Fitting In

2023 film by Molly McGlynn

Fitting In

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Molly McGlynn
Written by| Molly McGlynn
Produced by| Jennifer Weiss
Starring|

* Maddie Ziegler
* D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
* Djouliet Amara
* Emily Hampshire

Cinematography| Nina Djacic
Edited by| Maureen Grant
Music by| Casey Manierka-Quaile

Production
companies

* Wonndaland Pictures
* Nice Picture

Distributed by| Elevation Pictures

Release dates

* March 13, 2023 (2023-03-13) (SXSW)
* February 2, 2024 (2024-02-02) (North America)

Running time

| 106 minutes[1]
Country| Canada
Language| English
Box office| $87,320[2]

Fitting In is a 2023 Canadian coming-of-age comedy drama film written and directed by Molly McGlynn. It stars Maddie Ziegler, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Djouliet Amara, and Emily Hampshire. The story centers around 16-year-old Lindy, who is diagnosed with a rare reproductive condition, MRKH syndrome. The diagnosis disrupts her understanding of her sexual identity, and throws her relationships with her new boyfriend, her friends at her new high school, and her mother into disarray.

The film was titled Bloody Hell in its first showing at SXSW.[3][4] Several additional film festival showings were presented in 2023.[5] The film won the award for Best Canadian Film at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival,[6] and Ziegler won the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor at the Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards.[7] It was released in theatres in February 2024.

## Synopsis

[edit]

16-year-old Lindy has never had a period. She is diagnosed with a rare reproductive condition, MRKH syndrome. The diagnosis throws into disarray her relationships with her new boyfriend, Adam; her single mother; her best friend, Vivian; and others at her new high school. Her insensitive male doctors advise her that she will have to use uncomfortable vaginal dilators frequently for the next "3 to 18 months" or have vaginal surgery. She feels unable to tell Adam about her condition and avoids him. Adam, confused about Lindy's moody behavior, breaks up with her. Lindy later believes that he and Vivian are romantically involved. She quits the track team. Meanwhile, her mother tries hard to reconnect with her.

Lindy starts a rebound relationship with Chad, a boy working at a fast-food restaurant, and has intercourse with him partly just to avoid having to use her vaginal dilator. She meets an intersex person at her school, Jax, to whom she confides about her MKRH syndrome. They also have a sexual encounter, but when Jax accompanies Lindy to a party and Chad approaches Lindy, Lindy doesn't want him to know that she is together with Jax; Jax is angry and leaves. Lindy then gets drunk at the party and is mortified to find out, the next morning, that the whole school now knows that she has a genital condition.

At a track meet after school, Vivian wins a race. She tells Lindy that she is not seeing Adam; the two make up. Some boys comment on Lindy's condition, and she publicly confronts them, standing up for herself. She texts Jax to apologize and cathartically admits to Vivian that she is sad and angry that she cannot have children. Lindy soon meets a female doctor who is more sympathetic than the male doctors have been; she tells Lindy that there is no rush to treat her condition either surgically or otherwise. Lindy begins to feel more positive about herself and reconnects with Jax.

## Cast

[edit]

* Maddie Ziegler as Lindy
* Emily Hampshire as her mother, Rita
* Djouliet Amara as Vivian
* Ki Griffin as Jax
* D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Adam
* Dale Whibley as Chad
* Michael Therriault as Dr. Doheny
* Dennis Andres as Coach Mike

## Production

[edit]

The film is semi-autobiographical, as its creator, Molly McGlynn, was diagnosed with MRKH syndrome as a teenager.[8] In June 2022, the casting of Ziegler and Hampshire was announced.[8] Principal photography took place in Sudbury, Ontario, from May 30 to June 27, 2022.[9][10]

## Release

[edit]

The film premiered on March 13, 2023, under the title Bloody Hell, in the narrative spotlight section of the 2023 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas.[11]

Retitled Fitting In, the film was shown at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival[12] and the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival in Ontario, Canada, in September 2023,[13][14] and at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival[6] and the 2023 Calgary International Film Festival, both beginning that month.[15]

Blue Fox Entertainment distributed the film in the US,[16] with the theatrical release on February 2, 2024.[17] Elevation Pictures distributed the film in Canada,[8] with a release in theatres there also on February 2, 2024.[18]

The film was released on digital platforms through The Movie Partnership on September 9, 2024.[19]

## Reception

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 45 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Led by a Maddie Ziegler performance that's as funny as it is fearless, Fitting In takes a boldly provocative look at the assumptions and expectations surrounding modern femininity."[20]

After its premiere at SXSW, Marco Vito Oddo, writing for Collider, Sage Dunlap in The Daily Texan, Laura Bradley in The Daily Beast, Dennis Harvey in Variety and Stephen Saito in The Moveable Fest praised Ziegler's performance and the message of the film.[3][4][11] In September 2023, Marya E. Gates in RogerEbert.com did the same.[21]

Fitting In was a nominee for Best Direction in a Feature Film at the 2023 Directors Guild of Canada awards[22] and won the award for Best Canadian Film at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival.[6] Ziegler won the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor at the Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards.[7]

### Awards

[edit]

Association  | Date of ceremony  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref(s)

|
|
|
|
|

Canadian Screen Awards | 2024 | Best Art Direction/Production Design | Thea Hollatz | Nominated  | [23]
Best Casting in a Film | Jason Knight, John Buchan  | Nominated  | [23]
Vancouver International Film Festival | 2023 | Best Canadian Film | Molly McGlynn  | Won  | [6]
Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards  | 2024  | Outstanding Feature Film  | Fitting In | Nominated  | [7]
Outstanding Performance by an Actor  | Maddie Ziegler | Won  | [7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Fitting In (15)". British Board of Film Classification. August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
2. ^ "Fitting In (2023)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
3. ^ a b Oddo, Marco Vito. "Bloody Hell Review: Maddie Ziegler Struggles with Womanhood in Coming-of-Age Story", Collider, March 14, 2023; and Dunlap, Sage. "Bloody Hell empowers with unique coming-of-age story", The Daily Texan, March 16, 2023
4. ^ a b Bradley, Laura. "Maddie Ziegler's SXSW 'Traumedy' Bloody Hell Is Brilliant – With a Period Twist", The Daily Beast, March 18, 2023
5. ^ Levack, Chandler. "TIFF 2023: The bold risks and bloody rewards of Canada’s Molly McGlynn", The Globe and Mail, September 5, 2023.
6. ^ a b c d Gee, Dana. "Vancouver International Film Festival announces winners of this year's Canadian film awards", Vancouver Sun, October 5, 2023.
7. ^ a b c d "The Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards", Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION), retrieved July 6, 2024
8. ^ a b c Goldbart, Max (June 7, 2022). "Maddie Ziegler & Schitt's Creek Star Emily Hampshire to Lead 'Bloody Hell', Coming-of-Age "Traumedy" from Mary Goes Round Director Molly McGlynn". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
9. ^ Staff (June 8, 2022). "Bloody Hell Molly McGlynn". Northernstars.ca. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
10. ^ "In Production". Ontario Creates. May 20, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
11. ^ a b Harvey, Dennis. "Bloody Hell Review: A Teen Sex Comedy Thrown a Curveball by Mother Nature", Variety, March 14, 2023; and Saito, Stephen. "SXSW 2023 Review: A Dire Prognosis Opens Up Emotional Floodgates in Molly McGlynn’s Bloody Hell", The Moveable Fest,·March 14, 2023
12. ^ O'Connell, Sean. "Maddie Ziegler’s Bold Sexual Comedy Fitting In Brims with Heart and Pain, But How's Her Acting?", Cinema Blend, September 10, 2023
13. ^ Hazelton, John. "TIFF sets Centrepiece line-up of international cinema", Screen Daily, August 10, 2023
14. ^ "Sudbury-shot 'traumedy' to be a Cinefest special presentation", The Sudbury Star, July 27, 2023
15. ^ "Calgary International Film Festival adds new competition to 2023". LiveWire Calgary. August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
16. ^ "Blue Fox Entertainment: Full Catalogue", The Film Catalogue. Retrieved October 24, 2023
17. ^ Delgado, Sara. "Watch Maddie Ziegler in the Official Trailer for Indie Film Fitting In", TeenVogue, December 21, 2023
18. ^ "New Releases: Coming Soon", Elevation Pictures. Retrieved October 24, 2023
19. ^ Azad, Navid Nikkhah (August 16, 2024). "Molly McGlynn's Fitting In set for September digital release". Ziz news. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
20. ^ "Fitting In". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
21. ^ Gates, Marya E. "TIFF 2023: Seagrass, Fitting In, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person", RogerEbert.com, September 11, 2023
22. ^ Mirza, Taimur Sikander. "Women Talking leads film nominees for 2023 DGC Awards", Playback, September 20, 2023.
23. ^ a b "BlackBerry Leads CSA Nominations". Northern Stars, March 6, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Fitting In at IMDb
* Official US trailer (2023)
* Official Canadian trailer (2023)

* v
* t
* e

Vancouver International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian Film

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