// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did "The Fat Boy Chronicles" say to the diet? You're always weighing on my mind.
| The Fat Boy Chronicles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jason Winn |
| Written by | Michael Buchanan Diane Lang |
| Based on | The Fat Boy Chronicles by Michael Buchanan and Diane Lang |
| Produced by | Jackson Giles Savvy Lorestani J. Todd Smith |
| Starring | Christopher Rivera, Kelly Washington, Cole Carson, Chris Bert, Ron Lester |
| Cinematography | Jeremy Osbern |
| Edited by | Nathan Courtney Jason Marraccini |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Phase 4 Films[3] |
Release date |
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Running time | 78 minutes[3] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Fat Boy Chronicles is a 2010 American independent drama film directed by Jason Winn and starring Christopher Rivera, Kelly Washington, Chris Bert, Cole Carson, and Ron Lester. It follows Jimmy Winterpock, an obese high school freshman who deals with bullying while trying to lose weight. The film is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Michael Buchanan and Diane Lang,[1][4] which was inspired by the true story of an obese ninth grader in Cincinnati, Ohio.[5]
The film premiered in November 2010 and was released on DVD by Phase 4 Films in January 2012.[2][3] It was screened widely for students, parents, and educators as an anti-bullying resource, drew the endorsement of Georgia's state school superintendent, and later became available on Netflix.[1][5][6] It received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
[edit source]Jimmy Winterpock, a high school freshman who weighs 188 lb (85 kg) at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) tall, is constantly teased by the football team for being overweight. For a school assignment from his English teacher, Mrs. Pope, he writes about his experiences in a journal. Jimmy befriends a girl, Sable Moore, whom he learns cuts herself, and the two begin attending church together. At the suggestion of his best friend, Paul Grove, Jimmy starts jogging with his father, setting a goal of losing 38 lb (17 kg).
Paul convinces Jimmy to sneak out to a party. After Paul's father commits suicide, Paul runs away and is injured in an accident in Colorado. Meanwhile, Jimmy tutors Robb Thuman, the captain of the high school football team. As Jimmy and Robb become friendly, Robb tells his teammates to stop harassing Jimmy.
Cast
[edit source]- Christopher Rivera as Jimmy Winterpock, a teenage boy who is often depressed outside of home and church and tries to lose weight
- Chris Bert as Paul Grove, Jimmy's best friend, a troubled teenager with an alcoholic father, who struggles to find meaning in his life
- Kelly Washington as Sable Moore, Jimmy's love interest and later girlfriend, who cuts herself as a coping mechanism
- Cole Carson as Robb Thuman, a high school quarterback who bullies Jimmy at first but changes his attitude after a few tutoring sessions with him
- Bill Murphey as Greg Winterpock, Jimmy's father, who is also somewhat overweight
- Sylvia Castro Galan as Marianne Winterpock, Jimmy's mother
- Alli Sleek as Jessica Winterpock, Jimmy's sister
- Ron Lester as Dr. Jeffords, Jimmy's doctor
- Benjamin Davis as Nate Hammer, a teenager who has bullied Jimmy since middle school
- Robert Pralgo as Mr. Grove, Paul's father
- Sarah Cooper as Mrs. Pope, Jimmy's high school English teacher, who assigns Jimmy to write three half pages a day in his journal
- Erin Áine as Whitney Elliot, a cheerleader and member of the popular crowd who pretends to be Jimmy's friend while acting as a bully
- Jacob Boyd as Allen Zuckerman, another victim of bullying at Jimmy's school, who becomes Jimmy's friend after they discover they ride the same bus
Production
[edit source]Screenwriters Michael Buchanan and Diane Lang met while chaperoning a high school trip to Honduras and first collaborated on the novel Micah's Child.[1] Both taught at Chattahoochee High School in the Atlanta suburbs, where Buchanan finished a 31-year career teaching math in Georgia and Lang taught English.[1] The idea for The Fat Boy Chronicles came from a teenage boy who approached the authors at a book signing in 2006 and suggested they write about his experiences as an overweight student who had been bullied at school.[1] According to the authors, the story was inspired by an obese ninth grader in Cincinnati, Ohio.[5] The novel, told through the journal entries of its ninth-grade narrator, was published in 2009.[1][7][4]
The father of one of Buchanan's former students helped the authors launch the production company Tin Roof Films, which produced the film.[1] The film was shot over a six-week period in Newnan, Georgia, with school scenes filmed at Newnan High School.[1][7] Cheerleaders from Chattahoochee High School appeared as the cheerleaders in the film, and Buchanan plays a science teacher.[1]
Release
[edit source]The Fat Boy Chronicles premiered on November 21, 2010,[2] and won a festival prize for best feature film that year.[8] Phase 4 Films released the film on DVD on January 3, 2012.[2][3] It later became available on Netflix.[5][6]
Following the DVD release, the film was screened for thousands of students, parents, teachers, doctors, and school administrators in Georgia and around the country, with the showings often followed by group discussions about bullying and healthy living.[1] Georgia state school superintendent John Barge endorsed the film and the novel, encouraged schools to use them in classwork and anti-bullying programs, and said, "I really think [this movie] will save lives".[1]
Reception
[edit source]Reviewing the film for Common Sense Media, Renee Longstreet described it as an "earnest but flawed teen film about obesity and bullying".[2] She praised Rivera's likable performance and the empathy his character generates, but wrote that subplots involving self-harm, parental alcoholism, an unsolved murder, and a suicide were underdeveloped, singling out the murder subplot as poorly conceived.[2] Mike Gencarelli of MediaMikes rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising Rivera's performance and the importance of the film's message while also finding the murder subplot out of place.[3] The Dove Foundation awarded the film its Family-Approved Seal for ages 12 and over.[9] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that reactions at school screenings were mixed, with some viewers finding the film disjointed but valuing the conversations about bullying that it prompted.[1]
References
[edit source]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Oliviero, Helena (February 9, 2012). "'Fat Boy Chronicles' inspires teen to tackle weight". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Longstreet, Renee. "The Fat Boy Chronicles Movie Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gencarelli, Mike (February 7, 2012). "DVD Review "The Fat Boy Chronicles"". MediaMikes. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
- 1 2 Buchanan, Michael; Lang, Diane (2010). The Fat Boy Chronicles. Sleeping Bear Press. ISBN 978-1-58536-543-2.
- 1 2 3 4 "About the book, movie and authors". journal.thefatboychronicles.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- 1 2 "The Fat Boy Chronicles". Netflix.com. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 1 2 "The Fat Boy Chronicles Brings Bullying and Obesity to Big Screen". WABE. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
- ↑ "The Fat Boy Chronicles". TV Guide. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
- ↑ "The Fat Boy Chronicles". Dove.org. The Dove Foundation. Retrieved July 30, 2026.