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Dennis is a likeable but lily-livered loser who abandoned his pregnant fiancee at the wedding ceremony and now -- five years too late -- regrets it. Lovely Libby looks hotter than ever these days, whenever he comes to take their son for a (disastrous) outing. He'd love to win her back. His friends discourage the idea.
"You left her at the altar, pregnant," one reminds him.
"But that was ages ago," whines Dennis.
- Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Dylan Moran.
- Rating: PG-13 for some rude and sexual humor, nudity, language and smoking.
- Web site: 'Run, Fat Boy, Run'
"Women remember that stuff," says the pal.
The new Simon Pegg comedy, "Run, Fat Boy, Run," has its moments. But Pegg, like the movie, has an uphill struggle.
As Dennis, he's just a lowly security guard, running down shoplifters at a ladies lingerie store. His rent is way overdue. Even worse for his ego, Libby (Thandie Newton) has taken up with an insufferably rich American fitness freak (Hank Azaria), whom she plans to marry.
To win her back, Dennis must prove himself mature, responsible and disciplined enough to complete something he starts. How better to do that than to run -- and beat his smug rival Whit -- in the London Marathon?
Ah, but he has to find a nonprofit charity to sponsor him in the race. It's late, and all the charities have been snapped up -- except for The National Erectile Dysfunction Awareness campaign.
Funny scenes include Dennis in his tight running trunks, complaining about "a bit of a rash down in the Scrotal Zone," and a gym sequence with naked Whit parading in front of Dennis during a lengthy conversation about Libby.
Unfunny scenes include a truly disgusting pustule-popping gag involving a gigantic boil on Dennis' foot.
Pegg and Thandie are OK, but the film's most wonderful presence is that of his Indian landlord-and-coach, the obese Mr. Ghoshdashtidar, who wields a mean spatula during Dennis training sessions. Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (I can't get enough of that name) is hilariously played by Harish Patel -- a distinguished actor famous for stage performances of Pinter and Ioensco plays, not to mention the Indian version of "Seven-Year Itch"!
This is the directorial debut of David Schwimmer (of "Friends" fame), who juggles the sitcom cliches as well as the predictable script allows. Look for the synthetic sincerity to kick in whenever the schmaltzy music does.
And what's the deal with the bad title? Pegg is anything but overweight. As his character puts it at one point, "I'm not fat, I'm unfit!"
Even so, the comic loneliness of this long-distance runner (and Schwimmer) provides a modicum of adolescent fun.
