Dumplin' is the adaptation of a novel by Julie Murphy. Willowdean Dickson (played by Danielle Macdonald) is a plus-size teenager who has been raised by her former beauty queen mother, Rosie (played by Jennifer Aniston) in a small Texas town. Despite the pressures of conforming to societal beauty standards, Willowdean takes pride in her appearance and confidently sports her curvy figure.
However, her self-confidence takes a hit following her breakup with a popular jock, Bo (played by Luke Benward). In a bid to prove a point to herself as well as her mother, Willowdean decides to participate in the local beauty pageant that Rosie runs each year. Her entrance into the pageant triggers a wave of controversies and sets off a chain of events that lead her to re-evaluate her beliefs about beauty, self-love, and the importance of individuality.
As Willowdean prepares for the pageant, she forms an unlikely bond with a group of misfit girls who share her body positivity movement. Together, they launch a campaign to challenge the norms of beauty pageants and redefine the notion of perfection. The movie explores themes of body positivity, self-acceptance, friendship, and the pursuit of personal goals in the face of societal pressures.