Netflix’s ‘Tall Girl’ accurately sizes up perspectives of teen life for one of CF’s own

Standing there, shoulder to shoulder, or in her case, shoulder to head. Back row, dead center. That’s where Jodi always stood for the class photo. I can easily relate being CFHS’ own “Tall Girl.” Much like Jodi, I didn’t ask to be tall, but I’ve learned to live with my height and even embrace it over the years. 

In the new heart-warming Netflix Original film, “Tall Girl,” Jodi, a 6-foot-1-inch junior in high school battles adversity as she learns to love all 73 inches of herself. Getting herself stuck in a love triangle between her best friend and the new exchange student, Jodi is in over her head getting stuck in the high school drama that she usually avoided. 

The day the movie came out, at least five people had asked me if I’d seen it or heard of it. So, at the first available opportunity I sat down and watched it with my parents since they were equally intrigued. 

Shoulders above the bathroom stall walls, pants that end at the ankle, bending over to see your face in the mirror and the constant, “Gosh, I feel short standing next to you!” For a normal teen these are never an issue, but for me they’re a part of my daily life.

For the most part, I’d say this movie is pretty accurate. I related to a lot of the struggles the main character in the movie faced. I can’t say I’ve ever been caught in the middle of high school drama or been at the peak of a love triangle, but I can say that it’s extremely difficult to find pants with a 37 inch inseam.

Yes, clothes hunting is the main source of my problems. I can’t wear the same brands my peers wear because they always stop at the ankle. I can rarely buy a dress in store because if I bent one way or another the dress would not be “school appropriate.” This is one topic I think the movie could have included more. 

In the film, Jodi goes shopping with her mom and sister, trying to make her wardrobe a little more trendy. The camera shot only depicts her shoulders and above as she tries on dresses. Ultimately, she decides on a pant suit that suits her personal style. What I want to know is, how on earth did she find pants long enough? Find sleeves long enough? How did she buy an outfit in store that somehow fit her proportions perfectly? It’s just unrealistic.

Another “tall person problem” I wish the movie would have addressed is how our heads and, I guess in my case, shoulders, stick above the stall door in public restrooms. My teammates and I always joke about it because it honestly is funny when I stand up and can look at them in the mirror from my stall. On the flip side, though, it makes it super uncomfortable to have to change and try and crouch down. 

As a kid, the tall jokes were inevitable. I don’t think I felt fully comfortable in my skin ’til half way through my middle school years. That’s because before then, my height didn’t serve me at all. All it was was a draw-back, a reason for people to look at me, but as I practiced volleyball and gained control of my lengthy limbs, I understood how my height could actually benefit me.

In the movie, Jodi is a gifted pianist but explains that she stopped playing because she hates the attention she gets from it. She just doesn’t want one more reason for people to look at her. 

My height has gifted me with opportunities I can’t say would have been presented otherwise. Although there were some aspects of my life that I wish would have been included in the movie, I honestly loved the story. 

I’m proud to be a “tall girl” and so happy to see the representation of girls like me in the movies.

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