It was hard for me to watch Fat Kid Rules the World.
Not because I didn't like it. In fact, I think this is an especially good directorial debut for Matt Lillard and a must-see for kids in middle school and high school. It's a sensitive, quirky, often hilarious and yet still poignant look at two young outcasts who have given up on the world – one to the point that he may throw himself in front of a bus to end it all – before finding strength in family and true friendship.
What made it hard to watch is that, figuratively, I was once the fat kid. And now my own middle schooler tells me he is that same kid. Again figuratively. Neither of us are actually fat. But I, like the lead character here, was largely ignored and struggled to be "seen" in high school and my son often tells me he just doesn't fit in either. And so, sitting with protagonist Troy Billings as he eats his way through his loneliness, squeezes into too small T-shirts, and yearns to belong was painfully resonant for me.
Even so, I am glad I remained in my seat. Because watching Troy transform from a hugely overweight online gamer who is forever on the outside looking in on the fishbowl that is high school into a still-big-but-increasingly-confident kid on the verge of belonging was hugely reassuring and moving.
Shot in Seattle, the film is based on K.L. Going's popular young-adult novel of the same name. It's the story of a friendless loner with a severe weight problem who has come, as we enter the film, to the point of wanting to end it all.
Just as he's about to make that wish come true, an equally lost but more charismatic musician named Marcus saves him. From there the two form an unlikely friendship and a more unlikely punk rock band – especially given Troy's decided lack of musicianship.
At first, Marcus merely uses Troy for a quick buck and a place to stash his belongings. I'll add here that, as a mom, it was difficult to watch Marcus dangling the carrot of friendship (and a professional music gig) in front of Troy's nose in exchange for material comforts – and to watch Troy bite. But it quickly becomes clear that Troy, as he points out in the film, is "fat, not stupid." He knows he's being used and has is own reasons for playing along. One of those reasons is that he understands that Marcus, popular as he is, is alone too.
During a screening this week at the Seattle International Film Festival, Director Matt Lillard told the audience he hopes his film will transform lives – just as reading Koing's book transformed his.
"The book blew me away," Lillard says on the film's donation page at Kickstarter.com. "It was funny and true, and it told the story of a lost kid – alienated and alone – who finds his purpose in life through the magic of punk rock music. The book rocked my world. It spoke to me in a deep way because I had been my own version of Troy Billings in high school. I was lost and an outcast and didn't really fit in anywhere until I found acting, which pretty much changed my life forever.
"After I read the book I knew I had to tell this story," Lillard continues. "I made this movie for everyone who has ever felt like they just didn't belong – the misfits, the outcasts, the kids that are lost."
Lillard has decided to bypass Hollywood distribution offers and says he will instead work though youth-oriented channels and with teens themselves to get the film into theaters. He's using Kickstarter.com to raise money to spread the word. To learn more, go to the film's website: https://fatkidrulesthemovie.com/
Fat Kid is not only Troy's story, it is also the story of families torn by death or trauma. Troy's mother has died, which presumably has influenced his girth. His father is a retired military man with a love of discipline and order. And yet, some of the most poignant moments in the film are between this father and son, each giving the other room for grief and growth. The lesson? Sometimes parents have to let go of their own ideals and worries and trust a child's instinct. Sometimes kids need to let go of their fight for independence and trust a parent's instinct. It goes both ways. A parent is not always right. Neither is a teen.
There are many reasons to watch this film. But chief among them is the performance offered by Jacob Wysocki in the role of Troy. Wysocki's Troy is beyond believable. He's real – played with subtle power and an inner strength that propels the film and character forward. You feel Troy's pain as mightily as you feel his joy – especially in the scene where he goes to his first punk concert. It is like watching a paralyzed boy stand up and walk, or in this case slam dance. You also feel his normal teenage hormones at play – moms should be prepared for quite a few scenes with Troy trying to peek up a skirt, down a blouse or fantasizing in lab class.
If you are like me, you will see yourself in high school in this film. Or maybe you'll feel more compassionate about your own kid's experience. Either way, there is wisdom in knowing already what Troy is just beginning to find out in Fat Kid Rules the World: life gets better.
Fat Kid Rules the World is screening in the region as part of the Seattle International Film Festival and it's Futurewave pathway. Futurewave includes films of interest to youth. The final festival screening for this film will take place:
This film is recommended for kids ages 12 and up.
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May 28 at 6 p.m. at Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Avenue Everett, WA 98201
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Cheryl Murfin is a Seattle freelance writer.
