Is my opening paragraph true , partly true , or a flat-out lie? And does it matter? Would you rather read that I had to clear my way through a very messy office before beginning to write? I didn’t think so. But what does all this have to do with Big Fish, one of my favorite movies for Father's Day? Everything – because Tim Burton’s film focuses on a man whose entire life revolves around storytelling. Based on Daniel Wallace’s novel, this enchanting combination of fantasy and reality features memorable performances by Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor as Edward Bloom at various stages of the man’s life -- as well as by Billy Crudup in the more down-to-earth role of Bloom’s estranged son William.
Returning home to be with his dying father, William hopes to find out more about the man who told him such wild stories while growing up -- but always kept him at arm’s length. Unfortunately, the senior Mr. Bloom still regales everyone with the same tall tales, so William is forced to listen again. He relives once more the circumstances surrounding his father’s unusual birth as well as his encounter with a huge fish and his adventures involving a hungry giant (Matthew McGrory), a one-eyed witch (Helena Bonham Carter), Siamese twins (Ada and Arlene Tai), a bank-robbing poet (Steve Buscemi), a traveling circus with a quirky ringmaster (Danny DeVito), a strange little town, a playful werewolf and World War II.
Thanks to the imaginative direction of Tim Burton, these wonderful stories come to life with humor and a cinematic style all their own. Who, besides William, cares whether they really happened or not? There’s a lot to be said for whimsical storytelling. It’s been around for a long time -- and probably grew out of our ancestors’ need to amuse others. Even William finally learns that his father’s incredible stories actually reveal truths about who he really is.
Edward Bloom is a maker of myths. And he loves his wife so much he swears time stopped for everyone except him the first moment he saw her. While Jessica Lange and Alison Lohman don’t have much to say in the role of Mrs. Bloom at different ages, they both project the kind of caring, “good-listener” attitude we would expect from Bloom’s spouse.
Big Fish not only charmed me completely with its humanity and humor -- it surprised me with its wisdom. Frank Lloyd Wright once pointed out, “The truth is more important than the facts” – which is what this special movie so eloquently tells us. Interspersing fantasy and reality in a movie can be tricky indeed, but Big Fish makes it look like a walk in the park.
(Released by Columbia Pictures in 2003 and rated “PG-13” for a fight scene, some images of nudity and a suggestive reference.)
Review also posted at ReelTalk Movie Reviews.
enjoyed the read
I caught some big fish in my time, but being an engineer, my story about that Muskie that had me yelling like I was being chased by a bear, or so my brother said, never got stretched any longer than its 31.5 inches… A keeper and damn good eating.
Ron