New Netflix movie Dumplin' is the plus-size moment we needed

15 November 2018, 14:45

Jazmin Duribe

By Jazmin Duribe

A movie we can really sink our teeth in to.

Netflix dropped the trailer for new movie Dumplin' and everyone's talking about it. Taken from Julie Murphy's best-selling book of the same title, the feel-good flick stars Hollywood royalty Jennifer Aniston, Disney starlet Dove Cameron and American Horror Story actress Danielle MacDonald. Dumplin' will also feature new music from country legend Dolly Parton.

The film follows Willowdean – nicknamed Dumplin (Danielle Macdonald) by her mother – a plus-size teen and daughter of a former beauty queen (Jennifer Aniston). She's always in the shadow of her near-perfect mother, who is a local celebrity in their small Texas town, so she decides to do something radical. Dumplin signs up for her mum's pageant in protest and soon other unconventional contestants begin to sign up too, changing the pageant world forever.

Willowdean on stage
Dumplin' is coming to Netflix in December. Picture: Netflix

There's some echoes of Insatiable in there, but this seems to be the body positive statement Netflix missed the mark on. Remember that whole messy situation? Insatiable rightly received a lot of backlash for its plot about an overweight girl who gets thin and "beautiful" after spending three months with her jaw wired shut.

The show was branded "toxic" for perpetuating fatphobic views and for finding comedy in what was ultimately body-shaming. Although the actors and creators claimed they were addressing the issue of body-shaming, they clearly didn't know the difference. More than 200,000 people signed a petition calling for Netflix to cancel its release, but it still went ahead and was renewed for a second season.

Dumplin already has the potential to be so much better than that. We want to see stories that show plus size people living their best lives and being treated like any other slimmer person would. And with an actual plus size lead and not a thin actress in a fat suit Dumplin is already more progressive.

via GIPHY

Some online are saying Dumplin is what they needed after that whole Insatiable mess.

Dumplin' will be launching on Netflix on December 7 but people want it NOW.

Will you be watching? Tweet us @popbuzz and let us know!