Amy Schumer Is Schooling Confidence

Amy Schumer is quickly becoming the queen of Hollywood comedy. The comedian has appeared in several of the last few big comedies, from Snatched to Trainwreck, the latter which she also wrote. We’ve laughed our heads off in theaters watching Schumer do her thing, and we likely will again when I FEEL PRETTY is released this month.

Schumer’s newest comedy, however, is something quite different. I FEEL PRETTY stars Schumer in the leading role, as the insecure Renee Barrett, who struggles with everyday life. She constantly feels invisible. That is, until she has an accident at the gym and wakes up to believe that she is the world’s prettiest woman, even though she doesn’t look any different. I Feel Pretty may look like a straightforward comedy on the surface, there’s more than meets the eye – just like Schumer’s character.

You Don’t Have To Alter Your Appearance To Be Self-Confident

There was some backlash following the first trailer for I FEEL PRETTY. Some Twitter users felt the movie was making fun of its heroine and almost branding her unattractive. Schumer has argued that this isn’t what the film is about at all; she encouraged people to see it before they make their judgments. It’s true, while the trailer may come off as a little derogatory towards Renee, the film itself stands for something completely different.

I FEEL PRETTY is simply about a young woman who has confidence issues — specifically where her appearance is concerned. The moral of the story, however, is that she doesn’t need to alter her appearance to make herself feel better; she just needs to have confidence in herself. In an interview with Vulture, Schumer spoke in more detail about the importance of the movie’s message.

“I heard a lot of, “She doesn’t have a right to feel bad about herself because she looks however she looks.” But first off, it’s not about an ugly troll becoming beautiful, it’s about a woman who has low self-esteem finding some. Everyone’s got a right to feel that feeling, regardless of their appearance. We all struggle with self-esteem. I certainly have. Your friends who you think are so beautiful, they could be struggling too. You want them to see themselves the way you see them, but it’s not our place to say who should be allowed to have low self-esteem.“

Renee doesn’t suddenly see herself as what a more stereotypically pretty woman; she just sees what she’s always seen. That is, herself. The difference is that she suddenly has the confidence she always lacked. After things change for Renee, she appreciates that beauty is subjective. She begins to realize the key to success isn’t to try and appease others with your appearance, but to be content being yourself.

So following her accident, Renee isn’t just happy with how she looks, she now has the confidence to apply for high-end jobs she never would have applied for in the past. Sure, I Feel Pretty is a comedy, but it’s also a story of how confidence is the key to succeeding in life. It doesn’t matter if no-one else believes in you, as long as you believe in yourself you will succeed.

I FEEL PRETTY hits theaters on April 20th.