Recommended film: The Heat

[firecat]

The Heat is a buddy cop movie set in Boston starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. I thought it was really funny, and the humor does not rely on fat jokes (McCarthy is fat), fat stereotypes, sexual assault or harrassment.[1] There are some jokes based on appearance, and a lot of jokes based on class.

Normally I wouldn't see this type of movie in the theater but I did because wanted to reward the producers for making a film of this type that stars women.

There are spoilers in the comments.

[1]ETA: Add "against women". There were jokes about sexual harrassment of men.

Comments

Lack of fat stereotyping

[firecat]

There is one fat joke early in the film, where McCarthy's character can't get out of her car because it's hemmed in by other cars.

McCarthy's character is shown eating once early in the film. I started to get annoyed until I saw that she was eating a bell pepper.

She brushes off a couple of guys she slept with who are sad that she didn't call them afterward. She kisses one of them.

Re: Lack of fat stereotyping

[cheshyre]

FYI/FWIW, the one she kisses is the actress's RL husband.

[Also, my husband's aunt played Tatiana's mother, who had one brief but memorable scene.]

Re: Lack of fat stereotyping

[firecat]

How cool!

Re: Lack of fat stereotyping

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I'd argue that the "can't get out of the car" thing is a parking joke, not a fat joke. I didn't get a sense that her awkwardness in climbing out of her window, then into the window of the car next to her was supposed to be related to her being fat, but just that it's really hard and annoying to do for ANYBODY. It's definitely slapstick-like physical comedy, but I don't think it would have been filmed differently if Sandra Bullock was the subject of the scene. Her door barely opens two inches -- even Twiggy wouldn't have been able to get out of that car.

Would it have PLAYED differently, or been received differently if the person climbing out of the window wasn't fat? I don't know. I think I would have enjoyed it the same, but I can't speak for any other audience.

Re: Lack of fat stereotyping

[firecat]

I agree it is primarily a parking joke. But people like me who are ultrasensitive to fat jokes might see it that way, too.