Brittany Runs a Marathon

There’s a promising early moment when Brittany Runs a Marathon reveals it won’t be set entirely in the lovable NYC borough of Indieville. The titular Brittany (played by Jillian Bell, still flirting with fame as a curvy comedic talent) is quick to bring up “fat-shaming” after her doctor politely explains there might be other alternatives to Adderall for her various health problems. Most scripts would follow up by celebrating a realistic Twitter tantrum from the outraged young loser. Brittany, however, is inspired to try and change her life by taking up running. Her lighthearted personal journey involves a few too many painful clichés, including ditching her role as the fat friend who makes an Instagram influencer look good. It’s also kind of irritating how Brittany consistently finds rich people to help her through some tough spots. The film still dares to let Brittany disappoint the audience a few times – and pays off by cramming in all the good parts of what could’ve felt like a really irritating six-episode series on HBO.

[R]