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Big Fish

Year Released: 2003
Starring: Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter, Allison Lohman, Jessica Lange, Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi
Director: Tim Burton

Reviewed by Sharon Scrivner

Have you ever known a person who exaggerated all of the time? Everyone that is in contact with this person knows that he is exaggerating (lying) yet just go along with it because the person is so entertaining and the half-truths are so harmless. No one ever talks about how this person weaves tales or turns fact into fiction. It is just an unspoken understanding between everyone that loves the Storyteller, no matter how much they truly don't really know him at all.

This is how it is for Big Fish's Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), who plays the son of Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), the most fascinating, charming, social, and beloved man of his community. Will describes their relationship as "two strangers who know each other very well". Neither of them has spoken a word to each other for three years, and Edward is now entering his last days of life. Will is trying to come to terms with his father's impending death while also trying to understand who his father truly is. Will is also married and they are expecting a child. Will believes that he may not reach his true paternal potential if he himself doesn't even understand his own father. Will begins to mentally sort out his only knowledge of his father's life by remembering and reviewing the stories that he was told, and led to believe, as a child. Edward says at one time "You ask Will to tell a story and we will definitely get all facts! I tell a story and add in the details and the flavor!" He truly does not see his decorative stories as a form of lying. Furthermore, Edward does not think that this is a justifiable reason that Will has chosen not to speak to him for three years.

This story takes place in present day while flashing back to tell the story of Edward Bloom's life as Will is trying to decipher these stories from reality. The cinematography of this film is superb. All of the flashback scenes are brighter, dreamier, and come from imaginations that have never been recreated on a big screen in this way. The reason that these scenes are done in this way is because Edward always told these unbelievable (literally) stories that could have NEVER happened to any one person. That is why they appear to be dream sequences. It was a clever choice. For example, Edward befriended a giant early in his life and stayed friends for many years. Throughout the movie's flashbacks, the giant is a recurring character since they were friends for so long. At different times in the movie, the giant actually changes size due to the several times that Edward has rehashed and re-exaggerated the stories! I thought that was a smart and creative way to show the discrepancies in Edward's stories, without spelling it out for the audience. One time he is 8 feet tall, the next time he is literally 30 feet tall!

I think that the casting was terrific. Allison Lohman (White Oleander) plays the young Jessica Lange, who is Bloom's true love and wife. The resemblance was outstanding. Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge) plays the young Edward Bloom and I really enjoyed his starring performance. The way that Tim Burton chose to display the aged couple's undying affection for one another was so much different than any other movie that I have seen. The acting was effortless and believable. Nothing about this movie was typical or expected. There was a high degree of mystery and intrigue because these incredible stories only left the viewer craving to know the truth.

This movie made me analyze my own relationship with my father who is also an exaggerator. I still don't know the truth about how I was born, how he really lost his hearing in one ear, or if my mom and he eloped or were married in a church! Yeah, his long drawn out dramatic stories are always interesting to hear (over and over again) but I sympathized and empathized with Will about just sometimes wanting the facts! No matter if the story relayer thinks that the facts are boring or not, the story should be told truthfully.
Which would be better for you? Which would you prefer, the facts or the flavor? That is what Will is grappling with and I highly urge you to go and see this movie. That is the only thing I will reveal in this review, because far too many times, you want to see a movie and you make the fatal mistake of reading the review and ruin all of the surprises! I know! I do it all the time. So go and see Big Fish!

OH! And don't forget your umbrella. Did I tell you about the time that my umbrella turned inside out in the wind? The wind pulled me soooo hard that I flew into the sky and next thing ya know I was on the wing of an airplane! Everyone waved at me through the window and took my picture!

Oh no! Edward Bloom really rubbed off on me! That is how deeply affected I was by this movie.

Rating: (4 out of 4 stars)

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