Media is Obsessed with Fat People: “Disfigured” Review

Movie: Disfigured

Staci Lawrence as Darcy and Deidra Edwards as Lydia

Rating: Awesome!

Station/ Time: Netflix/Rent it!

Premise (from website):

Lydia is a fat, graceful woman struggling to maintain her identity in fashionable Venice Beach, CA. Though she is a member of a Fat Acceptance Group (a movement dedicated to fighting prejudice against fat people), she still struggles with complex feelings about her body and its place in the world.

Darcy, a recovering-anorexic Venice real estate agent, is struggling with the same issues from a very different perspective. Her attempt to join the Fat Acceptance Group (since she sees herself as fat) is quickly rejected – but it introduces her to Lydia.

Though they seem at first to be each other’s worst nightmare, Lydia and Darcy begin to confide in each other. Meeting warily in the social minefields of hunger and satisfaction, anger and femininity, sexuality and fashion, trust and fear…they become friends.

But then Lydia, stirred by a growing romance with a sweet overweight guy named Bob, asks Darcy for an unusual favor: she wants anorexia lessons. When Darcy lets Lydia inside her secret inner world, it forces both women to confront deeply-buried feelings about their bodies – and nothing will ever be the same again, for either one.

Reaction:

Wow. This movie was amazing. In a poignant  and was a character study of two very different people whose worlds collide. Not only did it address weight but it showed it. When is the last time you’ve seen a passionate, romantic, semi-nude love scene between two obese people? It was raw and… amazing. And beautiful to see.

But the rainbows and happiness comes to a jarring halt. Lydia sees needle marks on the inside of Bob’s arm after having sex. He explains he had his blood drawn in preparation of surgery. When Lydia asks he say he’s getting gastric bypass. A fight ensues and Bob explains his frustration ending with, “it’s like I’m betraying the tribe or something like that.”

Shortly after Lydia asks Darcy to help her learn to be anorexic. After talking and tears Darcy agrees. She comes over to Lydia’s house and empties out her cabinets and fridge of all the “bad stuff”. She then tells Lydia she must track everything and she must be accurate. When Lydia tells her she’s done this before Darcy says “but you gave up. You’re weak.”

Darcy then takes Lydia to a beach and she sits there and points out flaws on everyone. At one point Lydia says “this is really junior high school”. Darcy responds “No shit, except this time it’s a blood sport.” Finally Lydia asks Darcy the question you’ve wanted her to ask since the beginning “what do you think of me? What do you see when you see my body?”. Darcy stares at her and says “I think it’s disgusting.” They sit in silence. It’s a very, very sad moment.

You can see that, even though Lydia and Darcy’s relationship is twisted that they truly care and depend on each other.  Darcy comes over to check up on Lydia after she sensed she binged. She sensed right. A confrontation ensues. Darcy “so you’re just a hopeless loser.”  HARSH. She offers to move in to keep her from binging when she’s alone.

While staying, Darcy catches Lydia heading to the kitchen. When Darcy asks “Do you eat in the middle of the night a lot?” Lydia replies “I graze. That’s what you’re supposed to do. I used to restrict and binge, really compulsive eating. So now instead I just give myself permission. You know take away the panic you are not going to get what you need. That’s supposed to help you eat only when you really want to. Except I really want to a lot. Apparently.” It was a statement I think many overweight people can relate to.  Lydia then describes binging as “better than sex” and asks Darcy to cross over to the dark side… I don’t want to reveal anymore as I don’t want to spoil the ending!

Does it impart useful  information?: It’s not an educational program and it doesn’t impart useful information you can transfer to your life.

Is it inspirational?: Debatable. It doesn’t tie everything up into a bright and shiny “The More You Know” moment at the end. It’s more real, and I personally really liked that. It was engaging and fascinating; I even put my laptop away to watch it!

Available Online?: No. You will need to Netflix it, rent it or purchase the DVD.

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Previous reviews:

My Big Fat Body

DietTribe and Ruby

Kelly’s (completely unscientific and made up) Rating Scale

Boooo -> Meh ->  Cool -> Awesome -> Fantabulous!

(Bad                              to                             Great!)