Dumplin': Book vs. Movie Analysis

Hi guys! Jessica here. The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived...Dumplin' is officially available on Netflix, and it seems to be getting rave reviews everywhere! So I finally popped some popcorn, put on a face mask, and sat down to check it out for myself. It's been a few years since I read the book, but I just read Puddin' this year, so I'm definitely a bit refreshed. So without further ado, let's get into my analysis!

I thought the movie was spectacular, and I'll definitely be recommending it to everyone I know. I decided to sit down with my roommates and watch it together for a girls night last week, and neither of them are big YA readers, nor have they heard about the story before, so I knew what I was getting into, but they didn't so it was extra exciting to see them fall in love with the story as well. And let me tell you, the story we got was excellent. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me swoon, it made me cheer, and it made me sing lots and lots of Dolly Parton. If you're looking for a feel-good movie where you can snuggle up with some popcorn and enjoy a nice hour and a half to yourself, this is definitely the type of movie for you.

Looking back, I think that this adaptation was not only a wonderful, hilarious, empowering story, but I also believe that it gave the book the justice it deserves. When I saw Julie Murphy in the ending scene (with the REAL Dolly Parton, no less!) I was smiling so big that my cheeks hurt, and my heart felt all warm and fuzzy inside. I love being a part of this YA community where all of these incredible books are becoming movies that not only do non-readers love, but there's also that special added bonus of being "in the know" as a reader of so many of these books. Those little Easter eggs make everything all the more special.

So those were some of my thoughts about the new Dumplin' movie! As always, I encourage all of you to read the book if you haven't already, even if you already saw the movie, because you never know what details are added or left out during adaptations that might make or break your experience! But overall, I thought that this was such a wonderful, body-positive movie that just gave me the warm fuzzies all over and I already can't wait to get all of my roommates addicted to it as well.

Here were some things that you had to say when we asked your opinion!

It was so good. I love seeing a happy fat girl doing her thing, getting the guy, and being awesome.

— Chloe (@theelvenqueen) December 9, 2018

Loved it! Loved seeing body positivity and fat positivity and THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FRIENDS was more important than the guy liking her etc and it was just wholesome and pure and beautiful tho needed to have more POC but was brilliant representation!!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/yLHkzi6Ahf

— The Book Guru (@juwithemad) December 9, 2018

I loved it so much more than I expected to. I really enjoyed the book, but actually seeing someone who in some way represented me was so powerful!

— Cerys ♡ (@mcgonagalI) December 9, 2018

Those were my thoughts on the movie, but what were yours? Leave some comments down below and share your thoughts!