Right off the bat, Dumplin’ does not sound original – it really doesn’t – I also never read Julie Murphy’s book, but if like me you’ve seen the trailer and the director’s, Anne Fletcher, The Proposal, or even Step Up you might think “O.K.” Maybe Jennifer Aniston (Marley), Danielle Macdonald, Odeya Rush (Goosebumps, The Giver), or Bex Taylor-Klaus (13 Reasons Why, Arrow) convinced you.

Premise: Willowdean (‘Dumplin’) Dickson, the plus-size teenage daughter of a former beauty queen, signs up for her mom’s Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.

Review: This movie captivates, your attention is held throughout, first by the work done by Anne Fletcher but then quickly by the cast, and particularly the lead. Danielle Macdonald is very good, she makes it all look effortless while making this quite run-of-the-mill feel-good story fresh. I was looking at her amazed, thinking that she was brand new but later finding out that I saw her work in Unbelievable on Netflix. I didn’t recognize her, I’m even surprised to find out that she was an Aussie.

Seeing how I’m rambling about this actress, should tell you a few things about the movie. The story is a bit trash, it has its moments – the female friendship angle, the part about how being touched in certain places can make you feel – but it’s the kind of script that would make anyone believe that they can do it too. The cast does a great job at elevating the material, and the movie ends up being something that will make your face ache some of the smiling you’ll be doing throughout.

Dumplin’ is not too deep or insightful but it has a solid cast and manages to stir away from some of the stereotypical tropes we’ve seen in previous movies like this.

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