Dumplin’ takes Netflix by storm

Netflix’s recent movie release, Dumplin’, stars Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald in one of the best feel-good movies of the year. With some big name performers and a really easy-to-connect-to plot, this movie will leave viewers feeling hopeful and happy.

          Rosie Dickson(Aniston), is a former beauty queen and she is nothing short of a legend in her small Texas town. She becomes the director of the very pageant in which she competed, where the winner is crowned as Miss Teen Bluebonnet. The beauty pageant is one of the most important events of the year, where about two-dozen teens compete in various competitions, including formal wear, swimsuit wear, and talent.

     Most of the girls who try out for the pageant are typical “beauty queens” – tall, blonde, tiny, and tan. Willowdean Dickson, Rosie Dickson’s daughter(Macdonald), does not fit the normal pageant-girl mold.

            Clearly she is beautiful even if she is atypical; she is plus size, something she feels her mother has never been able to love about her. However, Willowdean is able to join together with her friends, and prove to her mother that she is just as beautiful and talented as any other girl, by doing the one thing her mother never expected her to do.

      Overall, the film was extremely enjoyable to watch. The acting was amazing and all of the actors and actresses seemed to have great chemistry with one another. Apart from the acting, though, the movie has such a good message to send to teenage girls all across the country. One who is tall, thin, and blonde is just as beautiful as one who is short, brunette, and plus-size. All body types should be accepted – and what is on the inside is much more important than physical appearance.

     Dumplin’ incorporates many different characters, including drag queens, to relay the message that no one person is better than anyone else. Additionally, there is also an underlying message regarding relationships with friends and family, and how important it is to keep these relationships strong in times of hurt or challenges. The bond between mother and daughter is present throughout the entire film, and only grows stronger until the end of the movie.

    Dumplin’ scored a 6.8/10 on IMBd and an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.