Review by John Delia
Not all films about bulling hit the nail on the head, but Butter has the ingredients to reach out to the audience most affected by the social aggressors. Nicely acted, this heartfelt story shows even the intelligent and talented are subjects of the unkindness. Although seemingly targeted to the teen to twenties, parents of students should also take heed.
Having a tough time in High School, Marshall “Butter” (Alex Kersting) has faced challenges being bullied because of his obesity. He has friends that care about him, but other classmates are insulting with their comments about his weight. It has gotten to the point where he wants to do something about his being the brunt of jokes and he comes up with an idea. He posts on line that he will be eating himself to death on New Year’s Eve live on a webcast. The message goes viral among the students, but in a very quirky way.
“You think I eat a lot now? That’s nothing. Tune in New Year’s Eve, at Midnight, when I will stream a live webcast of my final meal. I can’t take another year in this fat suit. If you can stomach it, you’re invited to watch as I eat myself to death.” – Butter
Director Paul A. Kaufman, who also wrote the screenplay, does a fine job of bringing all the characters together with a good measure of realism. He develops his story by showing how Butter copes with his eating disorder, pushes a good side of the funny fun loving guy, and then creates a change in his peers that start to see through the danger they have created.
There’s not much more to say without ruining the story, so you’ll just have to watch it yourself. Butter has been rated PG-13 for mature thematic content involving suicide, crude sexual material, language, and drinking – all involving teens. You can watch Butter in theaters. Check your local listing starting February 25. I am rating this film 4 out of 5 stars for the target audience.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Alex Kersting, Mira Sorvino, Mykelti Willliamson, Brian Van Holt, Ravi Patel, Annabeth Gish, McKayley Miller, Jack Griffo, Adain Bradley, Natalie Valerin, Jake Austin Walker, Matthew Gold, Monte Markham and Jessie Rabideau
Directed and written by: Paul A. Kaufman
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic content involving suicide, crude sexual material, language, and drinking – all involving teens
Running Time: 1 hr. 60 minutes
Opening Date: February 25, 2022
Distributed by: Blue Fox Entertainment
Released in: Theaters