After Jacob Wysocki‘s shining performance in the title role of Terri, Azazel Jacobs’ story of an overweight loner’s unlikely friendship with his principal, he is back in similar shoes for his follow-up. Fat Kid Rules the World is a film made from the heart for sure, but at times ambivalent as to its perspective, a tad cruel, a tad crude and a tad sweet, it’s slightly messy. But this is a film going for the “it’s not messy, it’s punk rock, baby!” aesthetic.
Fat Kid marks the directorial debut from actor Matthew Lillard, who knows a thing or two about high school (although apparently not the details of a real high school, as this suffers from one of the same problems She’s All That had – casting actors well into their 20’s). Wysocki is again an overweight loner, here named Troy, who again forms an unlikely friendship with Marcus (Matt O’Leary) in a less subtle way than in Terri. Troy has fantasies about dying, either being killed or committing suicide and when he attempts to do so Marcus runs and tackles him away from an oncoming city bus.
Marcus is a junky with a good reason to runaway; his stepfather (Russell Hodgkinson) threatens inappropriate actions and he is not simply a lame guy, but a violent drunk that reads TV Guide cover to cover. Marcus, whose had many positions in many bands befriends Troy under the gaze of starting a new band,. Alhough Troy, with no creed and a background as a drummer in marching band, makes up for what he lacks in formal training with punk rock anger.
Troy also has some parental baggage although the cold but loving support of his father (Billy Campbell), a former marine trying to keep the family together, buys Troy a legit drum kit. The band, as well as the characters, are as Marcus says “not political – just angry”. We’ve seen this story play out elsewhere, the outcast coming into his own via an unlikely friendship, the tropes are common and the music (by Mike David McCready of Pearl Jam) is fine. The movie is what it is, where it falters is the construction of its arcs, as many similar scenes are previously captured in far superior films of this subgenre, without the emotional satisfaction of several profound moments within.
The performances are all very strong; in essence everyone is playing their part. If you remember back to SLC Punk (referenced by Lillard as the film he’s most proud of for its impact on a generation), there is a character that lauds Lillard for also having to put on a uniform and play a role to be punk rock. Based on the novel by K.L. Going, Fat Kid Rules the World does what it does well, but cannot overcome its uneven tone and more immature moments (including close-ups of thongs and wet t-shirts), which diminish the impact of its more endearing scenes.