With self-love, beauty pageants and a soundtrack by Dolly Parton, Dumplin’ is a feel-good romp which will have you crying both happy and sad tears.
Being plus size and the daughter of a former beauty queen are two things that appear to be at odds. Early on in Dumplin‘, protagonist Willowdean Dickson’s thin best friend is assumed to be her mother’s daughter — purely on the basis that there’s no way Rosie Dickson (Jennifer Aniston) could have a fat child.
This scene, comic and excruciating at the same time, sets the tone for Dumplin’ (from The Proposal director Anne Fletcher). Will is happy with who she is and how she looks. It’s everyone else that needs to catch up. Including her mother. Her confidence (and love for Dolly Parton, which is the foundation block for the film) comes from her recently deceased Aunt Lucy, who has had a profound influence on Will’s life.
After the passing of her aunt, she learns to deal with her grief, connect with her mother and a compete in a pageant on a journey to become the person she really is. Throw in some fabulous drag queens (hello, Ginger Minj) and a minor love-story subplot, and Dumplin’ shapes up to be a truly delightful story about body positivity and the importance of self love.
Beauty pageants are a bizarre concept to Willowdean, seen as events steeped in patriarchy, encouraging women to be judged on their appearance and poise than their intelligence or actions. Cinema has made a fair go at putting them on-screen, with titles like Drop Dead Gorgeous, Miss Congeniality, Little Miss Sunshine to name a few. Instead of deep diving into critiquing the nature of beauty pageants, Dumplin’ focuses more on its characters and their developments, and it’s a better film for this.
Though I’m still very much on Hannah’s side (“hey hey ho ho / this patriarchy’s got to go”), choosing for Ellen and Will to actually compete seriously in the pageant instead of attempting to ruin it felt far more authentic to their characters and the narrative. There is still a critique of the way in which women are objectified — notably the notion of fatness vs. idealistic female body types — but it’s far more subtle.
Naturally, Dolly Parton runs like a vein throughout the film, pumping out a fantastic soundtrack that reiterates the need for these young women to start loving themselves the way they are. Dumplin’ could not exist without Dolly Parton, and it’s hard to imagine any other female singer guiding us through Will’s narrative. At times she is a stand-in for the absent Aunt Lucy, and at others, she’s the advice that Will desperately needs. Between Dolly, the Magic 8 ball, and drag queen Lee, Will comes out on top form.
As well as the theme of body positivity, Dumplin’ also explores the relationship between Will and her mother Rosie. Aniston and McDonald as mother and daughter are a wonderful duo on-screen, alike enough in their determination, but complete opposites in their opinions and worldview. You might just find yourself sobbing multiple times throughout the film.
Though the story may not be particularly original, and there certainly seems like there is more opportunity for comedic moments that the film doesn’t make use of, Dumplin’ is radical in its treatment of its fat characters. Will’s insecurities come from what other people think about her (the nickname is just the start), rather than a desire to change how she looks. She doesn’t diet and nor is she encouraged to by anyone who cares for her.
She has insecurities about her potential relationship with Bo, not because she doesn’t think she’s worthy, but because of what other people will think. Will and Millie, a second fat main character, both have personalities and motivations that have nothing to do with their fatness. It’s radical enough to have two fat women on-screen together.
It’s even more so to have their main character traits not be that they are fat.
The real message of Dumplin’ come straight from the mouth of another famous drag queen: “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love anybody else?” Instead of focusing on the love story between Will and Beau, Dumplin’ makes it abundantly clear that Will needs to learn who she is and be that person (on purpose) before she can accept love from someone else. It’s a lesson worth learning, and Dumplin’ is a film well worth your time. Just make sure you have tissues.