Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Empowering teen dramedy about body positivity has bullying.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Empire Waist
What's the Story?
EMPIRE WAIST follows Lenore (Mia Kaplan), a fat teenager who dresses in all black and tries to make herself small and invisible. Her thin mother (Missi Pyle) is diet- and exercise-obsessed, while her fun-loving father (Rainn Wilson) is sedentary but happy. As an escape, Lenore, a gifted seamstress, designs and makes colorful dresses, but never wears them. When Lenore is assigned to work on a group project with her bold classmate Kayla (Jemima Yevu), who's fat and fashionable, everything changes. Kayla asks Lenore to make her a dress, and it's so beautiful that other usually overlooked classmates do the same, including Marcy (Daisy Washington), who's in a wheelchair; Tina (Holly McDowell), who's quite tall (and trans); and Diamond (Kassandra Tellez), who's much shorter than average. Lenore becomes close to her new group of friends, who encourage her to enter a prestigious fashion competition for new designers. At school, however, the group is constantly mocked and bullied by resident mean girl Sylvie (Isabella Pisacane).
Is It Any Good?
This is a sweet, heartfelt, uplifting teen movie about being proud of who you are and making friends who inspire and encourage you. Writer-director Claire Ayoub's Empire Waist has universal emotional beats for a coming-of-age story about a young adult coming out of her shell: Lenore starts off lonely and underappreciated (by everyone except her amazing father), but she makes friends who love and support one another, lets herself be truly seen, and finds joy, success, and a first crush along the way. What's unique is that this movie isn't about transformation into conventional beauty but rather about accepting your body as it is, loving it, and showing it off.
Wilson and Pyle are funny and authentic as engaged parents who have opposing approaches to raising their only daughter. And all of the young actors, at least one of whom (Tellez) is making her film debut here, do a lovely job with their performances. They start out as the school's misfits and end up banding together into a colorful, bespoke-clad group of friends who refuse to apologize for taking up space or being too tall, small, or "other." They're still vulnerable to the mockery of cruel classmates, but they believe in themselves and one another. Empire Waist's primary crew is mostly women, and, given that the film is focused on girl characters, it makes a difference. The characters are treated with thoughtful care and concern, and the movie is better for it. This movie would make a great triple feature with Dumplin' and Real Women Have Curves.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the body positivity in Empire Waist. Do the filmmakers portray fat characters with nuance and respect? Why is body size representation important?
Do you consider Lenore a role model? Why, or why not? What about Kayla or anyone else?
It's often challenging for movies to blend humor and drama. How do the filmmakers use humor to heighten the serious issues here?
Discuss the bullying and fatphobia in the movie. Are there consequences for this behavior? Why is that important?
Why can sharing inappropriate photos with even one person be such a risky choice?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 27, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : September 27, 2024
- Cast : Mia Kaplan , Rainn Wilson , Missi Pyle , Jemima Yevu
- Director : Claire Ayoub
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Kino
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Humility , Integrity , Teamwork
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements, suggestive material, teen partying and some language
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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