Losing It (review)

Since Bennett’s mother passed away years ago, Bennett Robinson and his father have pretty much gone the couch potato route, spending many afternoons eating junk food and watching baseball. The day of reckoning arrives when 400-pound Dad collapses in the living room, is hustled to the hospital in critical condition, and then faces a long and arduous recovery from what turns out to be a stroke. Bennett is temporarily swept up into the household of his only nearby relative, Aunt Laura, who, along with her fit and healthy family, alternately coaxes and bullies Bennett into a better diet and a bit of activity. Bennett reluctantly admits to himself that he’s looking and feeling a little better, and he even joins the cross-country team at school, but his lack of control over his domestic situation and his own choices are a continual thorn in his fleshy side. Fry piles a load of anxieties onto her struggling protagonist, but each trial is credible and intrinsic to his situation—the school bully who won’t leave the fat kid in peace; the medical insurance limits that threaten to bankrupt the Robinsons; the pressure of a blossoming relationship with a girl who’s showing interest in him; the challenges of cross-country competition for a kid who’s just getting his breath and stride; and of course, the constant worry about his father’s recovery. While the ending puts father and son on a happier path, it’s clear that their lives will require some radical reshaping. Fortunately, it’s equally clear they’re up to the task.