The Anne Bancroft 90th Birthday Celebration Blogathon – Fatso (1980)

This review is part of the The Anne Bancroft Blogathon being run by Crystal of In The Good Old Days of Hollywood.

“[pointing at the plate of food] Didn’t you learn anything from Salvatore? 39, the man was! 39 years old and he’s dead, dead, dead, Dom, and that killed him! ” – Frankie

Number of Times Seen – 1 (17 Sep 2021)

Brief Synopsis – A 40 year old obese man tries to look at life differently when his 39 year old cousin unexpectedly dies.

My Take on it – This is a film that I recall hearing about years ago yet never really had any desire to see what it was all about.

This blogathon gave me the perfect opportunity to check it out since not only does Anne Bancroft co-star in the film, but she also wrote and directed it.

Dom Deluise is a great actor and this is a perfect casting for him in the title role.

We can get an understanding about the various aspects of his way of life that scare him following this unexpected death in the family.

He tries really hard to take a hold of his self control yet constantly loses his grip on it.

Once he finally finds a woman who he likes and reciprocates feelings towards him, things get easier to deal with because of his boost in his self esteem.

The story plays out well and allows the viewer to see how life changes can happen that can alter the way one looks at their life.

Bancroft does a wonderful job as Deluise’s sister who does her best to help him find a healthier way of life.

Her character may be erratic at certain points, but the fact that she has good intentions is what helps make her an even stronger character to watch.

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – On this film, Brianne Murphy became the first female cinematographer to shoot a major studio, union picture. (From IMDB)

Rating – BAFTA Worthy (6/10)