I had literally never seen this movie before, so my partner and I watched it the other night. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it!
There are some things that definitely haven't aged well. The film attempted to critique the fashion industry and fatphobia, but as a work from an era where women like Sarah Silverman or America Ferrera were considered "overweight," it strikes me as a bitter irony instead. Hollywood has, and continues, to contribute to the very culture it seeks to skewer.
However, moving beyond that, I found it to be a layered, nuanced, well-scripted story examining not only the fashion industry, but influence, power dynamics, gender, and beauty standards. Aesthetically, it perfectly captures this specific era in America and its magazine culture. I would go so far as to say this is one of those historically, culturally significant films. I'll be interested to see how the sequel fares!
