Today’s SIFF Pick: Fat Kid Rules the World
Actor Matthew Lillard seems to be exorcising the demons of his Scream and Shaggy days with his latest work. First it was his surprising turn in The Descendants as the homewrecker opposite Clooney’s clueless husband, and now, Lillard takes his turn behind the camera with his directorial debut, Fat Kid Rules the World. Based on the young adult novel by KL Going, it’s an underdog story of Freaks and Geeks proportions, with the titular fat kid Troy (Jacob Wysocki) prepared to jump in front of a bus until a fellow outcast, high school dropout Marcus (Matt O’ Leary), comes to his rescue. Marcus convinces Troy to join his new band as the drummer—Troy’s never played a day in his life—and the two find new confidence through punk rock and an unlikely friendship. Seattle costars (with shots of Neumos, Volunteer Park, and the Space Needle), and the film’s been such a fan favorite since it first screened at SIFF on May 18, additional screenings have been added.
Screenings: May 24 at 4:30 (SIFF Cinema Uptown), May 28 at 6 (Everett Performing Arts Center).
