Dumplin'

The glum preachiness that characterizes so many stories of outsiders isn't found in Dumplin'. Directed by Anne Fletcher, this is a lively, good-natured dramatic comedy concerning the often abrasive relationship between a practical plus-size teenager (Danielle Macdonald) and her beauty-queen mother (Jennifer Aniston) who has never left the pageant milieu behind.

Although fantasy rears its head now and then, the troubles they encounter -- which go far beyond opposing physical appearances -- are firmly grounded in realism, mirroring the challenges and opportunities that come to everyone in search of who they are.

Set in a small, tidy town in east Texas (with actors who deliver impressively accurate accents of the region), the heroine is Willowdean Dickson (Australian Danielle Macdonald, in a role similar to the valiant young rapper she plays in 2017's Patti Cakes$), who has just entered high school. She's a competent kid, secure in herself thanks to being raised by her radiant plus-size Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley), who shares an exuberance for life and fondness of Dolly Parton with her adoring niece.

The two live with Willowdean's mom (and Lucy's sister) Rosie (Aniston), whose dominance of the town's legendary beauty competition in 1991 leads her to rule the Miss Teen Bluebonnet ceremony since then. Organizing, instructing, coaching, and ensuring traditions are followed takes up all of Rosie's time; she leaves child-rearing to her sister and hardly knows Willowdean.

That's OK with the kid until Lucy suddenly dies, and Willowdean and her mother are forced to sort out how to get along. Cool politeness turns into resentment when Rosie shouts out Willowdean's nickname -- Dumplin' -- in front of her new high school classmates. How embarrassing!

The incident, along with Rosie's fawning over the beautiful girls about to compete for the title of Miss Teen Bluebonnet, riles Willowdean to take a rebellious stand: She intends to enter too.

"I don't fit in your world -- I get it," she tells her mother, who is obviously conflicted over her daughter's lack of beauty-queen characteristics and the need to show parental support. "It's harder to be heavy," Rosie retorts, which makes Willowdean even more determined -- not to win, but to ruin the pageant by exposing its discrimination against girls like her.

Except that it doesn't discriminate against girls like her.

A finely tuned cast -- including Odeya Rush as Willowdean's bestest friend Ellen, Maddie Baillio as optimistic fellow plus-sizer Millie, nonbinary classmate Hannah (Bex Taylor-Klaus), and Luke Benward as the cute prep-school cook at the diner where Willowdean works (although you never see her eating) -- along with a bubbly soundtrack of Dolly Parton songs staged with enthusiasm at a nearby drag-queen bar -- turn what could have been a strident 110-minute lecture into an upbeat tale of self-discovery.

There's some clunky dialogue and scenes that border on fantastical. But those who expect mean girls to oppose Willowdean's quest for equal opportunity will be stunned to encounter open-mindedness instead.

"Find out who you are, and do it on purpose" is a famous Dolly Parton quote. That's what Dumplin' is all about.

MovieStyle on 12/28/2018