On a seemingly random evening, my mom texted me, “You have to watch Tall Girl.” I hadn’t heard of it, but I mentally added it to my queue and went about my day. The next day my mom and sister had both texted me asking if I had watched it yet. This seemed strange to me; why this movie? They watch stuff without me all the time. What made this show so special?
So with my curiosity peaked and a collection of texts from my family urging me to do so, I watched it. And I was far from disappointed.
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Although the movie focuses on the main character, Jodi, who struggles with confidence, specifically in relation to her height. Because I am six feet tall myself, I understood many of her insecurities, but our shared insecurity was not what made the story so meaningful to me. In the end, Jodi speaks about the difference between height, the characteristic she saw as defining her, and the characteristics that made her who she was: her intelligence, kindness, and other incredible qualities. The qualities that truly define ourselves aren’t what strangers think, it is the attributes that we work for and become.
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This same idea of defining characteristics can be made for any of the characters. Throughout the movie, Jodi’s best friend Fareeda reveals herself, to be honest, creative, and caring. These traits aren’t all apparent when she is first introduced to the story, they reveal themselves as the movie progresses. These characteristics are more important than the ones that immediately present themselves because the characters choose to treat others this way.
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This movie serves as a beautiful reminder that we get to choose what our defining attributes are. You truly can be whatever you want to be. So go out and be caring, funny, smart, kind, helpful, brave, and anything else you want to be. The choice is yours, so stand tall and own what makes you unique.