a brave heart the lizzie velasquez story

(Let this be a lesson to all of us: Do NOT read the comment section. That’s what’s so disarming about Velasquez throughout the film-no matter what’s happening, she radiates sweetness, humor and decency to her core.īut her upbeat nature was severely tested at age 17 when she found the “ugliest woman” video on YouTube. “And to just think that 20 years later, the world knows who I am, and it’s for something good.”īut Velasquez manages to laugh and smile while glancing through a stack of her baby pictures: “I had a giant forehead, and I still do.” She’s also sanguine in discussing the myriad tests, scans, surgeries and reconstructions she’s endured throughout her life. At the film’s start, she wanders the campus of her old elementary school and gets teary-eyed at the memory of hiding from staring kids in kindergarten: “I would look at everyone and just wish I could be them,” she recalls.

“A Brave Heart” allows Velasquez, now 26, to reflect on the difficult childhood she endured because of her unusual appearance. Still, Velasquez is abidingly pleasant company for the film’s brief running time-and the purity of her message is undeniable. She presents very little in the way of drama, suspense or forward momentum Bordo’s documentary is extremely straightforward and doesn’t attempt anything ambitious artistically. Her story would be inspiring in and of itself, but Velasquez is such an effervescent, charismatic subject, she can’t help but win your affection as well as your respect.ĭirector-producer Sara Hirsh Bordo was clearly wowed, as well her first feature is an unabashed love letter to this young woman that rarely dares to dig too far below the surface.

The documentary “A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story” follows the Austin, Texas native’s journey from insecure, bullied kid to internationally acclaimed motivational speaker and lobbyist.

A brave heart the lizzie velasquez story