Amy Schumer wants people to know that the backlash her new movie has been receiving over its message on body image completely misses the point of the film.
"I Feel Pretty," which is about a woman with low self-esteem who after a head injury suddenly sees herself as beautiful, has been receiving criticism ever since the first trailer was released in February.
Many believe the film perpetuates the false notion that you need to look like a supermodel to be seen as beautiful.
Schumer tells Vulture the trailer backlash was “kind of disappointing,” but she assures fans that once they see the movie, they’ll realize 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,” she says. “We all struggle with self-esteem. I certainly have. Your friends who you think are so beautiful, they could be struggling too.”
There’s also the misconception that when her character, Renee, bumps her head, she sees herself as thin, she added.
“In the scene after the head injury, the assumption is that the woman I see when I look in the mirror is skinny, but I’m just seeing my same self and perceiving my body as beautiful,” she explains.
“She doesn’t say, ‘I’m so thin!’" the 36-year-old comedian continues. "She just says that she’s amazed by her jawline, and her boobs, and her a--. If anything, that sounds like a more voluptuous woman to me.”
The film, co-starring Aidy Bryant and Busy Phillips, hits theaters Friday.
