Rating: 4/5 To the Bone (2017) is a Netflix feature written and directed by Marti Noxon, with Lily Collins in the role of Ellen, a 20-year-old suffering from anorexia nervosa. It has been met with mixed feelings and reviews since Netflix released the official trailer in June this year. There is concern that the film may trigger people with a history of disordered eating or still fighting an eating disorder. However, the purpose of the story is to initiate a conversation about EDs, as the director claims in one of her interviews, not to provide a one-for-all guide to recovery, so it seems unfair to attack the film for doing exactly what it was planned for. If we want to tackle sensitive issues, then it's time we accepted we won't like doing so. To the Bone aims to illustrate various manifestations of eating disorders, so it's inevitable it might be triggering or even misinterpreted as "thinspirational". It's not glamourising anorexia; it's pointing its finger at those who do, sharing pictures of underweight Ellen with the tag #LifeGoals. But it's also more than an accusation: it's a good-willed attempt to give hope that recovery is possible. Though fortunately a long way away from representing an inaccurate archetype, Ellen's multi-faceted character rings a whole bell tower for a vast number of "rexies". For example, she has become (in)famous on Tumblr, a treasure trove of blogs on anorexia and other EDs; she uses wit and sarcasm to push others away and pretends she can do well on her own, even when her sunken eyes and jutting hipbones tell a different story; and, of course, she knows all the most effective tricks and trips to lose weight, like chewing and spitting food back on the plate, or running up and down the stairs. However, she is past the "Tumblr Golden Age", when your average anorexic blogger gets all excited and starry-eyed about the increasing support she receives, which only precipitates her deeper into the eating disorder. After a girl killed herself, taking inspiration from Ellen's artwork, Ellen hates being associated with her blog. She "can't stop," as she candidly admits to Dr. William Beckham (Keanu Reeves), but she doesn't like having an eating disorder anymore. Ellen lives with an absentee father, his new partner Susan (Carrie Preston), and her daughter Kelly (Liana Liberato), though she longs to be reunited with her mother Judy (Lili Taylor), who moved to Phoenix, Arizona with new girlfriend Olive (Brooke Smith). This extraordinary scenario constitutes a misguiding narrative element, as it seems to suggest that only profound issues, like a messed up family, generate eating disorders. In fact, anyone can have an ED, even if they don't have a complicated family history. One of To the Bone's commendable achievements is the representation of different characters struggling with disordered eating. When Ellen joins Dr. Beckham's allegedly unorthodox inpatient program, she doesn't meet only skinny white girls who are obsessed with exercise. Other patients include a big black girl caught in a cycle of binges and purges, a pregnant woman, and an anorexic young man with an optimistic attitude towards recovery, Luke (Alex Sharp). We don't see girls who don't eat; we see people with different weights and body types who eat, only sometimes not enough or forcing themselves to throw up afterwards. Norton's work is an important milestone in the history of eating disorders in the media, as it brings to the surface the idea that EDs affect one's mind, and the result isn't always reflected in worsened physical conditions. Ellen's journey reaches its climax with an oneiric sequence of great visual impact. Ellen and Luke sit together on a tree branch; she looks strong and healthy, although we have just seen her pass out from starvation and exhaustion. This is Ellen's dream; this is how Ellen sees herself – beautiful, toned, perfect. It's a powerful, goosebumps-inducing message: a lot of anorexics are oblivious to how ugly the illness makes them. The dream also shows Ellen another, more realistic version of herself: an unconscious pile of bones. It's a literal wake-up call, inducing her to acknowledge she needs to heal. To the Bone isn't an easy film to watch, whether you have an ED or not. If you do, I recommend watching it with someone who knows about it and cares for you. If you don't think it's safe for you, then choose something else. With its blood-curdling images of a body on the way to self-destruction, it's difficult to digest, but it's the kind of difficult we need if we want those who suffer to receive more recognition and support.
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October 2017
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