Fat Kid Rules the World | Movie review

Unassuming but exceedingly mild, actor Matthew Lillard’s directorial debut is based on a young-adult novel by K.L. Going. Ashamed of the title-touted avoirdupois, Troy (Jacob Wysocki, who played nearly the same role in last year’s Terri) begins the movie trying to throw himself in front of a bus. He’s saved by Marcus (Matt O’Leary), who soon invites his new friend to join him in starting a band. What Troy knows, but tries to deny, is that Marcus is a junkie, interested in putting together a concert only insofar as it might afford him access to cash or pills. Still, a bond of sorts emerges. Several factors mitigate the schmaltz: Troy’s widower father (Billy Campbell), who initially registers as a martinet, is shown to be credibly caring, and Troy’s crush on a girl isn’t requited in an unrealistic way. All that said, like the protagonist’s attempts at drumming, the movie has plenty of heart but not much vision.