Presented by The Body Project, Netflix film “To the Bone” hit the big screen at Bradley on Wednesday night.
The film follows Ellen (Lily Collins), a young college drop-out struggling with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. Ellen changes her name to Eli and rides the emotional waves that she hopes will lead her to recovery.
The Body Project is trying to increase awareness and acceptance of body image among the Bradley community.
Alana Shapiro, community wellness major and intern for The Body Project, said they chose the movie because of the emphasis on a variety of issues. While Eli notably deals with anorexia, the audience is also exposed to other eating disorders through other patients in the program.
“[The movie] is kind of inclusive, like you see a male character [with an eating disorder]; that’s not always talked about,” Shapiro said. “There are different representations.”
Along with their eating disorders, characters faced other problems in their personal lives.
“What stood out to me is that [the movie] wasn’t afraid to address the awkward. [There was] a lot of awkward stuff in there that now people don’t like to talk about … you don’t really see that very much,” said Yaritza Garcia, senior marketing major.
The film ends as Eli faces near-death, but then chooses to work towards a healthy mind and body for the sake of her friends, family and self.
“I didn’t know how big the issue is when someone has an eating disorder and how it affects everyone in their life,” Jocelyn Bonilla, senior marketing major, said.
Students stuck around afterwards for a discussion about “To the Bone.” Bradley counselor Lisa Fix- Griffin, who worked in an eating disorder program for 21 years prior to her time at Bradley, responded to questions and comments with professional expertise.
“I think [discussing eating disorders] is just really important because … [The Body Project] is about body image in general … to broaden people’s awareness and more acceptance of all shapes and sizes. If there’s not that acceptance, there is increased likelihood for students to engage in disordered eating or disordered exercise,” Fix- Griffin said.
Popcorn, cookies and candy were provided, alongside pamphlets that further explained concepts in the movie.
