Big Fish: An Exciting Whopper of a Tale

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

What Film Means to Me

“Although, for some people, cinema means something superficial and glamorous, it is something else. I think it is the mirror of the world.”– Jeanne Moreau.

One of the first movies I remember seeing, although I’m sure I saw others before it, was The Wizard of Oz. Although I wasn’t exactly that critical of movies when I was 6, I was fascinated by the conflict and the character development throughout the story. I so thoroughly enjoyed the film that I had a blue and white gingham dress that I dubbed my “Dorothy dress,” and my mom would put my hair into braids. I was even cast in the Wizard of Oz when it was at a local theater– although I was jealous to only get to be a ladybug when my brother got to be a flying monkey. The storyline fascinated me and my curiosity with movies was born.

I’ve always loved to write, and I’ve always had an active imagination. Although my writing is predominantly confined to research papers and articles, I’ve enjoyed both reading and writing fiction throughout the years. I particularly enjoy thought-provoking literature, and I love when an author can paint a picture of a scenario in my mind. I feel like I’m part of the story. It’s always odd to see something on screen that is different than what I pictured when reading a book or script, but I appreciate when a film can somehow make the audience feel included even in those instances.

Spurred on in part by binge-watching the Twilight Zone, and in part by my goal of being a journalist, I’ve developed an interest in ethics. Since this is the case,  I’ve been intrigued with movies where there is some sort of moral dilemma or ethical implication or statement that a viewer can relate to. The best example of that that I’ve seen recently is Circle.  The storyline is intriguing because *sort of a spoiler alert* the characters are put in a position where they feel they need to decide which characters’ lives are most valuable, due to actions, beliefs, race, and so on and so forth, and which characters deserve to die. The creativity combined with the ethical aspect of the film makes the film a must-see.  I appreciate stories with a purpose.

I’m a pretty quirky person. I collect View-Masters  and their reels and sock monkeys. I can sing with my mouth closed. I’m usually covered in hennas– you can see one of them in the photo of me above. Since I like unusual things, I’m fascinated with unusual films, like Tim Burton’s. Particularly, I love his animated movies, like The Nightmare Before Christmas, but I also appreciate his live-action films, like Edward Scissorhands and Big Eyes. I can’t think of many genres that I’m intrinsically opposed to, although I don’t enjoy movies that are sexually explicit.

My aspiring-journalist mind always wants to examine movies from an analytical perspective. Why is the movie important? What is the purpose? What will people think about it, or what have people thought about it? How is the movie potentially influential? How could changes in the script and story line benefit the story? What is good about the movie in the state that it is in? What isn’t so good?

As I’m writing this blog, I’m realizing that my favorite films are ones that I can see my interests reflected in. I guess that’s true for most people, but that’s what makes film so interesting to me. A film that resonates with people resonates for a reason. Film is truly a reflection of at least some parts of society, whether we like it or not.

8/30/2017