Run, Fat Boy, Run is American Urban Professionalism trampled under British Pub Culture

Run, Fat Boy, Run is an amusing British chick flick with some recognizable American characters and themes. The film is well directed by David Schwimmer from Friends who proves more than capable of delivering a steady stream of laughs without imposing any signature style.

This movie delighted audiences in Toronto last weekend, March 28 opening night, but it was shown here first in the Toronto International Film Festival back in September 2007. Why has this taken so long to come to the big screen? The movie industry is very competitive and strategists picked last weekend for its North American release... and almost no press.

Run, Fat Boy, Run its a nicely balanced three act story about a lovable idiot named Dennis, (Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), who abandons his fiancé Libby, (Thandie Newton) at the altar. Run, Fat Boy, Run exposes the pain every man feels when they lose the respect of the woman they love.

Simon Pegg shares a writing credit and has certainly brought some of his own humor to the project. His character, Dennis always hopes to win Libby back, but the quest becomes a high priority when Whit, a rich investment banker from Chicago (Hank Azaria) starts playing father to his nine year old son and spending nights with Libby.

Unfortunately for Dennis, Whit is an all-around swell guy; he’s rich, successful and athletic. He makes a real big deal about the fact that he’s about to run the Nike River Run Marathon. When Libby says to Dennis, "you've never finished anything in your life", it stings and this seems to be enough to push this slightly overweight man to the very limits of his physical abilities. Remember in good story telling its not when, or what happens, so much as its why something happens - Dennis runs the race because it's so much more, on so many levels and he absolutely has to finish, all twenty six miles, even if it kills him.

Consistently funny stuff with some truly memorable moments, this film contains an easily digested message about commitment-phobia.