When my friend invited me to watch “I Feel Pretty,” I agreed easily. The name sounded fun and I immediately started singing the classic “West Side Story” song of the same name. Stand-up comedy never appealed to me and I never followed Amy Schumer. However, if you haven’t seen “I Feel Pretty” because you’re off-put by Schumer, read this review to find out if it’s worth your penny. When I asked for a ticket to “I Feel Pretty,” I couldn’t help but smile and say, “Because I do feel pretty.”
In the movie, Schumer plays a woman named Renee who lives in New York City. Renee hits her head in a spin class only to wake up with self-confidence that’s larger than life. You see, before this “accident,” Renee did not see herself as beautiful, sexy or confident. The stores that she wants clothes from don’t carry her size, the guys on dating apps don’t hit on her profile picture and no perfect stranger has called her beautiful at a coffee shop. Renee tries and tries to feel beautiful. She reads all the latest fashion magazines, follows beauty bloggers on YouTube, works for her dream makeup company Lily LeClair, but doesn’t have her dream job of being a receptionist of that company. Some might roll their eyes at a girl who only dreams of being the first face visitors see when they walk into an office, but hold on till the end.
To me, this movie is real. Okay, the whole “hit your head and become pretty” thing is not real, but everyone feels insecure sometimes; that feeling is real and honest and portrayed spot-on in this movie. From doubting yourself on a first date to being judged at the gym for the way you look — we all have experienced that. The beauty of the movie is that for the entirety of the movie, Renee’s physical appearance never changes. The only thing that changes is her attitude toward herself. It’s not her body that gets a makeover, it’s her mind. Her eyes get a new sparkle, her smile is unmissable and her style is more vibrant. She feels fearlessly pretty from within and that innate confidence flips Renee’s world upside down.
This is truly a feel-good movie and it seems that there aren’t a lot of those anymore. Not many films nowadays address the topics of self-confidence and body positivity. Of course there’s also romance, hilarious one-liners, good music and a happy ending. I came out of this movie feeling wonderfully pretty, and I know you will too.
