Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Fatso Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 30, 2019

Already established as an actress with incredible range and taste in quality material, Anne Bancroft was searching for a change of pace in the late 1970s, trying to tap into her own family history and deep psychology with the screenplay for “Fatso.” Instead of giving the writing away, Bancroft elected to take her position as the director of the project, making her debut behind the camera (joined by the first female cinematographer for a studio project, Brianne Murphy) with the 1980 effort. “Fatso” means well enough, with Bancroft striving to understand the root of overeating and the casual denial of obvious medical concerns, and she brings in Dom DeLuise for a proper acting challenge, gifting the notorious ham a chance to show off his dramatic side and test his romantic leading man skills. The problem here isn’t professional achievements, but tone, as Bancroft spends the entire endeavor swinging from cartoon comedy to profound confrontations of self, ending up with a picture that’s exhausting to watch, never achieving any of the ambitious goals its sets for itself.

After experiencing the loss of his beloved, and morbidly obese, cousin, Dominick (Dom DeLuise) realizes that his life as an overweight man is following the same fate, unable to stop eating as he goes about his day. His sister, Antoinette (Anne Bancroft), is determined to get him help, pushing her brother to seek medical advice with weight loss, while a family friend suggests time with the Chubby Checkers, a sponsor program. Dominick isn’t sure what he’s capable of, growing despondent with his life, fearing that “fat people die young.” However, the clouds clear when he finds Lydia (Candice Azzara), a shy woman who has plenty in common with Dominick, inspiring him to find love and a sense of self-worth, confronting the bad behavior he’s been dealing with since birth.

Bancroft makes her most potent points about Dominick during the main titles of “Fatso.” She details his upbringing inside a feverish Italian- American household, with any signs of distress rewarded with food, from his mother’s breast as an infant to the consoling sweetness of a cannoli as a boy. Such programming carries into adulthood, with the story beginning at the funeral of Dominick’s cousin, who’s passed away at the age of 39, freaking everyone out. Dominick deals with grief in the kitchen while his family remains by the casket, gobbling bread and sauce in private, enjoying the comfort of snacking. “Fatso” offers almost everything about the character in the first 15 minutes, with Bancroft offering complete psychological clarity that should rightfully carry throughout the rest of the movie. Sadly, she doesn’t follow through on the promise, soon muddying dramatic waters by turning the material into a comedic direction, watching as Dominick deals with his issues through semi-slapstick scenes.

Tonality is a big problem for “Fatso,” which offers a frustrating viewing experience that’s not always respectful to the subject matter. Dominick is a stressed-out man, dealing with aggressive family members (Bancroft gives herself license to go absurdly broad as Antoinette) and his growing awareness of potential health problems. His impulse control is also decimated, jumping to bread whenever he encounters trouble. However, Bancroft delays his confrontation of poor impulse control for most of the film, instead sending the character through episodic encounters with weight loss professionals, including a smoking doctor who puts Dominick on a kale diet, and there’s the Chubby Checkers, a 12-step-like organization that’s meant to provide comfort through sponsorship, but Dominick inspires a feeding frenzy with helpers instead. There’s even a jokey scene where Dominick wakes his brother (Ron Carey) with a toy gun (soon graduating to a knife), demanding the frightened man open chained-locked cupboards, soon completing the job with raw strength.

Fatso Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Making its Blu-ray debut, "Fatso" arrives with an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. It's an older scan of the movie, offering more muted colors, which competes with the production's use of softer cinematography. Primaries are adequate but not robust, exploring neighborhood visits with numerous signage, and livelier interior decoration. Costuming is also bigger with hues, managing period wear adequately. Skintones are on the bloodless side, but remain in the realm of natural. Detail isn't ideal, with softness generally leading the way, finding most interesting textures with close-ups of food and actors. Delineation isn't challenged, but frame information isn't threatened. Source is in satisfactory shape, with a few lengthy scratches and mild speckling.

Fatso Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix captures the essentials of the "Fatso" track, handling dialogue exchanges with clarity, securing strong emphasis and emotional outbursts, along with group activity. Scoring is comfortable, with appealing instrumentation as music ranges from emotional moods to more manic scenes of unraveling. Crowd atmospherics with store visits and a street fair sequence are passable. Hiss is present throughout the listening event.

Fatso Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Looking Back on 'Fatso'" (12:20, HD) is a dual interview with producers Mel Brooks and Stuart Cornfeld. Brooks takes the lead here, detailing Anne Bancroft's initial interest in changing creative avenues, getting into screenwriting and participating in the AFI Director's Program, inspiring her to take an idea for "Fatso" and develop it into a feature film. Brooks, interested in helping his spouse, offered her the distinction of being the first Brooksfilm production. The writer/director's imagination is examined, with Bancroft trying to focus on the psychology of the material, using her own background to flesh out the family life depicted in the picture. Cornfeld recalls his semi-panic with his first producing job, suddenly in charge of a NYC shoot. The men share praise for Bancroft and her demand to work with Brianne Murphy, a female cinematographer. Individual creative achievements are lauded, the effort's tonality is praised, and Brooks shares the advice he gave Bancroft before she began her helming journey. A brief assessment of the movie's beloved status with Italian-American families closes out the featurette.

• Interview (26:14, HD) with film historian Maya Montanez Smukler is a very professorial recap of the history of female directors in Hollywood, tracing industry denial from the silent era to the 1970s, where things gradually began to change. Talk of "Fatso" arrives around the 14:00 mark, with Smukler an obvious fan of the picture, praising its screenplay and performances. More interesting is talk of the professional breakthroughs found in "Fatso," including Murphy's hiring, and Brooks's personal support of his wife and female talent in the DGA.

• Image Gallery (2:01) contains poster art and film stills.

• Press Kit (2:45) offers scanned pages from the 20th Century Fox media folder.

• And a Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Fatso Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's very strange to have "Fatso" slip into sitcom-y situations, removing the reality from the work. Once Lydia joins the plot, Bancroft tries out some romantic comedy moves as well, but such lightness eventually slams into heaviness when Dominick finally confronts the man he is, dealing with mother issues and a lack of confidence. Bancroft assembles a talented cast, and DeLuise does a fantastic job in the titular role, dipping into darkness and pain to help provide layers to Dominick. It's Bancroft who doesn't know what she wants from "Fatso," trying to make something sweet and sensitive while dealing with abyssal areas of pain and self-loathing. It's a valiant attempt to confront the nuances of obesity, but there's no focus here to secure messages of love and worth.