Heavyweights – Film Review

As we trudge along the trodden trail of cinematic amusement, Disney’s Heavyweights diverts us into the niche of quirky summer-camp comedies. Written by Judd Apatow and directed by Steven Brill, the film’s triumphant aim to generate feel-good vibes often plays the instrumental cause behind its undeniable flaws.

At its heart, Heavyweights tells the tale of Camp Hope, an idyllic sanctuary for plus-sized boys wishing to shed some extra pounds while revelling in a mirth-filled vacation. Here, they are embraced by their equally girth-filled camp-mates and good-natured owners, Harvey and Alice Bushkin, performed admirably by Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. However, with the intervention of Tony Perkis, a comically relentless fitness enthusiast played by Ben Stiller, the summer haven undergoes a transformation that could rightly be christened ‘Boot Camp Hell’. In his absurd pursuit of fat-to-fit ‘infomercial’ glory, Tony subjugates the hapless campers to his radical training techniques.

Stiller steals the show with his maniacal gym-rat act. The sinister vibes behind his endearing lunacy draw laughter and grimace alike. Shaun Weiss as Goldberg and Aaron Schwartz as Gerry also deserve an honourable mention for bringing life to their distinct characters amidst the assemblage of tubby cherubs. Unfortunately, their inherent acting skills were often subdued by the caricaturist projection, a recurring phenomenon throughout the film.

A crucial stumbling block in the path of the film is its thematic portrayal of the plump and pudgy. Albeit camouflaged with whimsy and warmth, the lingering stereotypes and clichéd overtones towards body shaming is impossible to overlook. In an attempt to uplift the outcast, the storyline habitually descends into a mocking depiction of its oversized stars. Despite the successful resurgence of ‘body positivity’ at the end, the humorous exploit of chubby-kid slapstick comedy creates an atmosphere of uneasy merriment.

Visually, the film renders a candid, technicoloured vision of a campsite, littered with deliciously distracting treats. The inventive workouts sequences stand out as one of the creative triumphs of the director. Yet, one cannot but long for a deeper exploration of its subjects – their psyche and emotions as they grapple with body image, alienation and acceptance. But such depths are not mined in Heavyweights.

For a film from the Disney house, it falters when it comes to its musical aspect. Unlike the scores from iconic Disney movies that become ingrained in viewers’ minds, Heavyweights suffers from a lack of memorable musical beats. While it does not take away from the comedy or the plot, it does affect the overall charm.

An argument in favour of Heavyweights would revolve around its fun factor and non-pretentious aura. After all, it was conceived as a lightweight family movie – the ‘weighty’ puns almost become second nature to the viewer as the film rolls. However, one can’t shake off the thought that it could’ve benefitted from a stronger emotional thrust that highlighted the more serious facets of its obese protagonists, even amidst all the humour.

Yet, one might contend that despite the underlying controversial stabs at the heavyweights, it empowers its endearing ‘misfits’ through their camaraderie and resistance. For an audience favouring laugh-out-loud moments intertwined with streaks of moral upliftment, this offering serves its purpose adequately. For a discerning audience though, ‘Heavyweights’ carries a lower-calorie content of profound satisfaction.

Heavyweights delivers on the comedy and entertains through its crazy antics. Its essence, one can deduce, rests in its effort to reveal how true happiness lies in self-acceptance rather than fitting into a prefixed mold. However, it is these positive messages that ironically emerge from an unsettling context, and their deeper implications that knock a couple of points off the rating, rendering it a middle-of-the-road movie.