Review of Thin (2006) by Sherry L — 27 May 2010

This is a devastating documentary about eating disorders. It takes place in Renfrew center, a ED-rehab and we follow four young women struggling with their own personal wars inside their heads.

[list][*]Alyssa is about 30 years old, single mother of two little children. She´s had severe bulimia for many years, which has ruled her life. She would stick to 200 calories for several days until she gets a binge, when she usually eats more in two, three hours, then she usually does for two or three weeks. She always purges after binges, sticks her finger in her throat, use various laxatives, and occasionaly ipocac. In the documentary she described her urge to get thin like this; "if it takes dying to get there, so be it..."[/list]Brittany is 15 and has had disordered eating since she was eight. It started like compulsive overeatig, but later it turned into anorexia/bulimia. This year she has lost so much weight that she starts to get problems with her heart. It was her mother who got her to Renfrew, Brittany herself ins´t motivated at all to get well. Brittanys mom has an ED, herself and when she comes to visit Brittany at the rehab and having lunch you see that she´s having quite a tough time eating the same food Brittany is eating which makes Brittany very insecure.

Shelley is in her mid twenties and suffers from anorexia. She´s been fed with a feeding tube, attached in her stomac for six years. She has been in treatment many times before Renfrew, but this time the staff decides she´s gonna have her feeding tube removed and will try to take her food oraly.

Polly is a texas girl in her late twenties, who has had anorexia/bulimia for many many years. She admitted herself to Renfrew after a suiside attempt after eating two slices of pizza. She seems to have very high self esteem but you very soon finds out that´s not the case. She is a bit rebellious and make friends with Shelley, and breaks lots of the rules which finally result in her being kicked out. A few years after this documentary, Polly sadly killed herself. She couldn´t endure anylonger.

Photographer Lauren Greenfield decided to make this documentary very bald and naked, and never interfering in the movie, not even talking. You simply feel like an observer, which makes the whole thing even more haunting. You know that this is 100% reality and the focus is only on the girls on Renfrew, no ED-experts/professors trying to explain what causes EDs. You can speculate yourself and come to your own conclusions why these four young women has gotten it. The only bad thing with the DVD is the lack of extra material. I mean; come on! Why on earth aren´t there any extra material on the DVD?! There is an exellent trailer, both for the movie and for the book. Why didn´t they put them on the DVD? And not to mention all the deleted scenes that are also available on the web but not on the DVD? I think they really missed something there...