PicoZ

Before Brittany was a runner, she was a party girl who loved to stay up late, drink and eat goodness knows what and dabble in drugs most doctors would frown on. After a reality check from a concerned physician, Brittany decides to reshape her life with something she normally would never do: run. With the help of a neighbor (Michaela Watkins) she used to hate and a fellow out-of-shape-getting-into-shape running buddy (Micah Stock), Brittany learns to take care of herself and the people that matter to her. 

Beyond obvious training montages and scenes of those painful first steps into a fitness routine, it’s apparent that Brittany has more to work on than just her high blood pressure. Her struggles are similar to that of many other millennials: she’s a rainy day away from going broke, making do with the low-paying gig economy, her roommate situation is less-than-ideal and romance eludes her on dating apps. Any one of the issues would have been enough dramatic tension for her to deal with, but when coupled with her extreme health makeover and a tragic backstory, it lends this comedy some authenticity. Because she’s coping with so much, Brittany’s self-defenses are always on guard, ready to lash out at those trying to help her. She can even get cruel or selfish, which are not characteristics you usually see in feel-good sports movies. She’s who you want to cheer for, but her tendency for self-sabotage threatens her progress, her friendships and the audience’s connection to her. 

Thankfully, Bell and writer and director Paul Downs Colaizzo empathize with their main character’s struggles, giving her room to be messy and imperfect but also a chance for redemption. Downs Colaizzo based Brittney on a close friend of his yet doesn’t spare his cinematic version of her from a few less-than-stellar moments. It’s perhaps the reason why the film feels less like some guy’s fabrication of what it’s like for a woman to go through what Brittany experiences. Bell’s performance balances her character from being too earnest or too hard on herself and really gets at the insecurity she feels about her athletic abilities, her financial situation and her personal life. She can be bubbly or bitter, determined or defeated. Bell shows off a range that many of her previous roles never gave her. In much of the same way seasoned runners make a marathon look easy, Bell makes leading this comedy look effortless.  

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