Skip to main content

Dome Pondering Movie Review: Brittany Runs the Marathon (2019)


What is it about?

A woman decides to make changes in her life, starting with training for the New York City marathon.

 Who is in it?

Jillian Bell - Brittany

Michaela Watkins - Catherine

Utkarsh Ambudkar - Jern


Favorite Scene:

[spoiler alert]

While on the train to one of her races, Brittany is met by here former roommate and friend. They communicate, and through a play of words, is able to have some closure and a little bit of revenge during the interaction.

Favorite Quote:

“I’m going to get rid of this girl because she keeps talking about Casey Anthony. Blek.”

Review:

Brittany Runs a Marathon, a production from Amazon Prime, is just, well...there. I'm not trying to be harsh, but this film really just left me where I started. This film is the epitome of not minimal emotional movement.

For me, the film just felt shallow. Yes, the story and otherwise morals and underlying nuances regarding life, making changes, and of course, what and how we appear to one another on the surface, is there, but this film never gets out of first gear.

The reason? The main character, Brittany, is just not likeable. You want to root for Brittany and this massive, gutsy, difficult transformation of losing weight, getting out of a rut, finding love, and coming into her own, but it just never appears presents itself. Brittany at times can be cold, mean, and often times, she is this way to the very people who are trying to help her. Quite frankly, if Brittany failed to run the marathon, I wouldn't have cared one bit.

Another reason for the neutral emotions towards this film is that the characters are very shallow. Brittany - another reason why I might not like her - has zero backstory beyond her bout with her weight and her confidence. Her new friends, especially Catherine, we learn of, but we never see their relationship develop - other than her inviting her.

Much like my review of Netflix's Tall Girl, this one was just there. The only difference - I didn't regret Tall Girl. At the end of this film, I was left empty. Not good.

Maybe you'll have a different take, but this one is going in the never again pile.

Grade: 1.5/5
Labels:

Recently Read

Would You Rather: Questions 121-130

This edition of "Would You Rather" is credited to the NBA Would You Rather NBA Account on Instagram ( See Here ). Adding to the fun, this edition (and possibly future ones) are all NBA basketball questions.  121. Who would you rather have on your favorite NBA team - Giannis Antetokounpo or James Harden?  Seeing how I'm a lifelong suffering Knicks fan, the thought of any of these guys in blue and orange is hard to believe. With that said, I'm taking the Greek Freak for this reason - I enjoy watching him play a bit more. Nothing against Harden who is amazing as well, but at times, the ball sticks and that isn't always fun. Plus, I feel like we haven't yet seen a finished Giannis. 122. Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounpo with no driving ability or James Harden with no Three-Point shooting ability?  This is definitely a weird and unique one, but I'll take Harden. Giannis without his strength doesn't offer much. However, if Harden's d...
Read more

The Pondering 10 - Yankees All-Decade Team for 2010s

I thought I would stay away from the "all-decade" shenanigans, but I got suckered in after all. Around here, end of year rankings, reviews, and reflections rule, so why not compose a list that embodies it all? And why not put together a list around my beloved Yankees? Especially in a decade in which they DID NOT win the World Series. Gasp! With all of that said, please see below not only my list of the Yankees All-Decade Team (because everyone can filter by position), but also by importance and contribution throughout the decade.
Read more

Sunday Sundown Rundown - 9/13/26

The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week. 25th Anniversary of 9/11 It is sort of hard to imagine that it has been twenty-five years since that awful day. It's been fifteen years since I've shared my experience as a High Schooler in Brooklyn, NY , and everything that came with that day (and the many to follow afterwards).  The world changed, and to this day, it still feels hard to grasp what happened (and what transpired with the health of so many afterwards). The lives lost, and the damage done. My son learned about 9/11, and his questions around it ignite some of that struggle with thought around it.  Daddy, how did they get the planes?  Did the building just, like, fall over?  On this 25th anniversary, it is even more concerning to see how the day is also politicized and sometimes weaponized in culture wars. I remember Americ...
Read more