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Being a teenage girl seems to come with more than its fair share of everyday challenges—from difficult family relationships to wavering self esteem. But in Dumplin’, one girl stands up to those challenges and finds her life changing in all kinds of unexpected ways.
Dumplin’ stars Danielle Macdonald as Willowdean Dickson, a teenage girl whose normal teenage insecurities are heightened by the fact that she’s the plus-sized daughter of the town’s most famous beauty queen, Rosie Dickson (Jennifer Aniston). After her beloved aunt dies, Willowdean decides to protest against the system that’s caused her and so many other women like her to feel bad about themselves, so she enters her mother’s beloved Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant. And she’s joined in her mission by some of the town’s most lovable misfits.
Based on the novel by Julie Murphy, Dumplin’ tells a charming tale of mothers and daughters, of Texas beauty pageants, and of the music and style of Dolly Parton. It’s lovable and musical and often funny, too.
Macdonald is undeniably adorable as Willowdean, the sweet but heartbroken daughter of a woman who’s everything she isn’t. Willowdean is insecure and anxious, yet she’s also fed up and ready to make a little noise—and you can’t help but cheer for her as she fights through the challenges of both teen life and pageant life. Aniston, meanwhile, is as amusing as ever as her self-absorbed mother who obsesses about her weight and her hair and her next appearance—and no matter how ridiculous the character may be, she’s still a whole lot of fun to watch.
Of course, there aren’t a lot of surprises here. The supporting characters tend to be stereotypical—from shallow beauty queen Rosie to tough girl Hannah (Bex Taylor-Klaus). And the story goes almost exactly as you’d expect.
Really, though, Rosie isn’t the only thing about the movie that feels shallow. The story merely seems to scratch the surface, skimming over the development of characters and their relationships, simplifying conflicts, breezing through resolution, and just generally gliding through. It’s a sweet story with likable characters, yet it will leave audiences wishing they could have a little bit more of everything.
With its cast of lovable misfits and its inspiring story, Dumplin’ is a fun, feel-good chick flick. But it’s simply missing the edge that would make it more than just a cute movie to watch with the girls on Friday night.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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