After the “Sierra Burgess is a Loser” fiasco earlier this year, Netflix finally nailed body representation with its new drama/musical/coming-of-age ‘Dumplin.” Unlike its previous attempt, instead of cat-fishing, we have Dolly Parton! The country star is present in every scene without actually making an appearance and that should be reason enough to watch it.
The star of the movie is Danielle Macdonald as plus-size Willowdean Dickson – also known as ‘Dumplin” – trying to deal with the recent loss of her aunt Lucy who was practically responsible for raising her and introducing her to the magic of Dolly. Jennifer Aniston brings all her drama with a hint of comedic charm as Willowdean’s mother, a former beauty pageant queen who is astonished when her daughter decides to sign up for the town’s pageant as, you know, a form of protest.
Willowdean’s decision sparks a chain-reaction amongst so-called “outcasts” who also decide to join the revolution. Still, what started as a protest ends up leading each character into confronting who they really are vs who they want to become all with the help of a couple of drag queens.
Based on the 2015 novel by Julie Murphy, the characters are engaging and fully developed making this feature as involving as it gets. The plot does not revolve entirely around the protagonists’ search for a significant other (which is refreshing) yet in turn leads young girls into realizing that, at the end of the day, no one but yourself can make you believe in self-worth.
