Fitting In is a 2023 Canadian coming-of-age comedy drama film written and directed by Molly McGlynn. It stars Maddie Ziegler, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Djouliet Amara, and Emily Hampshire. The film was titled Bloody Hell in its first showing at SXSW.[3][4] Several additional film festival showings were presented in 2023.[5] The film won the award for Best Canadian Film at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival. It was released in theatres in February 2024.
| Fitting In | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Molly McGlynn |
| Written by | Molly McGlynn |
| Produced by | Jennifer Weiss |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Nina Djacic |
| Edited by | Maureen Grant |
| Music by | Casey Manierka-Quaile |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Elevation Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 106 minutes[1] |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $87,320[2] |
Premise
editThe story centers around 16-year-old Lindy, who is diagnosed with a rare reproductive condition, MRKH syndrome. The diagnosis disrupts her understanding of womanhood and sexual identity, and throws her relationships with her new boyfriend, her friends at her new high school, and her mother into disarray.[6]
Cast
edit- Maddie Ziegler as Lindy
- Emily Hampshire as Rita
- Djouliet Amara as Vivian
- Ki Griffin as Jax
- D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Adam
- Dale Whibley as Chad
- Michael Therriault as Dr. Doheny
- Christian Rose as Greg
- Dennis Andres as Coach Mike
Production
editThe film is semi-autobiographical, as its creator, Molly McGlynn, was diagnosed with MRKH syndrome as a teenager.[7] In June 2022, the casting of Ziegler and Hampshire was announced.[7] Principal photography took place in Sudbury, Ontario, from May 30 to June 27, 2022.[8][9]
Release
editThe film premiered on March 13, 2023, under the title Bloody Hell, in the narrative spotlight section of the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas.[6]
Retitled Fitting In, the film was shown at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival[10] and the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival in Ontario, Canada, in September 2023,[11][12] and at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival[13] and the 2023 Calgary International Film Festival, both beginning that month.[14]
Blue Fox Entertainment distributed the film in the US,[15] with the theatrical release on February 2, 2024.[16] Elevation Pictures distributed the film in Canada,[7] with a release in theatres there also on February 2, 2024.[17]
The film is set to be released on digital platforms through The Movie Partnership starting September 9, 2024.[18]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 45 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Led by a Maddie Ziegler performance that's as funny as it is fearless, Fitting In takes a boldly provocative look at the assumptions and expectations surrounding modern femininity."[19]
After its premiere at SXSW, Marco Vito Oddo, writing for Collider, Sage Dunlap in The Daily Texan, Laura Bradley in The Daily Beast, Dennis Harvey in Variety and Stephen Saito in The Moveable Fest praised Ziegler's performance and the message of the film.[3][4][6] In September 2023, Marya E. Gates in RogerEbert.com did the same.[20]
Fitting In was a nominee for Best Direction in a Feature Film at the 2023 Directors Guild of Canada awards[21] and won the award for Best Canadian Film at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival.[13]
Awards
edit| Award / Film Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Screen Awards | 2024 | Best Art Direction/Production Design | Thea Hollatz | Nominated | [22] |
| Best Casting in a Film | Jason Knight, John Buchan | Nominated | |||
| Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Feature Film | Fitting In | Nominated | [23] |
| Outstanding Performance by an Actor | Maddie Ziegler | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Fitting In (15)". British Board of Film Classification. August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Fitting In (2023)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Oddo, Marco Vito. "Bloody Hell Review: Maddie Ziegler Struggles with Womanhood in Coming-of-Age Story", Collider, March 14, 2023; and Dunlap, Sage. "Bloody Hell empowers with unique coming-of-age story", The Daily Texan, March 16, 2023
- ^ a b Bradley, Laura. "Maddie Ziegler's SXSW 'Traumedy' Bloody Hell Is Brilliant – With a Period Twist", The Daily Beast, March 18, 2023
- ^ Levack, Chandler. "TIFF 2023: The bold risks and bloody rewards of Canada’s Molly McGlynn", The Globe and Mail, September 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c Harvey, Dennis. "Bloody Hell Review: A Teen Sex Comedy Thrown a Curveball by Mother Nature", Variety, March 14, 2023; and Saito, Stephen. "SXSW 2023 Review: A Dire Prognosis Opens Up Emotional Floodgates in Molly McGlynn’s Bloody Hell", The Moveable Fest,·March 14, 2023
- ^ a b c Goldbart, Max (June 7, 2022). "Maddie Ziegler & Schitt's Creek Star Emily Hampshire to Lead 'Bloody Hell', Coming-of-Age "Traumedy" from Mary Goes Round Director Molly McGlynn". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ Staff (June 8, 2022). "Bloody Hell Molly McGlynn". Northernstars.ca. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ "In Production". Ontario Creates. May 20, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ O'Connell, Sean. "Maddie Ziegler’s Bold Sexual Comedy Fitting In Brims with Heart and Pain, But How's Her Acting?", Cinema Blend, September 10, 2023
- ^ Hazelton, John. "TIFF sets Centrepiece line-up of international cinema", Screen Daily, August 10, 2023
- ^ "Sudbury-shot 'traumedy' to be a Cinefest special presentation", The Sudbury Star, July 27, 2023
- ^ a b Gee, Dana. "Vancouver International Film Festival announces winners of this year's Canadian film awards", Vancouver Sun, October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Calgary International Film Festival adds new competition to 2023". LiveWire Calgary. August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Blue Fox Entertainment: Full Catalogue", The Film Catalogue. Retrieved October 24, 2023
- ^ Delgado, Sara. "Watch Maddie Ziegler in the Official Trailer for Indie Film Fitting In", TeenVogue, December 21, 2023
- ^ "New Releases: Coming Soon", Elevation Pictures. Retrieved October 24, 2023
- ^ Azad, Navid Nikkhah (August 16, 2024). "Molly McGlynn's Fitting In set for September digital release". Ziz news. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ "Fitting In". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Gates, Marya E. "TIFF 2023: Seagrass, Fitting In, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person", RogerEbert.com, September 11, 2023
- ^ Mirza, Taimur Sikander. "Women Talking leads film nominees for 2023 DGC Awards", Playback, September 20, 2023.
- ^ "BlackBerry Leads CSA Nominations". Northern Stars, March 6, 2024.
- ^ "The Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards", Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION), retrieved July 6, 2024
External links
edit- Fitting In at IMDb
- Official US trailer (2023)
- Official Canadian trailer (2023)