Run, Fat Boy, Run

Run Fatboy Run
Simon Pegg, Dylan Moran, Hank Azaria, Thandie Newton
Directed by David Schwimmer
Warner Home Video2008

Run, Fat Boy, Run is a light, charming romantic comedy that has a remarkably talented cast in the surprisingly competent hands of first time major release director David Schwimmer. The cast is needed to support what is mostly a run of the mill script that contains few surprises and in no uncertain terms is a modern day fairy tale where the frog gets the princess.

In the real world no one ever sees a woman as gorgeous as Libby (Thandie Newton) with the likes of Dennis (Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead and Spaced). it just doesn’t happen that a drop dead gorgeous, successful business woman pairs up with a guy who is overweight, chain smokes, looks like he rarely shaves, barely holds on to a job as a shop security guard and is months behind on his rent. This however is the movies and there is hope for the frog to be rescued by the princess.

The premise of  the movie is that Dennis left a pregnant Libby at the alter five years previous to the start of the movie. The set up adds Hank Azaria as Whit – a.k.a. Mr. Perfect – as a competitor for Libby’s and her and Dennis’ son Jake’s affections. Whit has a successful job in the financial industry, is handsome, hard driving and a marathon runner which inexplicably impresses Libby and Dennis’ peers no end. In order to win back the love of his life Dennis decides to run in the Nike River Run marathon (an event which does not actually exist but there were rights issues with using the name London Marathon

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The humour in Run, Fat Boy. Run is uproarious and well delivered. Viewers will find themselves laughing hard and long and runners in particular will enjoy the running jokes. Pegg is a wonderful comedic actor as is Azaria and their time on screen together is just flawless. Gordon (played by Dylan Moran) is Libby’s cousin and Dennis’ best friend has some of the best lines and sight gags in the movie. While the story does have a predictable path it is a wonderful laughfest and well worth seeing.

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