I've seen many movies that portray high school bullying and self harm- this one has a slight edge due to the saxophone music. And I thought the ending, while unrealistic and sickly-sweet, was rewarding.
However there were no laugh out loud moments and the relationship between the young man and his parents wasn't fully explored. The parents are essentially placed on the sidelines while their son is hurting, and they don't seem concerned at all about his morbid obesity nor do they encourage their son to exercise or diet. Some of this movie did seem downright exploitative and mean-spirited. So much so that the mother enables her son to eat high caloric meals, and she even seems shocked when her son cuts down on his portions.
In terms of the scenes with the high schoolers partying or hanging out, those do drag on. I didn't think I'd rate this above a 5, but the Professor and Doctor characters were fun to watch and were great advocates for Butter. As a whole, I think this movie is worth watching due to its musical interludes and emphasis on self respect and healthy relationships.
