Perfect Body
Encyclopedia
Perfect Body is a 1997 American
drama film
about a young gymnast who develops an eating disorder
. It originally aired on NBC
on September 8, 1997. It has since aired on Lifetime
and ABC Family
and been released on DVD. The film stars former Power Rangers
and Felicity actress Amy Jo Johnson
.
) is a gymnast with big dreams for the Olympics. When offered to work with one of the leading coaches in the U.S., she gratefully accepts. This requires her to move from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. When she gets to the gym, she is scrutinized by the coach about her weight and feels the pressure to lose the pounds. At first it's just dieting, but it soon leads to anorexia
. When she meets a fellow team member, Leslie (Tara Boger), she realizes there are ways around it. "You can eat what you want, and not gain a pound." Andie continues with her diet, but once she cannot handle it she turns to purging methods. Her mom notices changes in her weight, while her boyfriend and best friend also notice changes in her attitude. Andie eventually comes out to her best friend, telling her that she sees the changes and can't stop her behavior. She faints twice and goes to hospital where a doctor talk to her parent about her body problems. Her parents decide to move back home. Andie runs away to the gym, where she sees a new girl being given the same lecture about her weight that was given to her. She decides that she is not ready to go back to training. After moving back to Portland, Andie joins a support group where she is encouraged to eat as part of her therapy. At the end of the movie, she is seen walking into the school gymnasium and getting back on the balance beam.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
about a young gymnast who develops an eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
. It originally aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on September 8, 1997. It has since aired on Lifetime
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
and ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
and been released on DVD. The film stars former Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
and Felicity actress Amy Jo Johnson
Amy Jo Johnson
Amy Jo Johnson is an American actress, singer, songwriter and musician.She is best known for her roles in the televison series as the constable Jules Callaghan in the Canadian CTV television series Flashpoint, the famous jockey Tina Sharp in the ABC Family's original show Wildfire, the rookie cop...
.
Plot
Andie Bradley (JohnsonAmy Jo Johnson
Amy Jo Johnson is an American actress, singer, songwriter and musician.She is best known for her roles in the televison series as the constable Jules Callaghan in the Canadian CTV television series Flashpoint, the famous jockey Tina Sharp in the ABC Family's original show Wildfire, the rookie cop...
) is a gymnast with big dreams for the Olympics. When offered to work with one of the leading coaches in the U.S., she gratefully accepts. This requires her to move from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. When she gets to the gym, she is scrutinized by the coach about her weight and feels the pressure to lose the pounds. At first it's just dieting, but it soon leads to anorexia
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
. When she meets a fellow team member, Leslie (Tara Boger), she realizes there are ways around it. "You can eat what you want, and not gain a pound." Andie continues with her diet, but once she cannot handle it she turns to purging methods. Her mom notices changes in her weight, while her boyfriend and best friend also notice changes in her attitude. Andie eventually comes out to her best friend, telling her that she sees the changes and can't stop her behavior. She faints twice and goes to hospital where a doctor talk to her parent about her body problems. Her parents decide to move back home. Andie runs away to the gym, where she sees a new girl being given the same lecture about her weight that was given to her. She decides that she is not ready to go back to training. After moving back to Portland, Andie joins a support group where she is encouraged to eat as part of her therapy. At the end of the movie, she is seen walking into the school gymnasium and getting back on the balance beam.
Cast
- Amy Jo JohnsonAmy Jo JohnsonAmy Jo Johnson is an American actress, singer, songwriter and musician.She is best known for her roles in the televison series as the constable Jules Callaghan in the Canadian CTV television series Flashpoint, the famous jockey Tina Sharp in the ABC Family's original show Wildfire, the rookie cop...
as Andie Bradley - Brett CullenBrett CullenPeter Brett Cullen is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs. Early in 2007, he was cast as the role of an estranged father to one of the American football players, Tim Riggins , in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights.Cullen was born in Houston,...
as Coach David Blair - Wendie MalickWendie MalickWendie Malick is an American actress and former fashion model, known for her roles as Judith Tupper Stone on the HBO series Dream On , Nina Van Horn on the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me! , Ronee Lawrence on the NBC sitcom Frasier and Victoria Chase on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland .-Early...
as Janet Bradley - Ray BakerRay BakerRay Baker may refer to:*Ray Stannard Baker , journalist and author*Ray Baker , country-western music producer* Ray Baker , in such films as The Trip , Total Recall and Without a Paddle...
as Elliot Bradley - Tara Boger as Leslie Reynolds
- Ron Melendez as Josh
- Julie Patzwald as Holly Simmons
- Cathy RigbyCathy RigbyCathleen Roxanne Rigby , best known as Cathy Rigby, is a former gymnast, actress and speaker.-Early life:Rigby was born in Los Alamitos, California in 1952....
as Brenda Gray