"I want to be thin.
If it takes dying to get there,
so be it."
4 Stars
If it takes dying to get there,
so be it."
4 Stars
A truly heartbreaking documentary that follows the lives of four women at the Renfew Rehab Center for treatment of eating disorders.
As I first got into this film I was looking for the painfully thin, horrific bodies. Ready to gasp and point out their jutting bones, and sunken cheeks. But instead, a scarier realisation of how close to death these women actually are, when they have to have their vital signs checked each morning. One woman has her finger tips squeezed to test her tissue and blood flow, and a pulse is searched out as well. These are the things you do when you're not sure someone's alive.
Surprisingly there weren't very many really, really skinny looking people like the twins they show on Access Hollywood when there are no other gossip stories. But the numbers on the scales were 84-91 pounds for each one.
One side I really didn't care for was the staff! They seemed to condescend to their patients, and at times, to me, seemed very insincere. Which I don't feel was any doing by the editing or director. They are just doing their job. Another patient, another problem, another mass of body to weigh and deal with. My opinion.
When the topic of eating disorders come up, I am instantly intrigued. How do they?
What was that first time like? What makes them keep doing it?
Are there any new tricks I haven't heard of yet?
Hey, I'm just asking.
I'm glad this film didn't deal with all of that. It just told their current story of their recovery as it stood right then. It also showed how living in an environment of women, can be hell. We know we can be mean, but put us in an extreme situation of pain and change, and we can get ugly to each other. I just happens.
A powerful scene in particular for me was that of Brittany and one of her therapists. She was asked to draw a realistic outline of her body. The therapist points out that it sort of looks like a stocky man. She then has Brittany stand in the drawing as she traces her true figure over Brittany's outline. It is far smaller in comparison, and Brittany proceeds to write on this canvas all her "problem" areas. With each label you could see how dire this situation is. For her and many other women, and men, this is a life or death issue. Give me thin, or give me death. It's that black and white for them.
After this I am so happy to be in the healthy grey area.
As I first got into this film I was looking for the painfully thin, horrific bodies. Ready to gasp and point out their jutting bones, and sunken cheeks. But instead, a scarier realisation of how close to death these women actually are, when they have to have their vital signs checked each morning. One woman has her finger tips squeezed to test her tissue and blood flow, and a pulse is searched out as well. These are the things you do when you're not sure someone's alive.
Surprisingly there weren't very many really, really skinny looking people like the twins they show on Access Hollywood when there are no other gossip stories. But the numbers on the scales were 84-91 pounds for each one.
One side I really didn't care for was the staff! They seemed to condescend to their patients, and at times, to me, seemed very insincere. Which I don't feel was any doing by the editing or director. They are just doing their job. Another patient, another problem, another mass of body to weigh and deal with. My opinion.
When the topic of eating disorders come up, I am instantly intrigued. How do they?
What was that first time like? What makes them keep doing it?
Are there any new tricks I haven't heard of yet?
Hey, I'm just asking.
I'm glad this film didn't deal with all of that. It just told their current story of their recovery as it stood right then. It also showed how living in an environment of women, can be hell. We know we can be mean, but put us in an extreme situation of pain and change, and we can get ugly to each other. I just happens.
A powerful scene in particular for me was that of Brittany and one of her therapists. She was asked to draw a realistic outline of her body. The therapist points out that it sort of looks like a stocky man. She then has Brittany stand in the drawing as she traces her true figure over Brittany's outline. It is far smaller in comparison, and Brittany proceeds to write on this canvas all her "problem" areas. With each label you could see how dire this situation is. For her and many other women, and men, this is a life or death issue. Give me thin, or give me death. It's that black and white for them.
After this I am so happy to be in the healthy grey area.
1 comments:
this movie was one of thee best documentary ive seen so far. i can see how they want to be thin so bad just like i do....but hey i kno i just gotta work what i got and as long as i still can i ain even tryna have an eating disorder....and like we both said we kno we look good big imagine how stunning wed look skinny and i think dats just mother natures way of evening things out right?...and fuck dieing just to be thin i love my life and imagine everyones without me in it who else will laugh at adares dumb jokes hahaha
Post a Comment