shorthand fat

So, I'm watching this movie and it is quickly established that one of the lead characters is fat. Fine, no problem with that. Then, it is also quickly seen that this is him in the past, and now he's thin. As the movie progresses, it pretty clearly establishest that his weight was a physical manifestation of his emotional problems and now that he's moved past it, he's thin. Its all very "mature" rather than the vacantness of, say, Amercian Sweethearts.

I find it just as offensive.

In the first place, its lazy filmmaking. They are using fat as shorthand for emotional problems. It almost doesn't need to be said that his fat is a reflection of some psychological damage, but they say it anyway. As if everything in life can be easily explained through psycho-babble. Which really isn't the point of the film at all, except about fat.

Now, I might be okay with this if it was an occassional portrayal of fat characters, but this is it. This is the only portrayal, and that makes it a reflection of bigotry. Fat people are so narrowly defined on film that it becomes easy for people to see in such a one-dimensional manner. Hell, just watch Oprah or Dr. Phil. Fatness is regarded as an easy question. Clearly, we've got emotional problems. After all, the movies said so. Its insulting, and it is frustrating, because this is damn near IT.

Not much else to say. Just wanted to vent as yet another movie uses my body as shorthand.