Fitting In stars Maddie Ziegler in one of her more emotionally demanding roles to date. It’s a heartfelt and raw story from writer-director Molly McGlynn. Ziegler’s character, Lindy, is diagnosed with MRKH syndrome and quickly discovers that her body doesn’t follow the same binary or script as most of her classmates. The reproductive condition throws Lindy and her life into turmoil, as it affects not only her relationships with others but also her relationship with herself. While her mom and friends try to support her, Lindy has to learn how to navigate this change in her worldview on her own.
Ziegler first began to flex her dramatic muscles as one of the characters in The Fallout, the 2022 drama that explored the impact of school shootings on a group of young teens. While Fitting In has much more comedy and a lighter tone than The Fallout, it still asks a lot of Ziegler, who’s in almost every scene of the film. While she might not yet be at the level of the iconic stars who revolutionized the teen drama genre, Fitting In makes it clear that Ziegler is an actress to watch and that she has excellent taste in projects.
Fitting In Highlights An Important And Untold Story
Regardless of experiences, audiences will be moved by Lindy’s journey
Beginning with quotes from Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex and Diablo Cody’s Jennifer’s Body, Fitting In makes no secret that this is a tale about the horrors of femininity. Lindy experiences most of these issues firsthand. However, the movie puts a fresh spin on the familiar story by engaging with the experiences of young people who discover their intersex identities. Fitting In doesn’t exclusively categorize MRKH as an intersex condition and leaves plenty of room for Lindy to define who she is on her own terms when it comes to her gender and sexuality.
LGBTQ+ narratives are getting more exposure than ever in the coming-of-age genre, and Fitting In is a worthy addition to the niche. It also features Schitt’s Creek‘s Emily Hampshire and is a new movie from Reservation Dogs actor D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai. Ki Griffin and Djouliet Amara round out a great cast. One of the film’s few failings is that we don’t learn much about any character other than Lindy. While her mom, Rita (Hampshire), gives some insight into her parallel journey of feeling ostracized from feminity, she doesn’t get the same satisfying arc as Lindy.
It’s clear McGlynn is a cinema buff. The script references iconic works of female body horror films like
Ginger Snaps
and
Carrie
, which tells us everything we need to know.
It’s clear McGlynn is a cinema buff. The script references iconic works of female body horror films like Ginger Snaps and Carrie, which tells us everything we need to know. Lindy might not be grappling with newfound supernatural powers, but what the women in those films are going through are metaphors for the very real struggles that every teenage girl faces. Adolescence is confusing enough without the added proof that you’re different from everyone else. However, Lindy realizes that being different isn’t bad and it can be a strength.
It’s poignant that as Lindy picks up the pieces of her life after imploding, the movie doesn’t make a big deal about her getting back on track for college or make the overarching conflict her future. Fitting In is nuanced enough to recognize that high school and coming of age are dramatic enough on their own, and the added pressures of the future must take a back seat sometimes. Additionally, it doesn’t rely on social media or the pressures of technology in telling Lindy’s story. They’re present and affect her decisions, but they don’t overtake the purpose of the story.
After Trauma & Turmoil, Fitting In Ends With A Positive Outlook
Even if the happily-ever-after ending is predictable, Lindy earns it
Structurally, Fitting In isn’t perfect. It overuses the montage and features dialogue that leans more into preachy territory than Lindy’s natural expression of their feelings. However, it’s impossible to accuse the film of being anything less than emotionally truthful. Lindy makes her fair share of mistakes and gets in her own way many times. Ziegler communicates how much Lindy’s diagnosis feels like the end of the world and how impressive it is that she finds a way to accept and love herself again.
It would be somewhat devastating if, after everything Lindy goes through, she didn’t come out on the other side stronger than ever. There are no true villains in Fitting In, as the people whose opinions Lindy is the most scared of aren’t her true friends. In some ways, this tough period of her life led to incredible people and relationships she hadn’t considered before. It’s not surprising Lindy makes it out of Fitting In with a new lease on life, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less satisfying to see her do so.
Fitting In is now available on digital.
