This is about a guy that tries to regain his ability to marry a woman by running a marathon to impress her. Simon Pegg plays the lead character Dennis. Dennis left his bride-to-be, a woman named Libby (played by Thandie Newton) on their wedding day because he lost his courage to marry her. He did this even though she was pregnant. Many years later he truly regrets what he did. Libby had his son, a boy named Jake (played by Matthew Fenton). Libby has a new boyfriend, a wealthy man named Whit (played by Hank Azaria). Dennis finds out that Whit plans to run in a London marathon. Dennis decides to enter,, to prove to himself and to everyone else that he is somebody just as good as Whit. The problem is that Dennis is completely out of shape.
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Dennis' friend Gordon (played by Dylan Moran) agrees to help him train, and so does his crazy landlord Mr. Dastidar (played by Harish Patel). Whit and Libby decide to get married. Libby's son runs away. Libby is distraught and asks Dennis to help her. Dennis finds Jake and they bond over their similar troubles with females.
Whit and Dennis start the race side-by-side. Their anger for each other propels them forward so they even go faster than the real athletes running the race. Dennis sprains his ankle badly when Whit trips him up, but Dennis refuses medical attention, continuing with the race with an injured foot. Whit ends up in the hospital instead, but there is nothing really wrong with Whit except exhaustion from running the race. Libby comes to the hospital thinking she will find Dennis there, but is surprised to see Whit. Whit is mean to Jake which makes Libby realize Whit is not such a nice guy after all.
Dennis almost gives up, but then with the encouragement of his friends and the crowd, he continues the race. When she sees the television new report about it, Libby sees that Whit is the one that tripped Dennis on purpose. She fights with Whit and they break up. Dennis get very near to the finish line but falls down, not able to go any further. But then, he sees Libby and Jake at the finish line waiting for him. This gives him enough energy to get up and finish the race so he can be with them. Dennis and Libby get back together again. Whit ends up with a couple of bimbos on his boat.
Best part of story, including ending:
I like it when the fat stupid guy gets the girl in the end.
Best scene in story:
The best scene is when Dennis sees Libby and Jake at the finish line of the marathon because it is the moment of his redemption.
Opinion about the main character:
Dennis is an idiot for leaving Libby in the first place, but we are happy to see he gets a second chance, because everyone deserves a second chance.
Five years after leaving his heavily pregnant fiance Libby at the altar, Dennis is still in love with her. When he finds out that she is dating a successful, fit, and ambitious American named Whit, he can't help but realize that this man is everything that Dennis is not and even his son Jake seems to admire the new guy.
Realizing this is his last change to win Libby back, and desperate to impress his son, Dennis sets out to change his life. He starts by enrolling in the London marathon to compete with Whit, who is also going to run it. But Dennis has never run a marathon before and is woefully out of shape.
He proceeds to train for the marathon with the help of his friend Gordon and his landlord, Mr Ghoshdastidar. The former is a gambler and has money riding on Dennis' success, and the former has strange motivational tactics that involve a spatula, but between the two of them they begin to get Dennis into shape and ready for the race.
But when Whit proposes to Libby, Dennis is distraught and decides there is no point in entering the race after all. However he changes his mind when he finds out his son Jake has run away from a problem of his own, following his father's pattern. Dennis realizes he has more reasons to race than just Libby, and decides to race after all.
In the race itself he finds himself running alongside Whit, and the table is set for a confrontation between the two men.
Best part of story, including ending:
That you can understand why Libby prefers Whit, while still rooting for Dennis.
Best scene in story:
All of the scenes with Gordon helping Dennis train, Dylan Moran is great.
Opinion about the main character:
I liked that you can empathize with him while still wanting to see him make changes.
