Amy Schumer has defended the premise of her new film, ‘I Feel Pretty’, urging fans to see it before making assumptions based on its trailer.
When the film’s main teaser was shared earlier this year, it was revealed that the plot hinges on Amy’s character believing she’s ugly and overweight, before a bump on the head sees her wake up feeling super confident and attractive.
Many onlookers derided this premise, pointing out that Amy is already conventionally attractive, and as the film arrives in cinemas, the actress and comedian has admitted she understands where people were coming from.
“There was a backlash to the trailer, and that was kind of disappointing,” she told Vulture. “Even then, though, I understood it, and knew that the film wasn’t about what they thought it was about. I just wished they could see it.
Amy - who stars in ‘I Feel Pretty’ but did not write it - also pointed out that the film “is not about an ugly troll becoming beautiful, it’s about a woman who has low self-esteem finding some”.
“Everyone’s got a right to feel that feeling, regardless of their appearance,” she said. “We all struggle with self-esteem. I certainly have.”
Sadly, Amy’s comments may have come a little too late, as critics have already mauled ‘I Feel Pretty’, leaving it with a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 36%.
In their review, The Guardian say the film “falls flat”, with critic Benjamin Lee writing: “The comedian’s [Amy’s] considerable talents can’t save a subpar script.”
“Who the hell thought that making plus-size jokes then simply tacking on a moralizing ending was hilarious? Or acceptable?” asks Rolling Stone, while Empire explains: “While it does ultimately deliver life lessons of empowerment coming from within, it also plays on perceptions of Schumer’s appearance for misguided laughs.”