Fitting In (2023)

Movie Name/Year: Fitting In (2023)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Length: 1h 45min
Rating: R
Director: Molly McGlynn
Writers: Molly McGlynn
Actors: Maddie Ziegler, Emily Hampshire, Djouliet Amara, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Ki Griffin

Blurb: In this coming-of-age drama, 16 year-old Lindy's life plans are thrown off course when she is diagnosed with a life changing reproductive condition.

D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (ADAM) and Maddie Ziegler (LINDY)

Cat’s Point of View:
I was not prepared for Fitting In.

There were more tears from connecting to this movie on such an uncomfortable level than the last film that we watched that was also raw with emotion and a narrative full of relatable personal trauma.

Writer and director Molly McGlynn (Mary Goes Round, Bless This Mess, Grown-ish) really hit the nail on the head when she dubbed the genre of her film as a 'traumedy' during an interview. The combination of trauma and comedy does help the dramatic narrative with all of its bleak emotional damage go over a little smoother. In spite of the laughs I did have, it still felt heavy. Though, I attribute that to how I related to this story.

Emily Hampshire as RITA

I don't know exactly what it feels like to get the MRKH diagnosis, of course – but I do know how it feels to get heavy medical news where it feels like the world shifts under your feet without warning. My multiple sclerosis diagnosis felt like that. It felt like someone had just tried that 'magic trick' where someone rips a table cloth off of a table but leaves all the dishes and whatnot still on top... but in my case, all the dishes came off with the fabric – like if I tried to attempt that trick untrained. My world rocked and future plans just seemed out of reach with question marks everywhere.

It's heartening, though, that this particular condition (MRKH) has such a wonderful advocate as McGlynn. Fitting In was as educational as it was entertaining. That was a fine line that I think was handled deftly.

Molly McGlynn

Of course McGlynn had a phenomenal cast to help deliver this heart-wrenching and heart-warming story. Maddie Ziegler (Spirit Riding Free, The Fallout, West Side Story) has really shown here that she is so much more than dance, which was her initial vehicle into the public eye. I also loved Djouliet Amara (Seance, Honey Girls, The Big Door Prize) as Viv the best friend. Emily Hampshire (The Rig, Self Reliance, Humane) also did a remarkable job playing the mom. There were so many great performances here.

I can tell you that Fitting In will be sticking with me, and was so much more than a teen drama. It's absolutely worth checking out if dramatic comedies are even slightly in your cinematic wheelhouse.

Fitting In released on digital platforms today, September 9th, 2024. To find an up-to-date list of where you can watch, you can click here.

Maddie Ziegler (LINDY) and Ki Griffin (JAX)

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 96%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 65%
Metascore – 68%
Metacritic User Score – 7.3/10
IMDB Score – 6.2/10

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5

P.S. - This film was intended to raise awareness for reproductive conditions such as MRKH in addition to its entertainment value. The production team for Fitting In supports the MRKH Connect foundation and provided us the following information with the opportunity to review this movie for you:

“MRKH Connect is the UK registered charity for MRKH Syndrome founded in 2014. Our mission is to connect those with MRKH together so that no one feels alone, wherever they are in the world, whilst also providing a safe space to share experiences through peer led events, collaborative community initiatives as well as research and resources to improve the services available to MRKHers and their family and friends. Find out more about MRKH Connect - www.mrkhconnect.org “

Movie Trailer: