Being a fan of Simon Pegg's ever since Shaun of the Dead (and subsequently Spaced and Hot Fuzz), I was eager to see this movie, even though it wasn't directed by Pegg's usual collaborator, Edgar Wright, nor does it feature his frequent cast mate, Nick Frost. It starred Pegg, promised to be a comedy and that was good enough for me.
Pegg stars as Dennis, a hapless soul, who (despite the title), isn't really fat, just out of shape. The movie opens with him running away from his own wedding, leaving his pregnant bride-to-be (Newton) practically at the altar. Flash forward a few years and Dennis is depressed, living alone, and filled with regret over his actions on that day. His ex, Libby, has moved on. She's dating a successful American; Whit, played by Hank Azaria. Although Dennis gets to spend time with his son, Libby has custody. In a fit of competitiveness with Whit, Dennis states his intention to run in a marathon. Eventually this turns into something more, where completing the marathon becomes symbolic of Dennis's attempt to get his own life back in order. If he can just finish the race, he hopes, then he will prove to everyone, including himself, that he can commit to and finish something worthwhile in his life.
Unlike Pegg's other work and the more typical style of British humor, this movie has heart on top of the laughs. This is probably due to American director, David Schwimmer (yes, of Friends) and American screenwriter Michael Ian Black of the State Comedy Troupe and about a bazillion VH1 tribute shows. American comedies, and I don't mean this as a criticism per se, do tend more towards sentimentality. They tend to have sympathetic lead characters, which isn't always true of British comedies. In any case, the mood works here, which helps because the laughs in this one aren't really of the fall down laughing kind, although there are a few such moments, many of them supplied by Dennis's best friend played by Dylan Moran.
Once I became accustomed to this change of comedy styles for Pegg, I found that I enjoyed this movie a lot. I imagine it will do only small business over here in theaters, where Pegg isn't nearly so famous. But even if you don't get a chance to see this one in the theaters, give it a chance when it comes out on DVD. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
