sanamo86
I've had a read of some of the reviews about how 'unrealistic' & 'cliche' this film is. Firstly Id like to say coming from someone who has suffered from Anorexia for 3 years, was hospitalised for 8 months, this by far is the most accurate portrayal of the development, suffering & isolation a person with ED goes through & the effects it has on the family & their body. I personally can relate completely with Andy's experience. Although I wasn't training to be a gymnasts, I was studying to be a doctor at university where my perfection streak went into overdrive and I started to diet, then ultimately starve myself. The convo her best friend has with her on the swings about how she "looks like hell", or the scene where she wakes up early to jog & then fill a bowl with cereal so that she looks like she has eaten breakfast, or her mum trying to get her to eat a skinless chicken breast, have practically all happened to me and Im sure to many other anorexics. If you want to see the emotional reality of anorexia without the gore & glamour this is the film to watch
n-mo
"Perfect body" suffers from being a made-for-TV movie principally in the quality of the cinematography and in the realism of the gymnastics--these girls were nowhere near Olympic level, I'm told, though I am not really one to judge. Yet what "Perfect Body" lacks in this luster it more than makes up for in the quality of the writing and acting, and considering the primitivity of the shooting equipment, the cameraman captured the essence of each scene and character emotion very well. Amy Jo Johnson is more than convincing as a perfectionist suffering from anorexia nervosa (contrary to the description, the film does not once claim that she is bulimic and in fact she is more of a gorge-and- purge type anorectic than a true bulimic). The film's portrayal of the debilitating effects of nervous anxieties--and of the extreme difficulty that sufferers tend to have in getting or accepting help even when they know they need it and even want it, and of the resulting sense of isolation and fright of the sufferer and sense of helplessness of her entourage-- strikes a powerful chord. Definitely worth a couple of hours.
BettieTeese
This film could be used to educate young girls and their parents about deadly eating disorders.Beautiful actress Amy Jo Johnson of Power Rangers fame,brilliantly plays the role of a young girl passionate about being a gymnast,but is brainwashed into believing that unless she is dangerously thin,she'll never be successful.Johnson's character becomes obsessed with her weight and soon begins to fall into dangerous habits of throwing up everything she consumes to not eating at all.Her bulimia quickly leads to anorexia,and a frighteningly thin Johnson's health begins to fail,sparking concern for those who care about her.The film is a decent portrayal of how eating disorders orginate and could be useful for anyone who suspects someone they care about suffers from bulimia or anorexia.
erazer79
The film is very good. The main actress acted very well and so did the actor, whose character's name was Josh. His real name is Ron. The film correctly portrays the sacrifices and hard work an olympic trainee has to go through. It also deals with the common practice among young girls of eating then vomiting just to lose weight and be smart.
AD
