of the lighter side of stalking.
Tom Hanks You’ve Got Mail
Lighthearted catfishing. He put her out of
business and played her. If Joe Fox were any-
one other than Tom Hanks they would have
had to address the invasion of privacy. It’s
painted as a romance but it’s how we all first
learned about internet safety.
EW ALL-STARS
→ It’s Brittany,
bitch. (Actually,
it’s Jillian Bell.)
ILLUSTRATION BY CAMERON K. LEWIS EW ● COM SEPTEMBER 2019 81
FATAL ATTRACTION
, HYSTERICAL BLINDNESS
, ST. ELMO'S FIRE
: EVERETT COLLECTION (3);
SMOOTH TALK
: PHOTOFEST;
YOU'VE GOT MAIL
: BRIAN HAMILL/WARNER BROS.
