Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Through the years, I have had several friends with anorexia and/or bulimia--so when I saw this HBO documentary, I thought I'd give it a look. "Thin" tells the story of Florida's Renfrew Center which is a treatment facility for eating disorders. Following four women specifically, we see some of their emotional highs and lows and the Center's process of recovery in great detail. I've always associated eating disorders with younger (college or high school age) women, so for me it was fascinating to see the diverse cross section of older and even well-established women facing these issues.
The women are candid and it seems as if we have an all access look into their lives. Particularly interesting to me is how supportive friendships can be formed--but in some cases, those can also be enabling. One clique, in particular, starts to take on a negative image when they start disregarding the rules. The sincerity of some of the women wanting to get well is always a question--some work the program hard, some fight it. And the staff must be caring, yet tough enough to cut through the hypocrisy and deception. "Thin" also gives us a glimpse into some of the family dynamics which might have helped to trigger these illnesses. One of the most memorable moments for me is when a mother came to visit. She sits down to lunch with her daughter who is required to eat, and she disparages and picks apart the food served. She is absolutely oblivious to the negative implication this might have on her daughter.
Near the beginning of the picture, one of the women remarks about her life--"I used to have a personality." This is an interesting and powerful idea. The women in trouble have gotten so caught up in their illnesses, they've forgotten how to live. And this notion is repeated throughout by many of the patients. In one of the more moving confessions, one 25 year old patient speculates what her life might have been like had she gotten treatment when she was 15. It's so emotionally raw (she is trying to convince 15 year old Brittany to take advantage of her youth) because she recalls all the normalcy and joy she has missed out on.
Ultimately, this is a documentary. There is no happy Hollywood conclusion, just an insightful look into an all too prevalent problem. KGHarris, 11/06.
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The HBO Documentary film Thin takes us inside the walls of Renfrew Center, a residential facility for the treatment of women with eating disorders, closely following four young women (ages 15 - 30) who have spent their lives starving themselves?often to the verge of death. The film deftly chronicles the pervasiveness of restrictive eating behaviors (most of the women profiled learned dysfunctional eating habits from their mothers while growing up), as well as the failure of our current health-insurance industry to address its clients' needs, while never shifting focus from the women themselves. Director Lauren Greenfield documents with astonishing depth the daily rituals, spontaneous friendships and startling swings between recovery and relapse that make up life at the center. The result is a powerful new insight into one of our society's most insidious open secrets.
