So the other night the whole family sat down and watched Heavyweights, a 1995 Disney movie about fat camp. Now, I know what you're thinking, but this movie is actually high-quality family fare. It's written by Judd Apatow of Freaks and Geeks and 40-year-Old Virgin fame, and Ben Stiller appears as what is essentially a younger version of the character he played in Dodgeball. It also features that adorable actress who was the computer geek on and main reason to tune in to the late lamented (by me anyway) VIP. (What can I say, Kate Jackson was my favorite Angel, too). Yeah, it's got some typical family-movie cheese--is the outcome of the big race against the evil camp at the end ever in doubt? But, overall, it's one of those rare movies that the whole family can actually enjoy. (Anybody who's seen it--when Josh is telling Pirkis that his name is "Seymour Butts", that's obviously a dubbed-in line replacing what he actually says. I realize that the set of people who a) read this blog and b) have seen Heavyweights and c) are skilled lip-readers is probably the null set, but what do you think he really says there?)
My only big problem with this movie and with movies of its ilk is this: they always feature a hot girl who sees below the surface and appreciates the fat and/or dorky guy for who he really is. But, I mean, why is it always the girl doing the personal growth heavy lifting in these movies? Why can't the fat guy ever stop pining after the hot girl and fall in love with a girl who's slightly funny-looking? I suppose if you look at a picture of Judd Apatow, you'll find your answer as to why he wrote a movie in which the funny-looking guy bags a hottie.
I mean, a funny-looking guy getting a hot woman is certainly an appealing fantasy and, in my case, a delightful reality, but maybe some funny-looking women need to start writing movies about how the hot guy looks below the surface and falls for the fat girl. I'm just saying.
Since I have only the Encore movie channels (your home for the latest 2004 releases!), I just caught Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. I went in skeptical, figuring that this was a movie for young stoners, of which I am neither, and was pleasantly surprised to find what may be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Suzanne and I were both laughing so loud I thought we might wake the kids, and the whole next day we kept bursting into giggles and turning to each other and saying stuff like "Why is Neal Patrick Harris so horny?" Really a hilarious movie and worth a rent or a tivo the next time it rolls around on Encore, which will probably be about ten minutes from now.
