To The Bone: Romanticising E.D.s?
(Potential trigger warning)
Over the past weekend during Uni holidays, I logged into my Netflix account and the first recommended movie that came up was 'To The Bone.'
A couple of months ago there was a large controversy surrounding this movie (starring Lily Collins, an absolute icon of mine) as people had viewed it as 'romanticising eating disorders.' I wanted to see for myself if it was really as controversial as media outlets had reported it to be, such as The Sun's article, which I have linked here.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3943117/anorexia-nervosa-the-bone-netflix-lily-collins/
While I actually quite enjoyed the film, I could see how this could potentially provoke someone who already has developed or on the verge of an eating disorder of the same type of manner that Collins portrays as the character Ellen/Eli.
Anorexia Nervosa is an extremely devastating and dangerous disorder that effects people all over the world, and especially teenage girls, which is where the argument arose. IMDb gave the film 6.9 stars out of 10, with the largest amount of reviews coming from the female age group of 18-29. This particular age group is relevant due to common body image conundrum that has become popularised due to social media platforms such as Instagram and Tumblr in particular. The following image showcases the type of behaviour that many believe will come from people, in particular young girls who see this film and decide that they want to be just like Collins.
While I myself do see this as becoming a potential issue, I can also see how the movie raises awareness of the reality of what people who have anorexia nervosa go through, and the impact that it has on their lives and the lives of others around them.
What I took from watching To The Bone was that it gave insight into how anyone can develop a disorder (not necessarily just anorexia nervosa that was starred within the film), and how it not only effects the individual but family members and friends of that said individual.
The films composer stated that she wanted eating disorders to be talked about- which is exactly what the film has done, both negatively and positively.
I found the film interesting and definitely worth the watch, so I'd recommend to watch it yourself and develop your own opinions on what you think the film was really trying to portray to its audience. Personally I think, particularly towards the end, it is quite heartwarming to see Eli come from being so self-centred and within her own world to relying on those around her for support such as her biological mother and her love-interest, Luke (played by Alex Sharp).
It is definitely a movie you should watch and create your own thoughts on (providing you have your own Netflix account or if you're leeching off someone else), and I would love to know what you think.
-Isobel
Over the past weekend during Uni holidays, I logged into my Netflix account and the first recommended movie that came up was 'To The Bone.'
A couple of months ago there was a large controversy surrounding this movie (starring Lily Collins, an absolute icon of mine) as people had viewed it as 'romanticising eating disorders.' I wanted to see for myself if it was really as controversial as media outlets had reported it to be, such as The Sun's article, which I have linked here.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3943117/anorexia-nervosa-the-bone-netflix-lily-collins/
While I actually quite enjoyed the film, I could see how this could potentially provoke someone who already has developed or on the verge of an eating disorder of the same type of manner that Collins portrays as the character Ellen/Eli.
Anorexia Nervosa is an extremely devastating and dangerous disorder that effects people all over the world, and especially teenage girls, which is where the argument arose. IMDb gave the film 6.9 stars out of 10, with the largest amount of reviews coming from the female age group of 18-29. This particular age group is relevant due to common body image conundrum that has become popularised due to social media platforms such as Instagram and Tumblr in particular. The following image showcases the type of behaviour that many believe will come from people, in particular young girls who see this film and decide that they want to be just like Collins.
While I myself do see this as becoming a potential issue, I can also see how the movie raises awareness of the reality of what people who have anorexia nervosa go through, and the impact that it has on their lives and the lives of others around them.
What I took from watching To The Bone was that it gave insight into how anyone can develop a disorder (not necessarily just anorexia nervosa that was starred within the film), and how it not only effects the individual but family members and friends of that said individual.
The films composer stated that she wanted eating disorders to be talked about- which is exactly what the film has done, both negatively and positively.
I found the film interesting and definitely worth the watch, so I'd recommend to watch it yourself and develop your own opinions on what you think the film was really trying to portray to its audience. Personally I think, particularly towards the end, it is quite heartwarming to see Eli come from being so self-centred and within her own world to relying on those around her for support such as her biological mother and her love-interest, Luke (played by Alex Sharp).
It is definitely a movie you should watch and create your own thoughts on (providing you have your own Netflix account or if you're leeching off someone else), and I would love to know what you think.
-Isobel
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