To the Bone (2017) Online

When I heard about this movie I was sceptical. I am a male who has suffered from Anorexia since I was 14 (I am 25 now) and have been in 2 inpatient units during this time. I have gone from a weight that literally caused my heart to stop to one that is normal according to society and have recently graduated to become a doctor.

To The Bone starts off with an all too familiar look into the life of someone with an eating disorder in an inpatient unit. Once she is 'let loose' into the world she is clearly no where close to recovery. We get some degree of insight into her life struggling with her condition. Lily Collins is perfectly suited to this role given her eating disorder history. I am slightly concerned that this role may have set something off in her mind to trigger a relapse (if not now, then in the future), but as long as she has been able to cope I am more at ease. The attention to detail into her character's daily life is incredible. From being able to recite calories in foods to the countless hours spent doing sit-ups in her room, I was amazed as to how accurate they wanted this movie to be. In my eyes, it was in no way an exaggeration and could be considered an under- representation as to the daily life of someone with an eating disorder.

As the story progresses the tone becomes a lot more serious. It makes it quite hard to watch at times, because you do feel concerned for the well being of the main character and her family. It certainly made me emotional at times because it re- surfaced memories of things I put me and my family through. Again, this just highlights how eerily accurate the film portrays the condition. I could literally put names of people I met during recovery to the faces of the characters (patients, doctors, nurses and family members included).

Aside from being concerned as to the well being of Lily Collins in this role, the other problem I had going into watching this movie was that it may glamorise eating disorders. However, after the first 10 minutes of watching it I knew this was not the case. It felt a lot more like seeing the world through a real anorexic's eyes.

The other obvious problem I had was that this may be potentially 'triggering' for people with eating disorders. I still have this reservation, however I cannot conceive any way a film like this could not have been triggering. Every person experiences an eating disorder differently and have their own personal triggers. Anything in this film could have been triggering for different reasons. What I know is that those without the condition will receive an invaluable insight into the life of someone with an eating disorder. In a world where awareness for such disorders is certainly on the up, many people still think eating disorders are a 'life choice' and that sufferers should just eat. i hope this film makes people realise the daily struggles of sufferers and that it offers sufferers ambition to recover.

I am male, fat and old, yet I understood this movie. Not wanting to eat never made sense to me. Seems like the simplest problem to solve, I mean I eat pretty much non-stop and the idea of not wanting to eat is not easy to relate to for me. But I empathized with these characters. They weren't caricatures, and they weren't dumbed down. There was no pat ending, but that reflects the reality of anorexia in real-life.

I was especially entranced with Lily Collins and Alex Sharp. Both seemed like wise old adults in many ways until they would show images of their gaunt bodies and they are nothing but children.

I know a movie like this can only give a glimpse it this problem, but seeing humans I could relate to go through these problems made it more real than reading an article or a book.

I highly recommend this movie.

I was certainly sceptical about this movie before watching it for the first time. Having personally suffered from anorexia, I anticipated that the new Netflix original would misrepresent what it is truly like to be entrenched in the world of your own eating disorder. I was partially fearful that with the beautiful Lily Collins playing the focal role of Ellen, that the film might romanticise the extremities of such a fatal mental illness and send the wrong kind of messages to the diverse range of Netflix account holders much like '13 reasons why' managed to do. However, having personally worked so hard towards recovery, my main concern with regards to the movie was its potential trigger factor. I was so wary of watching the film because I know how to push my own buttons; I have been on and off battling with disordered eating for long enough to know that if I am having a bad day, or experiencing something totally out of my control, one can be easily influenced to restrict, and over-exercise. I did not want myself and other past sufferers, nor any impressionable viewers, to hop on some totally dysfunctional bandwagon of anorexia's practical 'tips and tricks' into losing a vast amount of weight in a short time frame, then use it to justify some sort of deep routed emotional battle. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised. What won me over was the films focus on the sufferance of anorexia rather than how Ellen became ill or even why. The stigma that society has associated with anorexia in recent years must be abolished, thus I was pleased to not have had to sit through a an hour and 47 minutes of a pretty thin girl looking at prettier and thinner runway models etc. One of the greatest misconceptions of anorexia is that the illness stems from a persons desire to be thin – this is entirely subjective and often incorrect. Each person suffers in a different way, looks different, weighs different, and most importantly, has become ill as a result of a variety of reasons that are usually (and unknowingly) far more deep routed than a 'strive for thinness'. It is for this reason that I saw the film from an empathetic stance rather than an embittered and distasteful one. I was pleased to see that the place of Ellen's treatment housed patients suffering from an array of eating disorders such as bulimia and a binge eating disorder rather than just anorexia; an eating disorder is a mental illness, just because you may weigh more than someone else for example, does not make you as a patient any less sick than the next sufferer: you are allowed to hurt and you are allowed to connect and relate to another character in the film besides Ellen. The casting of a male patient in the home also caused me to sigh with relief: another huge misconception of eating disorders by society today is that this is merely a 'young girls' issue. I adored Luke's character and I think that any viewers who have been through similar traumas would easily warm to a lot of the characters, particularly Dr Beckham's patients. As result of this, I would rate 'To The Bone' as educational, not triggering, but nevertheless emotional (my eyes were leaking throughout the majority of the 107 minute run time). This movie was always going to be difficult for me to watch as I only stopped being treated for my eating disorder less than a year ago. During treatment and even after it I've relapsed several times and my friends and family have always been of great support, but if I had told my Mum I was going to sit down and watch one of the first films that actually focuses on the life of an anorexic girl, by myself, her alarm bells would have rung and she would immediately look for changes in my behaviour – she worries more than any Mother ever needs to as a result of the turmoil I have put her and my family through over the last three years. However, both the casting and characterisation of Ellen's dysfunctional family life, beautifully (and comically) represented the effect anorexia has on the loved ones of the patient and thus I would recommend any individual who has been or is currently affected by someone else's eating disorder to watch this film – it will allow you to empathise with characters such as Ellen's Stepmother, Mother, and half sister, but it might also teach you how to tolerate, comfort and help the individual so close to you that is unfortunately suffering from an eating disorder. Overall, given that this is the first film I have watched where the plot line is centred around the suffering, and effects of an eating disorder, Marti Noxon has touched on all I had hoped him to whilst evoking emotion and simultaneously educating a wide range of viewers.

I have struggled with an eating disorder since I was 15 years old. In my early twenties I didn't deal with it appropriately only to end up working for a group of wellness clinics... the biggest one for eating disorders. From here onward you can guess I had a massive anorexic/bulimic relapse (in my late 20's), and I went through my companies own in patient unit and several others... In my early 30's I finally made the leap, quit my triggering job and took a year off to heal. I did CBT (group therapy), shrink, psycho therapy, dietitian/nutritionist, etc etc. I am now I'm my mid 30's and I am FINALLY OK with myself, kinder to myself and able to accept myself as I am and enjoy food again. Why did I write this entire cathartic blurb? Because this movie is INCREDIBLY accurate and well made! Now only does it pretty much mirror my own relationship with myself and others, I really identified with the defiant and guarded girl Lily Collins portrayed! I literally broke down in tears at the mother/daughter breastfeeding scene... it made me think of my own issues with my mother and her inability to both breastfeed and connect with me. At my stage of healing I did not find it triggering, but that's not to say that those who are actively struggling with their own wellness might not benefit from watching it. All I can say is that the acting was spot on, as was the the secrecy,tortured, shameful and painful nature of eating disorders... during mine I did it all; starvation, binging, purging, cutting, overdosing, laxatives, diuretics, hiding food/puke/stool, you name it! But not anymore because, just like in this movie, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I can imagine everyone that has had anorexia or knew or knows someone with it or comparable diagnosis will have a hard time watching this movie, but also will say it is true to it's theme.

This movie is hard-hitting, indeed, to the bone. I could not take my eyes off this movie, even though it is very hard to look at 'cause the look of Lily Collins and her co stars in the Strashhold are close to unbearable. But that is how it is so a story like this needed to be told. (Just like with 13 Reasons Why)

Everyone's performance is amazing and true to the characters. This needs to be seen, there are scenes that will make you bawl and probably help you being grounded more. It is also funny when it wants to be, which is not that often.

Loves this, waited for it for a year and it was worth it.

Eating disorder is a very serious yet common problem among teenagers. there are not much of the media (such as films or TV shows) that depicts about it. there are a few, but sadly it didn't got much attention. so, when i first heard of this movie, i was pretty excited. and when i finished watching this movie, i was... pretty confused.

no, it's not that the plot that is confusing, rather than the movie's quality. is this movie a better movie about eating disorder? YES. is this a great movie? i don't think so.

Let's start with the acting. well, i'm going to give me praise to lily collins. this is definitely a better performance from her. It showed how much she actually cares about this character and film. Keanu Reeves' performance is weak and at times forced. other supporting actors are doing a pretty good job. even they didn't really develop well, which brings out my main problem to this movie, development. characters which are far more interesting to know is drawn out, by you can guess it- cheap subplot romance.

i do expect a romance from this film when i watched the trailers. but i didn't think it's going to take much time that it drowns out the actual story i'm expecting. the first half of the movie, when the romance doesn't got involved, i'm pretty much in love. it portrays how much our main character is struggling. but after the whole romance got involved, it became unbalanced. those time could be used for actual things to make us feel more about the main character, but it dumbly got drowned out and only slipped by a line or two. i know that too much flashback is a pain, but seeing how this movie focuses on her struggle and journey, could you please at least show us a thing or two that make her struggling? at least, the ending makes it all up, it has some great emotional moments, that scene with her biological mother is somehow works out pretty well.

all and all, it's still a decent movie. and by this, i wish there are more movies about the topic.

And I can fully recommend. Keanu is about the best looking doctor I ever saw but he does not overwhelm the cast with his degree of celebrity, although I have often wondered how he magically manages to do that in his smaller roles. This is clearly Lily Collins movie but I will say that Lili Taylor's scenes are very touching and one in particular had me believing and teary which I did not expect. Depending on a given viewers degree of

emotional connection to the subject matter there will be fallout. Can't be helped with such a real portrayal of this confusing illness and the exploration of how it happens and how it is overcome. A nice addition to the Keanu Reeves filmography with skillful portrayals from all the actors that are often comedic and isn't that how real life often turns out?

Even before it was released to general audiences the think pieces started coming out about Marti Noxon's directorial debut To the Bone. So many think pieces argued over whether the movie had a right to exist and the potential triggers it might have for anyone currently suffering through an eating disorder (and warning, despite Noxon's claim that she was careful not to include anything that might trigger someone with an eating disorder the film does have a few moments that feel gratuitous).

Unfortunately, on every level, it's just not a very good film. Lily Collins plays Ellen, a 20 year old wise-cracking artist with a dark sense of humour who happens to be anorexic. We first meet her as she is coming out of her latest inpatient program weighing even less than she did when she came in. Appalled, Ellen's stepmother pulls some strings and manages to get her to see Dr. Beckham whose unconventional methods are supposed to cure Ellen. He insists on yet another inpatient program which Ellen initially tries to resist, only to succumb when her younger sister pleads with her to go.

The problem is this movie isn't as interesting as it thinks it is. Anorexia is a serious subject worthy of study in fiction and in film, but even though writer/director Noxon and star Lily Collins are both in recovery from the disease their approach feels as clichéd as your average TV movie. Everything from the way that Ellen wears layered dark clothes and makes sarcastic "witty" comments that are supposed to show how great she is and wise beyond her years, to the fact that Beckham's unconventional methods seem to be the pretty conventional method of showing off things of beauty, engaging in therapy and not talking down to his patient are incredibly cringe worthy. The frustrating thing is that there are some interesting moments in the film, like how the supposedly happy go lucky model recovery patient Luke turns out to have a bit of a dark side, but even this is barely covered.

Collins is great and rises far above the material, but it's unfortunate that this passion project, which does take a couple of interesting turns, seems more committed to staying with the paint by numbers typical approach than in offering us anything truly unusual.

I don't really know what this movie wants to be and that is the problem. Romance? Education? Drama? Comedy?

It is trying to go deep but fails miserably. As someone with a long-term eating disorder, I don't think that what they show is real anywhere. And it shouldn't be a fantasy as it is a really serious problem. So anyone with an eating disorder who has not recovered yet may watch this and think: oh well as long as I eat 2 peas at dinner, everything will be peachy. No. It won't. The protagonist doesn't seem to suffer at all, she is making fun of spitting out food or getting laxatives and I don't really see a development in her character at all. Lily Collins lost a lot of weight for nothing. And it is a shame because we would need a great movie about this topic. But this movie is banalizing the problem and it doesn't do any good.

-SPOILERS- don't read if you didn't see it.

I was really excited for this film but lets be real... this is a total disrespect to people who work trying to help those with eating disorders. The place were she goes for treatment is a fantasy land; Lets face it.

-90% of the time, they are unsupervised, so they can work out, puke or have a mental break down who is handle by the other patients - Patients can eat whatever they want...even NOT eat at all. Everyone knows that this places has always schedule eating menus for every patient needs. The girl overweight with bulimia is only seen eating peanut butter?! Great way to make you healthy. - One patient hides a vomit bag under the bed and no one smells it or the nurses don't find out cause, apparently, no one searches the rooms from time to time. - The mother says: I accept if you wanna die. And this is not discussed on the movie as the worst possible thing to say to a person in the kind of the situation the protagonist is living. -Basically they are there earning points, cause that is the whole reason they eat, not to get better at all...this points allows then to go outside alone and buy laxity's for example. - Of course, and if you want you can just leave without even a call to the parents from the doctors. Cause its just so normal to leave without your doctors consent if you are in a treatment facility.

Really the worst movie i ever saw on the subject. The performances are good, but not worth it. And they made a huge marketing about how it was a real portrait of eating disorders. Sorry, but saying the f word to the voice in your head is not enough folks.

---- Feels like i needed to give a response since i was being attack on the account that i may not have suffer from ED myself..

First of all, the movie portrait both the eating disorder as a whole in a person life as the eating disorder inside the facility environment...so if someone wants to criticize the movie there is no problem in focus in one of those topics. Second, i have never said i worked in a treatment facility at any point of my review. However, if its so important to accepted the critics of others i have no shame in saying that yes, i suffered myself from ED in the past and yes, i was once in a treatment facility and have also watched many documentaries and TV shows on the subject. (since we all know, we can get a bit obssessive.) So, in my opinion, this movie, as unconventional as the doctor my say he is, does not show decent and real work that happen in those kind of places.

I can also tell you my opinion on the rest of the story. Does ED people puke, do exercises unhealthily, count calories, have different ages, races and weights? yes. Do they suffer with mental struggles as if they cant control the illness and others? yes.

Now...the doctor does ONE session with the family and decides it is pointless? Too unconventional...for me. Freedom of speech, sure! Just don't think they should have made such a marketing saying a lot of people with ED past or ED knowledge were involve in the movie so they could make a work that shows the real deal, and give voice to these people. Cause for me, if a person with ED watch this and thinks there is a place where they can go and eat or not eat at their on decision, do exercises without supervision, go to the bathroom at night alone and puke, not have to deal with family session (wich are hard but so necessary)...so this for me does not help this person at all. No matter how lily Collins face looks all proud "i got back to treatment because I wanted to" at the end. For me she is just walking into a toxic treatment all over again.

This film is terribly over-hyped. Smart, sassy heroine with an eating disorder meets laid back doctor, the impossibly youthful Keanu Reeves. We also meet the usual quirky bunch of recovering/struggling patients at a beautiful, lavish treatment facility that spares no expense. There was something just terribly trivial about 'To The Bone' that disappointed me. There were the hackneyed sad bits, funny bits, but the real horror of eating disorders was really only touched on. Was it glamorised? Not really, but it was made to look a bit like a life choice that wasn't really all that awful, certainly for our smart- talking heroine.There was something terribly detached about it. It never became something that gripped as you watched it. The characters were unlikable and the plot line non-existent. It was 'eating-disorder' film by numbers and not worthy of all the talk around it.

Now, this is purely my opinion and if you disagree all the power to you. However, I have struggled with anorexia for most of my life, since I was seven in fact. I was lucky enough to never end up in a clinic, but I do know what they are like. This whole "we won't force you to eat or do room searches" just isn't accurate. If you do get to the point where you have to do inpatient, it's nothing like this. You can expect to sit with others and finish your food in a certain amount of time, and you have to (or say hello to the tube or soylent). You can expect room searches for things such as vomit stashes, diet pills, razors, and just about anything else. Forget trying to secretly burn calories because they will literally sit you down and have some one watch you to make sure you aren't so much as tapping a finger.

On the other hand I think this movie did it's best and I appreciate all the actors and directors hard work. However I really don't think this portrays what living with an eating disorder is like. The control aspect they definitely nailed, how family members handle disorders and inpatient treatment I feel was gravely off. Of course I only have my experience and those that have been willing to share theirs with me.

Do NOT watch this if you have suffered from an eating disorder. It is vert difficult to handle even if the disorder has long been recovered from. The movie weirdly enough made me want to stop eating again. I had to stop watching it halfway through. I do NOT recommend! However, for people who have not suffered from eating disorders, please do watch! It helps people gain a better understanding, which is why I gave it a 6/10.

I feel it's a very accurate portrayal of eating disorders! Hard to predict what could set it off. I've had an eating disorder for almost 23 years. This movie touches on that voice, the one that tells you you're only worth something if you're thin. I would've liked to see more at the end especially with Eli and Luke's relationship? Keanu Reeves needed to be in it a lot more, too! I do like when his character says, don't talk about food it's boring. An eating disorder seems like it's all about food, when not eating is a symptom of what's going on in your head! That voice is very manipulative! Too many of us strive to keep it happy all while we are miserable inside!

Possible Spoilers: I initially gave To The Bone a higher rating until I read that the lead actress, Lily Collins actually has suffered from an eating disorder for years. I also read that she lost more than 20 pounds to play the role of the anorexic lead character, Ellen. If this is true, I am more than appalled and outraged.

This is a very sensitive topic for many people and I deeply relate having had a mother who suffered from anorexia and ultimately died from complications from the condition.

Again, if what I have read is true, with all the special effects make-up available I find it more than appalling that this actress lost over 20 pounds to play this role. Regardless of whether she used a nutritionist (as indicated in several articles) or not, this is more than irresponsible and reprehensible. It would be like giving a recovering alcoholic or drug addict a role and suggest they actually get intoxicated on set.

I strongly believe there should be more films about this often misunderstood and controversial illness, but I cannot condone the manner in which this film was made.

Anorexics don't act the way any of those characters acted. And an eating disorder clinic or residential home are so strict. You will have to sit down and eat. And the only love you get is tough love. And that stereotypical British guy is just beyond cringe worthy. Its as if a dumb teen made it.

I think it is a really hard subject, and you can never really make everyone happy. I have been struggling, and i really think it is a good as possible movie. Because if it is to long, people won't watch it, and it is really hard to make everyone pleased. With the short time they have, they have really gotten into what the disease means, and how it effect other people around. My only thing is i think it would have been better in a series, because then you can really get into the disease. Some people complain about the movie being superficial, i think it may be better as i series. But then again, it would be much harder for Lily Collins to play the role, and not get a re-laps herself. Because playing a series takes a lot of time, and maybe there could have been another season.I think it is one of the best movies about anorexia, and i don't believe they could have done it much better with what time they had

Eating disorders have been shown in many TV movies before but this is probably one of the best on screen treatments of the subject. Movies like this can be painful to watch and not because the subject is painful but because they are often clichéd and not handled well. This movie is actually very watchable.

The A list cast deserves special mention. Lily Collins shows she can do drama as well as romantic comedy. She lost weight for the role. I wish these actors and actresses wouldn't do this to their bodies it can't be good for them. Although they have won awards, I think Matthew and Matt never recovered without some damage their looks from their weight loss roles. Nevertheless Lily was quite moving.

Supporting cast is good. Tony winning British actor Alex Sharp does a charming and witty fellow sufferer love interest quite well. Lily Taylor as her rather unhelpful but well meaning mother is a good actress but a strange choice - how could she have such a drop dead gorgeous daughter? Keanu Reeves - ever since that rom com with Diane Keaton it seems okay to cast him as a doctor. The dude speak is kind of hilarious.

The story has a good balance of humor and drama with well written dialog. Liked the date in the Chinese restaurant. The family therapy session was quite funny too. Also the part about the Holocaust Museum. The characters are interesting and not clichéd. Liked the fact that she got along with her stepmother who cared for her more than her father. Her rapport with the love interest is quite refreshing - not clichéd.

Worth watching

I wanted to review this movie since it hits close to home. I have battled anorexia since I was 13. I think the movie was good about showing what it is like minus the family stuff. ..obviously that is for each individual. I also did not have my period for a long time and overly exercised even if I saw white spots. The only reason I went to a doctor at 15 is because after a couple years of me "embarassing" my mother in front of the church or her teachers at school, people kept asking why she wouldn't do anything (and she cares what strangers think) . She finally took me to a psychologist and lo and behold that lady had anorexia when she was younger and basically gave me death stares. ..& said almost all of the things in the movie that they tell her in the beginning like "just eat" , "your organs are going to fail", threatening a tube in my nose etc. It was almost like a newly sober person that suddenly despises anyone who uses and needs them to be on their level OR else. That was my experience with that psychologist. And the things I mentioned they tell you. ..That is like telling a smoker not to smoke. If it was that easy, no one would smoke or have anorexia for years. Needless to say, I did not see her for long then I saw a couple people (psychiatrists) after that but never for very long.

Anyway, if I had had a doctor that got it more like Keanu or a program like that then maybe I would have gotten better sooner, especially with him not being interested in the family or food talk like most. One thing that did bug me is how many chances she got. .I get some people's families might could do that but kind of not unrealistic for a lot. Anyone who does not have an eating disorder, I do not think this movie glorifies eating disorders. It might stir up OLD feelings, but if you are over it enough, you can be objective and empathetic. Even if you are in the depths of an eating disorder, you are just going to be like yup, yup...that is how it is even though it really does not go too far into the overthinking since it more about the girl's journey. I do not think it would trigger anyone more unless they are younger like 13 to 18 because I use to get more ideas from documentaries, books, and movies about anorexia to be honest. BUT from someone who used to get those ideas from those things, I really would not get many, if any, from this movie.

Movie had us in tears a few times. Gave me chills and more insight into the lives of people with eating disorders. The imagery around how family can influence the destruction as well as reconstruction of a person's life captivated me.

I was disappointed with the ending. I'm hoping for a sequel as many questions were left unanswered.

Overall, it was a brilliant movie and I would recommend it :)

If you enjoyed 13 reasons why, you'll love this. Its totally unrealistic. It seems as if it was stolen from a tumblr blog. The difference between something like this and 13 reasons why, is that I can suspend my disbelief for 13 reasons why, and then feel engaged in character drama. With this movie, even suspending my disbelief, it couldn't make up for awful writing, stereotypical characters, and a plot line that is literally nonexistent. Its like a a D rated version of Girl, Interrupted. And I loved that movie. 6/10 for no plot line, predictable characters, cringe dialogue, damn near grazing over the topic of the movie itself- ANOREXIA, making it seem normal. Its not normal. It literally takes over peoples lives like, every second of the day you're thinking of what you are or didn't eat or how to burn more calories. Ellen/Eli spits her food out and its almost a gag, she does sit ups by her bed and it seems like regular exercise, she runs to a restaurant and once again, it's made into a joke. I love jokes about topics like these, but there wasn't enough light shed on anorexia for the jokes to be warranted as comedic relief. It was stale.

My wife and I watched this as a Netflix streaming movie. It is said to based on real people and real events with some characters composited and some dramatic parts fictionalized. Presumably it fairly accurately reflects what those suffering go through.

Why "suffering"? There is a range of body weights, a quite large range, within which a person can live a normally healthy life. On the low end when a person with anorexia or bulimia gets so thin the body starts to metabolize muscle to stay alive, and eventually consuming vital organs. Then you die.

Lily Collins, mid-20s, is 20-yr-old Ellen. She is from a dysfunctional family, when she was younger her mom left to take up with another woman, her dad remarried but seems rarely present. And step mom is a "piece of work" when it comes to being a good parent.

So perhaps because of all this, or for reasons less related, she has become anorexic. She abhors eating, maybe nibbles a bit, might chew food then spit it out, and keeps losing weight. In desperation her family gets her into a group home for eating disorders under the care of a Psychiatrist who has a glowing reputation for helping those out.

That doctor is Keanu Reeves as Dr. William Beckham. He practices a tough love approach, assuring Ellen that nothing but her own stubbornness is holding her back.

It is a hard movie to watch at times, and in the middle things often move a bit slowly. But Lily Collins is excellent and absolutely convincing in the role. She doesn't have a breakthrough until a dream.

I can appreciate the fact many people unfortuantley have eating disorders but this film could've been made much more interesting. I was bored within 15 minutes. By 50 minutes in, I decided I couldn't hack the last 40 minutes as I was bored to tears. I even split that 50 minutes in 2 sittings. I believe the annoying lad and Ellen/Eli kiss or he tries to kiss her, she runs away back home, gets weirdly babied by her mother and then returns back to the house where they are attempting to make these girls/lad better. Who knows what happens after that.......

I loved it except that they portrayed all anorexics and bulimics as underweight, and the binger as overweight. That is NOT indicative of an eating disorder. And it kinda broke my heart. -the 190 lb anorexic

'To the Bone' is a film that if you don't prepare for it properly can take you quite off guard and hit you hard. I've never known (at least to my knowledge) anyone in real life who has suffered from an eating disorder, so to see it portrayed so astutely and brutally on screen really caught me on the hop. How a film can be made so realistically and also be made with such high quality in every other aspect is quite unbelievable. This is an incredible film that deserves a lot more recognition than it is seemingly getting.

I expected the film to be more focused on the unconventional doctor and his miraculous ways of ultimately healing the lead character. Instead he actually has very little screen time and what he does have holds little impact on the outcome of the story. Instead the film focuses more on the fact that you need to heal yourself and that the buck ultimately stops with you.

The acting in the film is incredible. Lily Collins in the lead role blew me away. The commitment she showed to the role was one thing, but man can she act her butt off too. The chemistry she and Alex Sharp found was of the highest quality. Keanu Reeves, while in a very different type of performance, also played a key role. He was an immensely reassuring presence to have on screen and his humour worked perfectly for the film.

'To the Bone' finds a perfect balance between drama, comedy (this film is seriously funny at times), inspiration and heart-break. It is masterfully put together and the finished product isn't far short of a masterpiece. Exquisite dialogue is just the icing on the cake. I can't recommend this film highly enough. Please see it, you'll be stoked you did.