Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer) knows what it’s like to be average in a world of the genetically blessed. After falling off an exercise bike and banging her head, she believes a spell has suddenly made her gorgeous. Except to everyone else, she looks exactly the same. Renee’s new confidence suddenly sees her climbing the ranks at the cosmetics company she works for, getting the respect of her idol and boss, Avery LeClaire (Michelle Williams). Ultimately Renee realizes ‘the spell’ has lifted, but through the process learns true beauty is not skin deep.
I Feel Pretty is a 2018 American comedy film written and directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein. The film stars Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel, Aidy Bryant, Busy Philipps, Tom Hopper, Naomi Campbell, and Lauren Hutton. The plot involves an insecure woman who, after suffering a head injury, gains extreme self-confidence in her appearance.
The film was released in the United States on April 20, 2018, by STXfilms, and ultimately grossed over $94 million worldwide. It received mixed reviews from critics, with some saying it did not fully commit to its premise or tone, although the performances of both Schumer and Williams were praised.
About the Story
Renee Bennett struggles with low self-esteem and manages the website for cosmetics firm Lily LeClaire. She decides not to apply for a receptionist position at the corporate headquarters, her dream job, after reading the job description’s emphasis on being beautiful. She wishes at a fountain to be beautiful and the next day she falls, hitting her head. Waking up with the belief that her appearance has magically changed, Renee approaches the world with newfound confidence.
When a man named Ethan speaks to her innocuously, she insists that they exchange numbers. She applies for the receptionist position and is hired by CEO Avery LeClaire. Renee asks Ethan out and enters a “bikini body” contest. She wins over the crowd but loses the competition, and tells Ethan that she doesn’t need external validation to know she’s beautiful. Ethan praises her self-knowledge, and she appreciates his openness over not yet knowing himself. They meet again for a picnic, after which they spend the night together.
Renee earns her coworkers’ respect with her insight into the company’s new diffusion line. Avery confides in Renee her insecurity over her high-pitched voice, feeling she is not taken seriously. Avery invites Renee and Ethan to a dinner meeting with her brother Grant and their grandmother, company founder Lily LeClaire. Renee builds rapport with Lily, and Avery invites Renee to an important business meeting in Boston to give a key presentation.
Renee becomes superficial in her treatment of people. She is judgmental of LeClaire visitors who are not fashionable or glamorous, and ditches her friends Vivian and Jane to attend an exclusive party with her coworkers. In Boston she nearly gives in to Grant’s romantic overtures, avoiding a kiss when she receives a message from Ethan. She locks herself in the bathroom to avoid Grant, and while questioning her sense of self and her recent behavior, she suffers a new head injury in a fall in the shower. When she awakens, she perceives her real physical appearance.
Devastated, she leaves the hotel alone for New York, missing the presentation. She isolates herself in her apartment, avoiding Ethan and Avery’s calls, binge-drinking, and eating junk food. Drunk and miserable, she turns up at her friends’ apartment and apologizes for her behaviour. They reject her apology. Assuming Ethan will no longer be attracted to her, she breaks up with him over the phone, moments after speaking to him in person believing he does not recognize her.
Ethan is brokenhearted by Renee’s rejection, blaming himself for having come on too strong. Renee tries but fails to recreate her original injury that she believes made her beautiful. She encounters her beautiful acquaintance, Mallory, who is devastated over being dumped. Mallory says she suffers from low self-esteem and feels people assume her beauty means she is unintelligent.
I Feel Pretty (2018)
Directed by: Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein
Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel, Aidy Bryant, Busy Phillips, Tom Hopper, Naomi Campbell, Lauren Hutton, Sarah Elizabeth Mitchell, Sarah Fischer, Kayla Caulfield
Screenplay by: Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein
Production Design by: William O. Hunter
Film Editing by: Tia Nolan
Costume Design by: Debra McGuire
Set Decoration by: Bridget Keefe
Art Direction by: Elena Albanese
Distributed by: STX Entertainment
Release Date: June 29, 2018
Visits: 31
