If you’re looking for a storyline that will reel you in, you’ll be a fin– uh, I mean fan– of Big Fish, directed by Tim Burton.
In this fantasy/comedy/drama based on a book by the same, Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), a journalist, and his father, Edward (Albert Finney), have a strained relationship as a result of the tall tales that Edward has told his son over the years. Will realizes he knows nothing about the life his father has lived and wants to know the truth, rather than stories.
When Edward becomes gravely ill, Will travels with his wife to visit his dying father and learn the truth behind his father’s numerous tales. Will grapples with the answers he is given and struggles to reconcile his frustration with his father and his longing for a relationship with him. The PG-13 film contains minimal swearing and brief nudity, but it is otherwise appropriate and entertaining for teens and adults alike.
Firstly, I don’t think the casting for this movie could have been any more spot on. Since Edward’s stories show him at different points in his life, Perry Walston plays 10-year-old Edward, Ewan McGregor plays Edward as an adult, and Albert Finney plays Edward when he’s much older. What’s so great about these three actors is that all three of them seem to capture the same kind of character, just at different stages of life. The movie seems consistent in that respect. Will is played by Billy Cruddup as an adult, but viewers also get to see him as a child, played by Grayson Stone, which helps the audience to understand how, gradually, the relationship between father and son became so strained. Other quirky characters that were fun to watch on screen for their strange mannerisms that you might only see in a Burton film are played by actors such as Helena Bonham Carter, Jessica Lange, Danny DeVito, and Steve Buscemi. Even Miley Cyrus had her first film role in Big Fish.
Costuming and sets weren’t necessarily always realistic, but neither were the wild stories that Edward told his son, so the costuming and sets went really well with what was actually going on in the film. For example, one of the locations in the movie, the small town of Spectre (see what it looks like now!), has a seemingly perfect community. Everything in the town mirrors that perfection, from the lush, green grass to the fancy white and pastel-colored clothes.
The cinematography was pleasant and reflected the moods in each scene.
*spoiler alerts*
In the scene when Edward is dying, for instance, the lighting becomes duller and the coloring is cooler and bluer, adding to the sad and dismal tone. When Will is telling a story to his father on his deathbed about how Edward would die, his happier story has bright lighting and colors.
*end spoiler alerts*
The coloring and lighting changes were subtle enough that they weren’t distracting but noticeable enough that they added to the tones of each scene.
Any person who has grown up hearing stories from a parent, whether they’re bedtime stories, tales about Santa sneaking down the chimney, or even funny explanations for why things are the way they are will get a kick out of Big Fish. Anyone who has ever had a conflict with another person that they desperately wanted to resolve could enjoy this film. If you have a sense of humor, you’ll probably get a kick out of this movie. Big Fish is a movie about truth, family, love, and imagination that everyone should watch. I give this movie an A!
10/18/17
Jenna Shackelford
poppingthequestionsreviews.wordpress.com 