Fitting In ★★★★

Released: 9th September (Digital)

Director: Molly McGlynn

Starring: Maddie Ziegler, Emily Hampshire

Directed and written by Molly McGlynn, Fitting In is a daring and beautiful film. It also feels very personal as McGlynn, who also wrote the film, was diagnosed with the same syndrome as her protagonist, a condition that is not often – if ever – portrayed on the big screen. Making it a particularly unique film that stands out in the genre of coming-of-age movies, using some common tropes in an entirely new way.

Fitting In follows 16-year-old Lindy (Maddie Ziegler), a teenage girl who is diagnosed with a rare reproductive condition called MRKH syndrome. Dealing with such a rare condition many wouldn’t normally be aware of would already be a struggle enough, but, for Lindy, things are even more complicated. Her syndrome disrupts her presumptions about womanhood and her sexuality that she is just starting to explore. It also takes a toll on all aspects of her life, including her relationships with all those around her, including her mother Rita (Emily Hampshire) and the people she just met in her new school.

The film does an excellent job of portraying Lindy’s teenage years. As anyone in the audience will probably remember, being 16 years old is anything but easy and Fitting In never shies away from portraying. Equally using humour in some particularly funny scenes and emotional moments that had me tearing up. The film creates a perfect balance of both, staying very true to what being a teenager looks and feels like. Similarly, the movie is also never afraid of touching on Lindy’s relationship with her sexuality, which is one of the key elements of the personal growth for both the main character and those around her.

The beautiful message makes Fitting In all the more powerful, aided further by Maddie Ziegler’s performance. She is incredible as Lindy, in what may well be one of her best roles yet. She is especially good at showing us every single emotion Lindy goes through without uttering a single line. In some of the most important and emotional scenes, her eyes speak volumes, poignantly highlighting the tormented reality and difficult situation the protagonist is going through. She is especially a joy to watch when acting against Emily Hampshire who plays her mother, as the two perfectly match each other in every scene they are both in.

I also loved the relationship between Lindy and her mother. At times turbulent but also soft and tender, their relationship goes through every stage during the film’s runtime. Fitting In never gives us a romanticized picture of this mother-daughter relationship – nor of Lindy’s life – but it does show us that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Lindy might have felt like she was going through the worst time in her life, but thankfully her world did not end when she was 16 as she embarked on the journey of accepting herself, not in spite of her condition, but primarily because of it.

Overall, Fitting In is a film about discovering who you are and staying true to yourself, no matter what others may think. Many of us in the audience may not be able to relate to what Lindy is going through, or even know anything about it before watching. And yet everyone can probably relate to her struggle on a basic level in the way Lindy feels inadequate and misunderstood by everyone around her. Ultimately, that is part of the reason why the movie is so successful in a story that is heightened by its incredible acting performances and brilliantly funny script.