As the 2018 Netflix original movie “Dumplin” opens, the main character, Willowdean or Will (Danielle Macdonald), a southern plus-size teen, has just lost her Aunt Lucy to health problems. Lucy meant the world to Will, and now Will has to face her beauty queen mother, who wishes Will was pageant material. When Will finds a sign-up sheet for the pageant in Aunt Lucy’s box, she decides to sign up for the pageant with a few of her friends to mock and rebel against the pageant. As she gets farther into the competition, Will realizes that Lucy really wanted to win when she signed up for the pageant. So, Will stops mocking the pageant and tries to win for her aunt.
The movies talks a lot about self-acceptance and treating your body well no matter its shape or size. This movie is a good message for pre-teens, who care more about their outside appearance rather than what’s on the inside. We are getting more criticism for what we look like rather than how we treat others. It’s time we make more movies like “Dumplin’” with plus-size actresses, so we can spread body love to everyone and send the message that everyone is worthy of achieving their dreams no matter what is on the outside. I would definitely recommend this movie as a shared experience for those interested in feeling body love.