BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON: The Agony & Ecstasy Of Becoming A Better You

Inspired by the true story of writer-director Paul Downs Colaizzo’s roommate, Brittany Runs a Marathon chronicles one woman’s attempt to get her wayward life on track by training for the New York City Marathon. As someone who has run that marathon (and three others), I am keenly aware of the mental and physical discipline required to run 26.2 miles through New York’s five boroughs and make it over the finish line, which is why I went into the film with relatively low expectations. After all, how could the uniquely exhilarating-slash-torturous feeling of running marathon be accurately conveyed through an R-rated comedy? To have completed marathons is an accomplishment I am very proud of and as snobbish as it may sound, I felt strangely protective of it, unwilling to see it presented in any way that wasn’t true to my own experiences.

In the end, I was pleasantly surprised. Thanks to Colaizzo’s sharp script and a wonderful lead performance from Jillian Bell, Brittany Runs a Marathon is positively delightful, a rare comedy that doesn’t gloss over the often painful challenges one faces in changing one’s life for the better.

One Step Forward…

Brittany Forgler (Jillian Bell) is a hard-partying, hardly-working woman in her late 20’s who is starting to feel like her life is stagnating. Her job handing out playbills at a local theater is in jeopardy due to her inability to show up on time; her inability to show up on time is the result of repeatedly binge-drinking and pill-popping until the sun comes up with her image-obsessed roommate, Gretchen (Alice Lee). Genuinely hilarious, Brittany is constantly complimented for her raucous personality, but she also finds herself treated like less than a woman because of her weight. Even Gretchen, supposedly her best friend, sees her as little more than her fat funny sidekick.

When Brittany goes to a doctor in an attempt to get a prescription for Adderall, her already wavering way of existence collapses like a house of cards coated in French fry grease. Turns out, Brittany is in very poor health and in danger of developing fatty liver disease and other serious problems unless she changes her lifestyle soon. But where to begin?

In an attempt to get in better shape, Brittany decides to lace up her sneakers and run around the block. Then, she joins a running group in her Queens neighborhood and befriends Seth (Micah Stock), a gay man who wants to get in shape so that he looks better in the eyes of his young son, and Catherine (Michaela Watkins), a soon-to-be-divorced artist who keeps a studio above Brittany’s apartment. The trio set a goal of running the New York City Marathon together. But, as Brittany starts to lose weight, she also learns that there is far more involved in getting your life into shape than being able to fit into a smaller pants size.

…Two Steps Back

Training for the titular race sets the framework for the film, but there is so much more to Brittany Runs a Marathon than Brittany’s fitness story – and that’s what makes it such a surprisingly emotional film. At first, the film seems so focused on the numbers on the scale that one feels uncomfortable with what appears to be a fat-phobic message. Yet the audience quickly learns – far quicker than Brittany does herself – that being skinny and pretty doesn’t mean you have your life sorted out. It doesn’t mean you’re a better or even a happier person than someone who is overweight. And it doesn’t give you the right to judge others just because they might be bigger than you. Your self-image can and should be determined by more than the image you see in the mirror, and that is the message that makes Brittany Runs a Marathon so powerful.

Brittany grows so fixated on reaching what she believes to be the ideal number on the scale that she’s blind to almost everything else in her life, including the efforts of her new friends to help her qualify for the marathon. When Seth and Catherine offer assistance, Brittany rejects them instead of thanking them, angrily accusing them of pitying her. After years of being low-key (and high-key) demeaned by Gretchen – who is far more insecure than her perfectly curated Instagram existence would lead one to believe – Brittany refuses to believe that anyone could truly value her for who she is. She assumes that everyone sees her the way she sees herself beneath the jokes and the booze: pathetic. It takes more than losing 40 pounds for Brittany to understand that she has so much more to offer the world than just being someone’s drinking buddy.

Crossing the Finish Line

Jillian Bell is familiar to many thanks to her turns on Workaholics and Eastbound & Down and supporting roles in films like 22 Jump Street and Fist Fight. However, her performance as the titular heroine of Brittany Runs a Marathon is the kind that people routinely describe as star-making. Brittany is not always a likable character; her chronic inability to let Seth, Catherine, and potential love interest Jern (Utkarsh Ambudkar) get close to her is insanely frustrating, and her tendency to insult them in a desperate attempt to keep them at a safe distance is downright infuriating. And yet, beneath the layers of self-sabotage and snarky humor is true vulnerability. You don’t have to have struggled with your weight to relate to Brittany and her insecurities, and that is largely due to Bell’s bravado performance.

Credit must be given to the supporting cast as well, with particular emphasis on Watkins’ deeply sensitive work as Catherine. Nicknamed Moneybags Martha by Brittany and Gretchen, Catherine appears to have a perfect life. However, beneath the elegantly curated exterior is a woman who has struggled with heroin addiction and is currently battling her husband for custody of their children in a nasty divorce. For the majority of the film, Brittany refuses to believe that Catherine’s life could be as difficult as hers, despite Catherine’s constant reassurances that no one has it as easy. In fact, it is when Brittany finally develops feelings of sympathy and true friendship for Catherine that we know that she is truly becoming a better person, fitness goals be damned.

Catherine’s story might seem shockingly dark considering the bubble-gum hued and laughter-strewn advertisements for Brittany Runs a Marathon. And yet, it’s these moments that give the film its surprising emotional heft. I wasn’t expecting to cry during this movie, and yet while watching it my eyes welled up with tears both happy and heartbroken almost as many times as I doubled over laughing. Colaizzo’s background in the theater shines through in his debut feature screenplay, which has an emotional honesty and rawness of dialogue that one doesn’t expect to encounter in your average glossy Hollywood comedy. And, for the record, its depiction of marathon running felt so real to me that I was overcome with those familiar emotions that take hold during a race, including when one feels on the verge of giving up and when one finally, thankfully crosses the finish line.

Conclusion: Brittany Runs A Marathon

Brittany Runs a Marathon is about so much more than just running; it’s about the importance of trying to be your best self, no matter how difficult it might be or how many roadblocks surface on your journey. Its message is one that you’ll carry with you even if you have no desire to ever run further than one block, let alone an entire marathon.

What do you think? Do the struggles of Brittany and her friends sound relatable to you? Would you ever consider training for a marathon? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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