Willodine is the daughter of a former Miss Revert participating in the beauty contest Teen Bluebonnet. Willodine seems to be overweight, but the ups and downs of events are on the way when other contestants walk in her footsteps. That story seems to take another turn when Wildwood is famous in Texas.
On its surface, Dumplin' is a slight, charming comedy about beauty pageants and learning to be yourself, but watch closely enough and you might see some of the new moves it brings to an otherwise predictable routine.
As it proceeds through a series of teary reconciliations in the last half-hour of its 110-minute run time, the film's didactic drama begins to grate, its treacly emotions feeling increasingly unearned.
Maybe we're just going have to endure well-meaning but preachy-tiresome movies like "Dumplin'" until it simply becomes normal for an obese person to appear on screen without being defined entirely in terms of weight.
Film Festival Today
December 06, 2018
The film may have its occasional narrative flaws, yet ultimately emerges as a fulfilling feel-good story with the happiest of vibes.