Since I don't delve too deep into the issues of internet webbery, I tend not to be abreast of the social and political problems that the anonymity of the World Wide W has to offer. Saying that I do know of the fat acceptance movement through my partner's love of watching shows about overweight people on youtube and the "commentators" who like to shame them. This is the future that the movie Heavyweights was striving to stay away from. A future of fat-shaming and a distinct lack of intelligence when dealing with obesity is like the Skynet of this movie's world. In turn, this makes the movie Heavyweights the fat camp version of The Terminator. Don't believe me? Well, they never do, until its too late. Heavyweights come from the mid-nineties where cocaine skinny was in, and being an obese child was only because you were lazy and useless. It had nothing to do with the fact that your parents couldn't be bothered to feed you anything but sugary foods and take-out. This Disney made movie tells the story of Gerry, a twelve-year-old who is overweight. He gets picked on, shamed, laughed at, and straight out bullied by everyone he knows. His parents, who have finally had enough of his fat kid lifestyle, have decided to send him to Camp Hope, a summer camp for the obese. Although unhappy about the whole situation, Gerry soon learns that Camp Hope may actually be a bit of a summer reprieve from the constant bullying. All the kids there are like him, and even the counsellours are more about having fun than losing weight. The Bushkins, who own the camp, are a nice older couple who care more about fun a safety than anything else. All of this changes when the couple announces that they have sold the camp to Ben Stiller's character, Tony, who is a fitness guru who was once fat. With his strict regime, hatred of children, and straight out neglection of human rights issues, he instantly turns Camp Hope into Camp Help....cause they need help...get it. The movie itself checks all the boxes when it comes to fat-shaming. Gerry can't run, throw, make skinny friends, socialize or even go a few minutes without food. The other kids at the camp are the same, and they have all snuck in cookies and candy to snack on. After all, according to society, that's what fat kids do. This is all highlighted at the moment where Gerry's whole bunk licks the melted chocolate off of the belly of their friend because they are too fat to resist melted chocolate. Oh, the obese, with their inability to resist even the grossest and sweatiest of snacks. Hilarious. If that's not enough for you, Heavyweights also checks off all the summer camp tropes. Well, except for one. Gerry has no teen love interest, which was actually kind of refreshing. Yes, I know this is a kid's movies and their twelve, but that has never stopped Disney from showing some budding romances. After all that though, the movie still ends up having a message about believing in yourself, which is good. Although this message is attached to the idea that overweight kids are at fault for their weight since they are too uncool to just stop eating and be healthy. Where the movie works completely is in its cast. All the kids, which is surprising for a '90s movies are quite good, and some are really funny. The story has them act their age, so nothing seems out of place. The villain played amazingly by a younger Ben Stiller chews the scenery with the best of them, being both a more realistic bully and a cartoonish villain. All the other side characters work pretty well and just add to the quality of the young cast. I can't fault mid-nineties Disney for making a movie for a different demographic, although this does kind of stink of a "let's make a movie for fat kids" board room decision. Heavyweights may have a lot of faults but the movie itself is redeemed by a fun cast and an overarching good message. I doubt a movie like this could be made today with the number of fat jokes and shame in it. But you never know, the winds of change are blowing through our social lives. We might go back to hating the obese again. Anyways back to watching "Can Fat Teens Hunt?"
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