Wayfarer Studios and American High have consistently been providing quality teen entertainment in the past few years. From Five Feet Apart and Clouds for the former and Crush and Plan B for the latter, I was excited to see both logos pop up at the beginning of Empire Waist. Luckily, I was not disappointed, as the film proves a welcome addition to both companies’ catalog of films.
What Is ‘Empire Waist’ About?
Empire Waist follows Lenore (Mia Kaplan), a teen girl who’s essentially invisible at school — and likes it that way. Bigger than most of her classmates, she’s a prime target for bullies like mean girl Sylvie (Isabella Pisacane). Instead of attempting to make friends, Lenore plays it safe and embraces her loner status, avoiding eye contact and spending all of her time sketching outfits. Her home life isn’t the easiest either. While her quirky dad (Rainn Wilson) is supportive, her mom (Missi Pyle) constantly works out and goes on intense diets, putting pressure on Lenore to do the same.
Lenore’s life changes, however, when she’s paired up with Kayla (Jemima Yevu) for a class project. Though Kayla’s also plus-sized, she has no interest in hiding anything about herself. Confident and charismatic, Kayla eventually gets Lenore out of her shell, even encouraging her to enter a competitive fashion design showcase. The two enlist the school outcasts as models, including the queer and disabled Marcy (Daisy Washington), shy and petite Diamond (Kassandra Tellez), and trans tall girl Tina (Holly McDowell). Though they’re a diverse group, they all have one thing in common: They can’t seem to find any clothes they like that fit them. Lenore is able to make her new friends feel empowered with the outfits she makes, and in the process, she slowly starts to gain some self-esteem, too.
‘Empire Waist’ Captures the Nuances of Fatphobia
As someone who’s been fat and struggled with body image my entire life, Empire Waist hit me hard. The scene where Lenore has to stand on the scale during her physical disturbed me more than a lot of horror movies — there’s a specific trauma tied to that experience to which many will sadly be able to relate. The line about a nutritionist telling Lenore that a single slice of pizza is an entire serving cut just as deep. Though they’re meant to help, these kinds of interactions with doctors can cause lasting mental harm, especially for impressionable teen girls. Kaplan gives a touching and raw performance, gamely digging deep and diving into these hard, sensitive insecurities. She will break your heart over and over again as she talks about feeling disgusting and undeserving of nice things.
Empire Waist adds another excellent layer by focusing on Lenore’s complicated relationship with her mother. It would be easy to paint her mom as a cruel, one-dimensional villain, but writer-director Claire Ayoub smartly forgoes that route in her script and direction, both of which are enhanced by the underrated Pyle’s genuine performance. Lenore’s mother clearly cares about her, but the way she shows it is harmful, trying to protect her by shielding her from the world and nudging her to change herself instead of embracing who she is here and now. We find out that this stems from Lenore’s mother’s constant nitpicking of her own appearance — something that was instilled in her by her own mother — which goes to show that this kind of toxic thinking is often intergenerational.
Unfortunately, there’s not as much complexity when it comes to Sylvie. The mean girl acts as a cliche antagonist, and the attempt to dig into why she’s such a bully is oversimplified without a satisfying resolution. While much of the writing is sharp and witty, Sylvie’s dialogue feels dated and amateurish, making her fall flat even as an adversary. There are ways to have fun even with roles like this, but Empire Waist relies too heavily on predictable tropes.
‘Empire Waist’ Never Loses Its Sense of Fun and Celebration
Empire Waist suffers a similar issue to Prom Dates, another American High production, in that it’s difficult to pin down the target audience. Much of the dialogue and plot points would feel at home on Disney Channel, but there are some edgier moments — like Kayla going into a bedroom with a boy and a revealing photo of her circulating — that are tailored to an older crowd. The film struggles to figure out who it’s for.
Still, there’s an undeniable charm to it regardless of the age at which you watch it. The jokes aren’t always the most groundbreaking, but they are frequently funny, and it’s a treat to watch the actors deliver them. The whole ensemble has an undeniably enjoyable chemistry, bringing energy and authenticity to their roles, though Yevu brings a special spark to the screen in her first role of hopefully many. Though she doesn’t get as much screen time, McDowell emerges as another comedic standout, delivering her outlandish lines (“You’re going to shoot Lenore for wearing a cardigan?!” she exclaims at one point. “I was hit in the face with a signal flare once,” she divulges at another.) with hilarious precision. She’d be right at home in a Bottoms-like movie. The cast is delightfully diverse, with each character celebrating their differences without ever feeling boxed in or reduced to a single attribute. Their friendship with one another is a beautiful thing to witness indeed.
The platonic love is by far the strongest element of Empire Waist, but the romantic subplot is sweet, too. It’s hard not to root for the adorably supportive Charlie (Aric Floyd), Lenore’s photograph-shooting, LARP-loving crush. And I’d be remiss not to shout out Mrs. Hall (Jolene Purdy), the encouraging teacher, as well. Ayoub smartly casts a plus-size woman in this role, which makes the dynamic hit even harder. Purdy makes the most of her time, too. (Her delivery of “I was gonna yell at you about that Wikipedia-ass presentation” made me laugh out loud.)
Empire Waist features a moving tribute to friendship dressed up in a bright, colorful package. While it’s not immune to tropes and predictable story beats in some areas, the way it tackles issues of body image is rare and refreshingly nuanced. It’s a necessary film for a younger crowd who can relate to Lenore in the present moment and a healing one for those who have graduated to the next phases of their lives but still carry the painful memories of a doctor’s office scale.
Empire Waist
‘Empire Waist’ occasionally falls into predictable tropes, but the way it tackles body image and focuses on friendship makes it well worth a watch.
Follows a group of teens learning to love their bodies through inclusive fashion design and friendship.
- Mia Kaplan grounds the film with her touching lead performance, while Jemima Yevu and Holly McDowell are standouts in their supporting roles.
- The film?s mother-daughter relationship is both nuanced and relatable.
- The movie never loses its sense of fun, celebrating the friendship and diversity at the heart of it.
- The film?s combination of younger dialogue and more mature themes makes its target audience unclear.
- The film retreads familiar story beats of the genre, particularly when it comes to its mean girl character.
Empire Waist
Follows a group of teens learning to love their bodies through inclusive fashion design and friendship.
- Run Time
- 1 hr 34 min
- Director
- Claire Ayoub
- Release Date
- September 27, 2024
- Actors
- Mia Kaplan, Jemima Yevu, Rainn Wilson, Missi Pyle, Jolene Purdy
Empire Waist is now in theaters in the U.S. Click below for showtimes.
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