'Brittany Runs A Marathon' A Review

Brittany Runs A Marathon is a dramedy about Brittany(Jillian Bell) a twenty-something New Yorker struggling with her identity and ambitions. The film opens on Brittany waking up in the afternoon out of it and then late for work at the box office a small theater, that night she parties with her friends and acquiesces to a compromising situation. The next day she goes to a doctor to attempt to get an adderall prescription but instead is warned about her BMI. She begins running, makes new friends, changes jobs, and slowly takes control of her circumstances with the express goal of running the NYC marathon.

After years of consistently wonderful supporting characters Bell is finally given a lead role which she sinks her teeth into, conveying some incredible, at times heartbreaking, pathos without sacrificing a degree of her humor. In fact her comedic ability serves to bolster the emotional vulnerability of the character. The supporting cast is all wonderful but it is Brittany and her journey which, justly, take center stage. Michaela Watkins as Catherine Brittany's running friend is always a treat to see and the two have great chemistry, see this years Sword of Trust, and Lil Rel Howery as Demetrius Brittany's brother-in-law and defacto stepdad is also a delight. The real standout both in performance and screen time is Utkarsh Ambudkar as Jern Brittany's man-child love interest who is introduced as a vapid douche but quickly gains some compelling dimension.

Shot in a not-always-successful hand-held on-the-go style Brittany Runs A Marathon looks more like gritty mumblecore than feel-good dramedy, but it works. It brings us into Brittany's world which isn't always totally comfortable and confronts the audience with challenging situations which it's humor belies. The narrative isn't perfect, not a surprise for a freshman effort from writer/director Paul Downs Colaizzo, but it's flaws either add to it or are ultimately forgivable given the authenticity and honesty, the humor and the intensity which are achieved.

More drama than comedy, a poignant look at a person finding their path.

See It.