Fatso

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

Fatso Photos

View All Photos

Movie Info

In this dark and sometimes sad comedy, Dominick -- an extremely obese man -- is pushed by his sister Antoinette to shed a few pounds lest he end up dead like his cousin. To do so, she helps him enroll in the fanatical weight-loss group, the Chubby Checkers, who will do anything to keep fellow members from over-eating. Another incentive for Dominick is his love for Lydia, a women whom Dominick fears has deserted him because of his obesity.The process of weight loss is torture, and he is left with a painful choice (one that the naturally thin don't always understand), suffer the pain and lose the weight or somehow learn to live with it. After his initial attempts to lose weight end in failure, and he goes on a gigantic food bender (one of the great binge scenes in movie history), in the end, Dominick learns that Lydia loves him for who he is, and he decides that he should do himself the same favor.

Rating:

PG
Genre:

Comedy, Drama
Directed By:

Anne Bancroft
Written By:

Anne Bancroft
In Theaters:

Jan 1, 1980 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Jun 13, 2006
Runtime:

93 minutes
Studio:

Anchor Bay Entertainment

Cast

Anne Bancroft
as Antoinette

Dom DeLuise
as Dominick DiNapoli

Candice Azzara
as Lydia

Ron Carey
as Frankie

Michael Lombard
as Charlie

Sal Viscuso
as Vito

Delia Salvi
as Ida Rendino

Robert Costanzo
as Johnny

Estelle Reiner
as Mrs. Goodman

Estelle Riener
as Mrs. Goodman

Richard Karron
as Sonny

Renata Vanni
as Zi Marie

Paul Zegler
as Oscar Lapidus

Madeleine Taylor Holmes
as Nurse

Natasha Ryan
as Ann Marie

Merie Earle
as Mrs. Maluch

Peggy Mondo
as Tessie

Rudy De Luca
as Pat Manarino

Arnold Soboloff
as Dr. Schwartzman

Argentina Brunetti
as Zi Jule

Ralph Manza
as Danny

Elsa Raven
as Phil's Wife

Bob Curtis
as Father Monohan

Dick Balduzzi
as Phil

Jinaki
as Chubby Checker Member

View All

Critic Reviews for Fatso

All Critics (6) | Top Critics (2)

Not particularly funny material to begin with. But Bancroft's approach to it is so ambiguous we're thoroughly confused.

Apr 30, 2018 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review…

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic
By the time Dom DeLuise slobbers his way through countless chocolate bars and $40 worth of chinese food, you're ready to go on a movie fast, as well as a food fast.

Apr 28, 2018 | Full Review…

Michael Blowen
Boston Globe
Top Critic
A crushing disappointment.

Jul 6, 2019 | Rating: 1.5/4 | Full Review…

Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
The name is insulting enough, but it does feature Dom DeLuise. Anne Bancroft directs.

Oct 23, 2008 | Rating: 1/5

Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com
Fatsoes unite and check this film out. It will help you remember that you're not alone in your fight.

Jul 19, 2006 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Kevin Carr
7M Pictures
An underrated, hilarious comedy with a lot of heart.

Feb 19, 2006 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…

Chuck O'Leary
FulvueDrive-in.com

View All Critic Reviews (6)

Audience Reviews for Fatso

Sep 11, 2009

Dominick (Dom DeLuise) has been eating everything in sight ever since he was a young kid. As you might guess, because of that, Dominick is overweight and he's still VERY crazy about food. But everybody tries to urge him to go on a diet when his cousin, Sal, dies prematurely of being too overweight. Eating tons of food isn't just tasteful, it's a way of life for Dominick, so it won't be easy to break the habit. I had been wanting to see "Fatso" for a long time and I finally got to see it. It's a great movie in many ways. Parts of it are hilarious, such as when Dominick keeps seeing tons of appetizing food on television no matter what channel he turns it to, and other parts are even a little bit sad. But the whole movie is entertaining, and it's hard for me to believe that "Fatso" isn't more popular than it is. If you like great movies, buy "Fatso" as soon as possible! It will make you hungry for food while you're watching it and after the movie is over, it'll probably leave you hungry for a sequel. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. WARNING: This movie will make you hungry. Sad that Dom Deluise is dead now.

Jason O Super Reviewer