What Do The Critics Say?

"After Spaced, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, it's widely believed that Simon Pegg can do no wrong; appearing as if custom-made to test that contention is the new comedy "Run, Fat Boy, Run". "Run, Fat Boy, Run" gets approving nods from comedy connoisseurs when you mention Pegg's in the lead. Pegg is game, swanning about in ridiculous shorts, falling over with vim and vigor, more than willing to look foolish for laughs. Newton is luminous as ever, Azaria hearty and unlikable." James Rocchi CINEMATICAL "Pegg pitched Shaun of the Dead as "Richard Curtis shot through the head." Run, Fat Boy, Run comes on more like "Richard Curtis kicked in the nuts" - a refreshingly honest Britcom that never really threatens the ribs but which is amiable company throughout." EMPIRE MAGAZINE "Friends star David Schwimmer proves that nothing wins over a crowd like a barking underdog and bags of below the belt humour." SKY MOVIES "Schwimmer handles everything with the kind of pro confidence that leaves little doubt he's got a second career track if he wants it. " Dennis Harvey VARIETY "Enjoyable, sharply written and frequently hilarious comedy with strong comic performances from its cast. This should strike a chord with slightly overweight men everywhere." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON

"It's not hysterically funny, but this British comedy is sharp enough to keep us chuckling right to the predictably sappy conclusion. The film has a gently humorous tone punctuated by wacky moments like a squirm-inducing locker-room scene and a seriously nasty blister." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "Schwimmer often resists an easy laugh in favour of a poignant moment and thereby heightens the sense of urgency during Dennis' last dash for glory." Stella Papamichael BBC "An enjoyable if patchy and predictable ride, but Simon Pegg shows he's more than capable of going the distance." Leigh Singer CHANNEL 4 FILM "Schwimmer and Pegg have scored a win: largely due to tasteful choices in the subplotting and providing such a rich ensemble to tickle the shenanigans to a higher level." Jules Brenner CINEMA SIGNALS "It must be said at the outset that for a film that's called Run Fatboy Run, the so-called fatboy is not really that fat. He's played by the far from obese Simon Pegg, star of films like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz." Michael Clarke ABC NORTH

The Inside Story "Run, Fat Boy, Run" originated from the prolific comedic imagination of Chicago-born writer-actor-director Michael Ian Black, well known to audiences for his work in MTV’s The State, Comedy Central’s Reno 911!, and the films Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten. The script then came to the attention of David Schwimmer, who was looking for potential material for his big-screen directorial debut. "I’d read so, so many scripts, but this was the first one which made me laugh out loud all the way through and which genuinely moved me," says the former "Friends" star and 2002 Golden Satellite Award winner Schwimmer ("Band of Brothers"). Though the script was originally set in New York City, around that metropolis’s famed marathon, once the London-based Material Entertainment (a newly formed joint venture between New Line Cinema and UK distributor Entertainment Film Distributors) became determined to make the film, Run, Fat Boy, Run was transplanted to Britain. "We’re based in the UK and are keen to bring something to the party in terms of subject matter, talent, or location that differentiates our films in some way," explains Producer Robert Jones. "Relocating this particular script to London seemed to suite the material very well." The result is a story that found itself in translation: a modern-day romance in the tradition of About A Boy, High Fidelity, and Four Weddings and a Funeral set on the streets of London, featuring an international team of comedy all-stars. "When the producers suggested Simon Pegg as the lead, I was thrilled. And everything kind of fell into place from there," says Schwimmer. "We were able to get so much great talent from London, now it’s hard for me to imagine the film being set anywhere else." Once the decision was made to relocate the story from New York to London, the producers knew they needed an exceptional comedy writer to ground the story, characters, and yuks in their new locale. Fortunately, in 2005 Bram Stoker Award winner Simon Pegg (Shaun Of The Dead"), they were graced with a leading man who is also an expert comedy scribe, having co-written Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the hit British television series Spaced. "It was a very good first draft," says Pegg, "and a joy to work on because it was all pretty much already there. We had to go over it very carefully but it was basically just a question of culturally pulling it over here and changing a few other bits and bobs." Pegg laughed as he explained how he used the rewrite to set the film in his favourite part of London: "I specifically set it in North London and the locations manager pushed it slightly east. This time last year I was on the Isle of Man, so I’m very happy to be working on my doorstep. This is my manor, it’s great." The final script was everything the filmmakers hoped to accomplish. "God knows how much Simon sweats at home, but he makes it all look very easy," says Jones ("The Proposition" & "Gosford Park"). "Michael’s original script had huge heart and a lot of laughs and Simon added more humour, more emotion, and gave the characters their British passport." Jones also notes, "In many ways this is an incredibly ambitious film." Equally satisfying as a romantic comedy and an idyllic, architecturally dazzling London travelogue, the "Run, Fat Boy, Run" shoot encompassed some fifty two different locations in thirty seven days, unobtrusively capturing such heady spots as Waterloo Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Millennium Bridge. Despite the production’s relatively low budget, the filmmakers were keen to take advantage of all the opportunities Britain’s capital city has to offer. "Location after location. We were determined to capture the capital in all its glory," says Jones. That includes one of London's most famous 'new' landmarks completed in 2004, the stunning building nicknamed The Gherkin but officially known as 30 St Mary Axe. "I’ve never done a job with so much paperwork in my life," says location manager Ben Greenacre ("Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" location manager Kenya). "I had my own location co-ordinator who has been working flat out as many hours a day as the people on-set, just dealing with paperwork." Greenacre is quick to note how much support the production received throughout the city, including some of London’s major tourist attractions: "We shot outside the Lord Mayor’s building at Tower Bridge. That was a big site, but people have been very kind to us and very organized wherever we went." As the production progressed, it became apparent that London itself was becoming something of a lead character in the film. "We talked about films that create a real sense of vibrancy and community and we went looking for an area where you could really get a feel for people," Jones explained. "We wanted somewhere where you could feel a bit more of a close-knit community and some energy in the street and we found that in and around Columbia Road and Shoreditch." The strength of the material, combined with the involvement of Schwimmer and Pegg and the attractive London location for the shoot drew some top technical talent to the film. The crew included Academy Award nominated director of photography Richard Greatrex ("Shakespeare in Love"), who had worked with Schwimmer, Pegg, and producer Sarah Curtis on previous film shoots. "Not only is he creative and clever but he’s also extremely fast, which was obviously wonderful for us in terms of getting us in and out of high-traffic locations quickly," 1991 BAFTA TV Award winner Curtis ("News Hounds") notes. "Run, Fat Boy, Run" began its life as a broadly funny romantic comedy, but, from the moment Schwimmer and Pegg took on the adaptation, the production became determined to explore a greater depth of emotionality by establishing real, strong, believable characters. The result is the latest in a new model of romantic comedy, recently dubbed the "slacker-striver romance" by David Denby in 'The New Yorker', which includes films like "High Fidelity", "About A Boy", "Fever Pitch", and "Knocked Up", in which a resolutely immature young(ish) man must leave childish ways behind and prove his worth to a woman more successful and ambitious than himself. "I think all good comedy comes from character," Jones says. "You can cite films that are surface funny but I think in a sense they can only do that for so long. If you want an audience to be invested in laughing, they have to be invested in the characters." To make character Dennis a likeable, empathetic figure (despite some of his more unattractive actions), the filmmakers realized they would need an actor with just the right combination of qualities. Director David Schwimmer, who had recently worked with Pegg on the feature "Big Nothing", was thrilled with the idea of casting the actor as his lead. "Simon has fantastic appeal because he’s got this everyman kind of quality about him that’s immensely likeable and relatable. I really admire his ability to go seamlessly from a very light moment to a very grounded, dramatic or emotional moment." "David is very intuitive and very helpful," says Pegg. "He’ll often come up and say something you hadn’t thought of and it will enable you to do the scene better, so it’s really handy to have a director who knows what it is to be an actor." Thandie Newton 2007 BAFTA Award winner Thandie Newton who plays Libby notes of Schwimmer: "He’s a real visualist as well as being completely in touch with the characters. His attention to detail is amazing. You play a scene a few times and he’ll come and give you a note that summarizes exactly what the character is thinking about or her motivation, in a sentence." "I’ve worked with some directors who are terrific with actors, and others who just don’t have the right vocabulary or sensitivity," Schwimmer explained. "“There’s no one way to speak to an actor, because every actor has his or her own process. The key thing is to listen to them and establish trust." The fact that Schwimmer isn’t a London native also allowed him to envision each new location with a fresh perspective. Newton, who wowed audiences with her stunning performance as Christine Thayer in "Crash", and who is based in the north of the city, welcomes the opportunity to re-discover different aspects of the city through her director’s eyes. "I think that’s the great thing about having a director who’s not from a place where the film is set," says Newton. "They can almost introduce you to somewhere you thought you knew so well and take for granted." Schwimmer’s clean, unobtrusive visual palette didn't escape the notice of "The Usual Suspects" producer Robert Jones. "Sometimes it takes an outsider to come here and look at a place in a way Londoners don’t." New Yorker and four time EMMY Award winner (1998, 2000, '01, '03) Hank Azaria was cast as Dennis’s smarmy romantic rival, Whit. "I thought the script was great and it seemed like a fun thing to do. Shooting this has been a nice little tour of London." "I’m a huge Simpsons fan and very aware of Hank from everything he’s done," says Pegg. The film is graced with cameos from a number of British comedy all-stars including Little Britain’s David Walliams and Stephen Merchant, co-creator of "The Office" and co-writer and co-star of "Extras". "I was asked by Simon to do three lines in another of his films and he was obviously very pleased with that, as he’s asked me once again to come along to do a few lines," Merchant joked. "My hope is that if I can do a few lines with him in a few more films, perhaps one day he’ll allow me to do an entire scene." After a closer perusal of the script, the towering Merchant grew amusingly dissatisfied: "I was rather disappointed to find that there is a character described as 'lanky nerd'. I felt I really should have been a shoo-in for that." Synopsis

Dennis is an ordinary guy. He's a little overweight and he smokes, but he's nice, charming and unassuming. However, five years ago, Dennis did something that wasn't so nice. On his wedding day to his pregnant fiancé Libby, Dennis did a runner. He just couldn't go through with it. He didn't think he was good enough for Libby, so instead of ruining her life, he ruined her big day. Now, five years later, Dennis realizes he made a big mistake. He's still in love with Libby. He still sees her all the time because of Jake, their five year old son, but all romantic ties have been severed. Libby's now seeing Whit, a charming professional from the City. Dennis takes an immediate dislike to him. He feels demoralized and overwhelmed by Whit's long list of achievements. In a last-ditch effort to prove to Libby that he's changed his ways, Dennis impulsively announces at her birthday party that he will run in the same London Marathon that Whit has been training for. But does Dennis have the stuff to trade his cold feet for running shoes?

The Verdict "Don't go into "Run, Fat Boy, Run" expecting it to be of the same comedic standard as Pegg's previous efforts "Shaun Of The Dead" and Hot Fuzz", because you may find yourself feeling a little disappointed. Having made that point, let me say that you'd hardly expect a romantic comedy to be rated as a "laugh your tits off" experience because then it wouldn't be a romantic comedy, it would, of course, be a comedy. If you can wrap your head around that, you'll get my drift. Personally I've found Pegg to be one very funny guy. In many ways he's funnier in this film because he has more characters to play off and, he milks the under-dog aspect extremely well. The support cast includes, Hank Azaria ("America's Sweethearts") playing the straight-man Whit; Dylan Moran ("Notting Hill") as the dopey Gordon; the beautiful Thandie Newton ("The Truth About Charlie") as the jilted Libby, and Harish Patel ("Chicken Tikka Masala") as the well meaning landlord turned trauner, Mr Ghoshdashtidar. There's enough here to get your monies worth. 3 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "RUN, FAT BOY, RUN" stars .......
Simon Pegg ["Land of the Dead", "Mission: Impossible III" and "Hot Fuzz"]; Hank Azaria ["Along Came Polly", "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" and "The Simpsons Movie"]; Dylan Moran ["The Actors", "Shaun Of The Dead" and "Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story"]; Matthew Fenton ["Run Fatboy Run"]; Harish Patel ["Master", "Love at Times Square" and "Calcutta Mail"] and Thandie Newton ["Crash", "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "Norbit"] as Libby.
"RUN, FAT BOY, RUN" was .......
directed by David Schwimmer ["Run Fatboy Run"]; story by Michael Ian Black ["I'm Your Man" and "The Pleasure of Your Company"]; art direction by Julia Castle ["Tooth", "To Kill A King" and TV'S "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries"]; costume design by Annie Hardinge ["Ali G Inda House", "Shaun Of The Dead" and "Hot Fuzz"]; production design by Sophie Becher ["Blow Dry", "Two Men Went To War" and "Alfie"]; edited by Michael Parker ["The House of Mirth", "Calendar Girls" and "Ladies in Lavender"]; cinematography by Richard Greatrex ["Tess of the D'Urbervilles", "Connie and Carla", "The Upside of Anger" and "Chaos"]; original music by Alex Wurman ["Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy", "A Lot Like Love" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"]. Who's Who?

Simon Pegg Thandie Newton Hank Azaria Dylan Moran Harish Patel Ameet Chana India de Beaufort Matthew Fenton David Gatt Iddo Goldberg Yaourou Konate Stephen Merchant Jade Ramsey Nikita Ramsey Ruth Sheen Deo Simcox Anna Tolputt David Walliams

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Dennis Libby Whit Gordon Mr Ghoshdashtidar Taxi Driver Maya Jake Dennis' Fan Reporter Bridesmaid Marathon Runner Athlete Twin Athlete Twin Claudine School Kid Receptionist Customer #49

Run Time 100 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Picturehouse - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.