Run Fat Boy Run

Dennis (Simon Pegg), a clothing store security guard who abandoned his pregnant bride-to-be Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar, looks to win back her heart five years later. His mission to win her back is complicated by a new boyfriend, an arrogant businessman (Hank Azaria) who runs marathons for charity on the side. In order to impress Libby and their son, Dennis pledges to run a marathon, too, with only a few weeks to train. I like Pegg a lot, but the feature film directing debut of David Schwimmer can’t get over its ridiculously stupid and contrived premise. It’s saddled with hackneyed, predictable characters (especially Azaria), and their presence distracts from any of the good Pegg is doing. With that said, Schwimmer does show a gift for directing some of the comedy bits, and I think he could be a decent director with a better script. In other words, even though the film isn’t all that good, it’s decent work for a first timer.