Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- irreverent
- witty
- warm
- family movie night
- summer viewing
What critics said
Critics found the film uneven, with an effective fitness-industry spoof and appealing youthful comedy that do not always mesh smoothly.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gerry and counselor Pat organize the campers against Tony Perkis's coercive weight-loss regime and infomercial ambitions.
Camp Hope's specialized program for overweight boys provides the film's central social environment and comic premise.
Tony intends to turn the campers' forced weight loss into promotional material for his slenderizing program.
The campers bond through shared embarrassment and resistance, culminating in their collective preparation for the Apache Relay.
Films like Heavyweights, and why
The Parent Trap
summer-camp setting, youthful ensemble, irreverent family comedy, and outsider teamwork
Matilda
children resisting an overbearing adult authority figure through mischievous collective action
The Sandlot
nostalgic youth ensemble comedy centered on friendship, competition, and camp-like group dynamics
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
broad sports comedy, exaggerated antagonist, and underdog teamwork with a cult-comedy sensibility
Movie Details
- Director
- Steven Brill
- Release Date
- 1995-02-17
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (430)
Cast
- David Goldman
- Tom McGowan
- Joseph Wayne Miller
- Cody Burger
- Aaron Schwartz
- Allen Covert
- Kenan Thompson
- Tim Blake Nelson
- Leah Lail
- Ben Stiller
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Heavyweights about?
- At a once-friendly summer camp, a group of overweight boys turns collective mischief into an uprising against a ruthless fitness entrepreneur.
- What is Heavyweights like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Heavyweights as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Heavyweights violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Heavyweights.
- What did critics think of Heavyweights?
- Critics found the film uneven, with an effective fitness-industry spoof and appealing youthful comedy that do not always mesh smoothly.
- Which films are like Heavyweights?
- Films with a similar feel include The Parent Trap, Matilda, The Sandlot, and DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story.
- How long is Heavyweights?
- Heavyweights runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Heavyweights?
- In United States, Heavyweights streams on Disney Plus.
