Recently my sister and I were looking for an entertaining movie to watch. We were having major issues settling on something when I flipped over to Amazon Prime Video. Enter: Brittany Runs a Marathon.
I had actually scrolled past it but my sister called out, “go back, play the trailer for that,” and we were instantly sold. We were laughing from the trailer alone. The laugher continued throughout the movie, as did the happy tears. The quick explanation on Wikipedia is, “The film follows an overweight woman in New York City who sets out to lose weight and train for the city’s annual marathon.” (link here).
This movie was one hundred percent up my alley, watching someone transform their life from messy, depressing, and empty to a life of triumph, joy, health, and success. I love watching people find themselves and let go of the stories they have always believed to be true.
So much of our lives are based on the running narrative in our heads. Whether it is a limiting false belief we have formed or a negative comment someone made that we have since clung to, we need to start rewriting our stories, something that Brittany does throughout the movie.
Initially Brittany is overweight, lost, underemployed, and struggling to keep up with her friends who seem to have a lot more going for themselves. She is deep in the partying lifestyle, hiding behind alcohol (who hasn’t?)
When she is forced with the reality she needs to change her life, she starts small, as we all should. Given advice from someone she loathes, she sets the small goal of running a block.
As her running skills grow, so does her confidence, a healthier friend group (something we all need to succeed), and the changes start falling into place one after another.
That’s not to say there aren’t any plot twists and setbacks, the movie is based on a true story after all, and life does not move in a linear fashion. As someone who feels deeply from tv, movies, and books, I finished the movie feeling like I could take on the world. Even now a couple of weeks later, I’m inspired and want to rewatch, maybe while on my treadmill.
If you have Amazon Prime and are looking for a fun, easy watch that just might inspire you to make a few changes, this movie is it!
Martinis and Meltdowns 