Comedy and marathons don’t typically go together. And yet writer/director Paul Downs Colaizzo and actress Jillian Bell (“22 Jump Street”) will blend these two seemingly contradictory elements in the upcoming film “Brittany Runs A Marathon.”
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The film is the directorial debut for award-winning playwright Colaizzo and stars Bell as Brittany Forgler, a New Yorker who loves to party. However, after a trip to the doctor forces Brittany to face reality, she decides to embark on a new path. The film follows Brittany as she tries to take control of her own life, one step at a time.
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While this film may sound fairly predictable (just based on the title, we can guess where Brittany will end up), yet “Brittany Runs A Marathon” may contain more than the basic premise implies. For one thing, the film captivated audiences at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, taking home the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic. Following this stupendous debut, Amazon Studios acquired the film for a staggering $14 million, indicating the film’s crowd-pleasing potential.
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Furthermore, initial reviews praise Bell’s authentic performance and the way the film mixes heart-warming inspiration with entertainment (check out our full review of “Brittany Runs A Marathon” here). Balancing jokes and sincerity may be the film’s most endearing element, showing Bell’s capacity for both comedy and drama.
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Finally, while a marathon may be a largely independent effort, Bell is not alone in this film. She is surrounded by a great supporting cast, including Michaela Watkins (“Casual”), Utkarsh Ambudkar (“The Mindy Project”) and Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out”). After its Sundance debut and the deal with Amazon Studios, “Brittany Runs A Marathon” is off to a good start. However, marathons are about endurance – we will see if the film can keep up the pace.
The film will jog into theaters on August 23.
