Ava Michelle, a new actress on the Hollywood scene, recently played the main character Jodi Kreyman in
the Netflix film Tall Girl. Jodi is the tallest girl at her school, standing at 6 feet and 1.5 inches, who struggles to fit in because people make fun of her height.
People believe that the film played too much on the idea that it’s hard being a tall girl. Directors and writers overplayed the struggle to the point where it was over repeated. The
message of the movie became dull, it really will get a mere “eh” reaction out of you.
Tall Girl offers a basic, chick-flick feeling movie from the 2000s about how a girl who felt insecure about who she was now is offered a chance to change her appearance. Jodi is tall and muscular in a world where women are expected to be nonathletic and petite. She can’t wear heels because they aren’t readily available for her men’s size 13 feet.
This phrase surrounding, “You think your life is hard, trying wearing size 13 Nike’s, men’s size 13 Nike’s,” gained a lot of popularity online. It created a lot of frustration from users who felt
it was just a stupid thing to complain about while there are more serious things happening in the world, such as racism and homophobia.
Also, Jodi is the only tall person in her family which makes it difficult for her family to understand how she is feeling. One character I will mention, who did very well in her role was Sabrina Carpenter who plays as Jodi’s older sister, Harper. The supportive
family plot line is the sweetest part of the film.
It’s a particularly nice touch that the movie introduces the sisters as allies and friends that can count on each other instead of enemies or rivals. And even though Harper is only 5 feet tall, she still finds a way to connect with her sister and help her find a way out.
Carpenter gives an eccentric performance while the other majority of the cast give a lackluster and simple performance. However, with a movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Sabrina’s passionate performance does not fit in with this setting.
This movie is definitely not going to be on the top of my watch list; it really meant nothing to me. As someone who stands 5’5”, I had no connection to this movie, but the opposite could be said for someone who is closer to Jodi’s height.
Jodi is given very little personality in this movie; they only gave her one thing to define her: her height, which in reality isn’t even a personality trait. The only reason I see to watch it would probably be to see the lively and eccentric performance Sabrina Carpenter put on as Harper throughout the film; otherwise, it’s just really not worth your time.