Imperfection (and an Uglydolls trailer)

Growing up with a boys' name, Randi, was hard. Not like "real" problems, but for a sensitive child like me, it wasn't easy. I don't remember being picked on outright for it, but I always knew it wasn't a feminine name like Miranda (my favorite - couldn't I have been named that and just nicknamed Randi?!) or Jessica (the most popular name of my time) or Amy (the most popular girl in my class' name) or Brandi (my second option).

I remember there being a boy for one year in the grade above me named Randy. Ugh. That made it worse! I was probably in 4th or 5th grade - probably my most sensitive time (until junior high!). It didn't help that a neighbor girl called me Randall - I still hate that to this day so please don't call me that.

Then after Austin Powers came out...that was awful. Do you remember? "Are you randy?" I didn't even know that was a word outside of a name!! I remember being at a choir event and these boys teasing me about that. I was in high school at that time but still not confident in my name. I wanted so much to be liked at that point, it was incredibly embarrassing to me.

However, I love my name now. It came from my dad, who I love dearly. I love that legacy (although I didn't pass it along to my kids...). I love that he wanted to name me after him. It's definitely taken some getting used to and growing up into. It's beautiful and unique (around here, there aren't even little boys named Randy anymore really, although I heard of one a few weeks ago!). I've met several women around my age who are named Randi; it's something of a bond of being named after your dad.

May 3, a new movie is coming out called Uglydolls. I haven't decided exactly how I feel about this movie (I haven't seen it!) - I thought the trailer looked silly but I love reading the synopsis to hear the why behind such an odd looking movie.

image via GraceHill Media

In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye. Here, the free-spirited Moxy and her UglyDoll friends live every day in a whirlwind of bliss, letting their freak flags fly in a celebration of life and its endless possibilities. The endearingly unique residents of Uglyville occasionally look to the sky above the town, where a new UglyDoll will appear and be embraced by the community.

Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) loves her square-peg life in this round-hole town, but her curiosity about all things leads her to wonder if there’s something – anything – on the other side of the mountain which nestles Uglyville. Moxy gathers a group of her closest friends and sets off to find what’s on the other side. They discover another world – Perfection – a town where more conventional dolls are trained in protocols before they graduate and are sent to the “real” world to find the love of a child.

In Perfection, Moxy and her crew are subject to the manipulations of Lou (Nick Jonas), the perfect doll in charge of training recruits. Here, the UglyDolls will confront what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved, and ultimately discover that you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing because who you truly are is what matters most.  UGLYDOLLS releases in theaters this Friday, May, 3.

You can view the trailer below! It may look like an odd movie but I love when movies celebrate the special oddities we all bear. The Lord was so creative in making all of us so unique and special. Sometimes it helps to open up and bear the burdens of others' special qualities and quirks that help us embrace our own. 

Disclaimer: I received a gift card in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and may not be the same as yours.