Big Fish (Special Edition, with Collectible Book)

 

 

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Tim Burton's return to genuine film making is a welcome endeavor indeed. Here he creates a film that reminds me of what great film making is all about: fantasy, love and reflecting on the human spirit. I scoffed at a review that compared Big Fish to The Wizard of Oz when Big Fish first came out, but upon viewing it the comparison is really not hyperbolic at all and is actually quite justified. There is a unique carelessness and an innocence that resides perfectly and constantly in both films. To me, both films are truly a breath of fresh air and hope.

Big Fish is a book written by Daniel Wallace and is the delightful story of Edward Bloom, who has reached the twilight of his life and surrounds himself with his son, daughter-in-law and his wonderful wife Sandra. Eddie has seemingly lived a fantastic life of lies and exaggerations and his son has grown to call his bluff on more than one occasion. In fact, his son returns not just to possibly say good-bye to his father, but to attempt to get him to spill the beans on the truth of who his old man really is. Eddie of course, stands by his stories and brushes off his son's accusations nonchalantly. Most of the film we see Eddie revisit his life as a whole, seen through only his own stories. How he once befriended a 12 foot man; how he arrived in a town that was paradise, once to early and once too late when he turned it back into paradise again; how he joined the circus for three years so he could find out pieces information once a month from Amos the ringmaster about the girl Eddie was sure would be his wife and how Sandra would believe Eddie to be dead in war but he would return. The stories are full of details that would clearly indicate they are false but sometimes they are just better that way. Eddie is a mythological figure and that is just fine with him and as a viewer it's fine with me as well.

Eddie is played by Albert Finney who is in turn mirrored by Eddie's youthful version, the outstanding Ewen MacGregor who once again proves his versatility. Jessica Lange plays the older Sandra and she is played as a youngster by the talented Alison Lohman who carries as much energy and beauty as you could expect for a role with so little dialogue and so much importance. She is a real find and makes you fall in love with her right along with Eddie. Helena Bonham Carter brings her talents to the roles of The Witch and Jenny (or all of the other important women in Eddie's life). Steve Buscemi shows up, which is always a pleasant surprise and of course Amos is played by Danny DeVito who is as enjoyable as ever. The flat Keanu Reeves clone Billy Crudup is perhaps the only drawback, but he is a safe casting call as Eddie's son and does what he can in discovering that his father is exactly what he says he is and more.

Let me just add that I believe Big Fish is a family film. I don't see why it shouldn't be rated PG rather than PG-13. The language rises above the prime time television level once, there is blood only in a comedic and romantic fight sequence that has a truly admirable message and there is a women's nude rear displayed briefly and non-sexually. This is not grounds for a PG-13 movie. I would bring a seven year old to see this. In fact, my guess is that the movie was directed at this demographic. When content is not exploitative, it is not really inappropriate. I can't see why Rock Diesel films get PG-13ed when the message is nothing short of "Kill the bad guys, make a lame joke, drive and crash really cool vehicles and get the dirty chick". Anyway, Big Fish may be about a guy who is stretching the truth but the characters' hearts couldn't be more firmly in the right place. The scene when Eddie fills an entire field with Sandra's favorite flower and stands in the middle of the field, outside of her window and calls out to her comes to mind. It brings joy to my heart in a way that only a film like The Wizard of Oz can, and a small child should never ever miss that kind of message. Big Fish is a smart film that really generates a ton of emotion and convincing special effects. I don't doubt for a moment that more work went into the effects than money. This film carried a sense of hope, pride, real love, respect, fantasy and the crucial element that films of these tainted times often forget: natural and unforced optimism.

Then there is Tim Burton. He is the filmmaker that can put all of these elements together and for the first time tug at your emotions as well. Two things make this film better than Burton's other work. Firstly, it is real and doesn't dwell on being over-stylized and under-dramatized. Secondly, it is pure, clean and full of moments we can all relate too. Tim Burton has made a film that will alienate his older fans who haven't matured like he has, without "selling out" (he's done that before) and he has made a film that the whole world can watch, enjoy and discover this unique filmmaker. I'm glad that he saved some of his real film making inspiration for this wonderful little story.

I went into Big Fish with high hopes. I love Tim Burton movies. He has an amazing imagination, which is lacking in many directors today. Directors like Roland Emmerich, Renny Harlin, and of course the big one, Michael Bay. These directors only use special effects and big explosions, while the story gets lost. Meanwhile Burton's genius is that his beautiful visuals compliment his stories. So as the curtains rose, and the theater went dark I was overcome by a childish glee. Then to my disdain, the lights came back on, then went on, and off about 15 more times before the movie finally started. But what a movie it ended up being.

Big Fish tells the story of a young man trying to sort out the facts and lies that his father has been telling him for his whole life. As the story opens Will Bloom (Crudup) hasn't spoken to his father in almost three years. He got tired of listening to his tall tales, but when he gets a call from his mother (Lange) telling him that his father doesn't have much time he rushes down as a latch ditch effort to learn the facts about his father. Albert Finney plays Edward Bloom, a man nearly confined to his bed, trying to get his son to accept who he is. The majority of the film is told through flashbacks, showing the amazing life that young Edward Bloom (Mcgregor) has lived. From giants to circus, from war to salesman, the film gives you the glimpse of a life as Bloom sees it. Is it true? Is he lying? Or is he embellishing the facts? Who knows and who cares.

The actors in this movie shine. Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney are absolutely charming in this movie. You want to believe his stories, and you can see why others do. The convincing shed their accents and pick up a southern accent without you really noticing. Other notable performances include Jessica Lange and Helena Bohnam Carter. But another surprise would have had to be Lohman. This was the first movie I had seen her in, and I was amazed. She is extremely talented and even with the limited screen time she was given manage to catch my attention.

Now on to the inevitable visuals. Everyone knows of Tim Burtons visuals. Heck he has made it a trade mark., now known as Burtonism. This movie surprised me in the aspect that although very visual, it was the least of all his movies. What stood out to me? Well the town of Spectre along with the path to get there. It was a beautiful town, which represented Heaven on earth. Another notable section was the circus, where time froze while Ed Bloom saw the women of his life. The screenplay by John August captures the beauty of Daniel Wallace's book while expanding on it. The screenplay looked tailor made to be directed by Tim Burton. Which brings us to the score which was beautifully written by Danny Elfman. I have gotten so used to his dark and moody scores that I forgot how brilliant and light some of his scores can be. This is one of the best, compliments the movie perfectly.

So when the lights came back on after the movie was over I was smiling. My imagination was just blown away again by Tim Burton. I was talking about the movie with a few friends after we got out of the theater and they noticed the same reaction from the audience as with me. I remembered being afraid when I sat down originally because it was the late showing and the audience consisted of teens. I was expecting a lot of dumb comments but they were as blown away as I was. Even now a few months later as I watch it on dvd I still can't stop smiling at how much I like this movie. This is a movie for everyone.

The relationship between a young man and his dying father takes center stage at this original movie, that seamlessly mixtures fantasy and reality in order to create a film well-worth watching.

The son, William (Billy Crudup), wants to know more about his dad before it is too late, but is fed up with the incredible stories he always tell about himself. The problem is that his father, Edward (Albert Finney), cannot help but talk a lot and make reality more interesting, disguising it as he deems necessary. But after telling a story many times, it becomes real to you, and Ed can't distinguish truth from lies any more. But who knows, maybe he doesn't want to...

The talks and fights between father and son, mixed with their interaction with their wives, take them down memory lane, as Ed remembers once again what happened to him from the moment he left his little town as a young man. Ed doesn't stop telling tall tales, but the spectator will be happy for that due to the fact that thanks to the skill of the director of "Big Fish" (Tim Burton) Ed's stories come alive, and we are introduced to witches, giants, werewolves, the biggest fish in the river and even to the charmed town that young Ed (Ewan Mc Gregor) visited in his wandering days. We also get to know how Ed met the girl he knew would become his wife (Alison Lohman, afterwards played by Jessica Lange), and the unconventional way in which he proposed to her.

Those stories are too strange to be truthful, of course, and that is the problem for Will. But soon enough he will realise that maybe not all Ed's stories are complete lies, and that he might know his father much more than he was aware of.

I highly enjoyed this movie, even though it made me cry a little at the end. I want to point out that the general tone is one of optimism, and that "Big Fish" is so visually engaging that you will believe you are living an extraordinary fairy tale. And what can I say?. I love good fairy tales!!!

Belen Alcat

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5.0 out of 5 stars Big Fish, Big Fun
This is one of the most imaginative movies I have ever seen. For anyone who likes telling stories or being told some, this is one you'll want to check out. Read more

Published on Sep 21 2006 by C. Heisler

5.0 out of 5 stars Tales from way out there
There are so few books, movies, and products that just really light a fire under my, well, you know where region. The movie COLD MOUNTAIN was one such thing. Read more

Published on July 6 2005 by Zane Balducci

5.0 out of 5 stars It's all true . . . really, it is . . .
This movie, by Tim Burton is by far one of his best. I have enjoyed most of Tim Burton's movies in the past such as, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Edward Scissorhands; so... Read more

Published on Mar 8 2005 by BethDeHart

5.0 out of 5 stars Whopper of a tale
Tim Burton has become the master of the fantasy film from "Batman" to "Nightmare Before Christmas" but now he has turned his attention to a story of depth and... Read more

Published on Nov 15 2004 by Fargo K. Jenkins

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Movie Ever
This is the greatest movie I have ever seen. And for all of you people that thought it was terrible, you are either one of three things: mentally handicapped, void of any... Read more

Published on July 18 2004 by flemingoboy2

1.0 out of 5 stars Just Plain Awful
After seeing the movie, I was without words to describe my disappointment with the movie. Seeing the comments and reviews on Amazon, I am without words as to how people could be... Read more

Published on July 18 2004 by Gilead

3.0 out of 5 stars Something's missing...
There are things worth seeing in Tim Burton's Big Fish. Some of the scenes are visually stunning. There are some colorful minor characters (especially the poet/bank robber... Read more

Published on July 16 2004 by ShamayimBlue

3.0 out of 5 stars Visual Treat, but Manipulative and Hollow
Tough one for me. I love Burton films and am a big fan of most of the actors. When I watched this, I was ready to be pulled into Tim Burton's dreamy, fairy-tale world and I... Read more

Published on July 15 2004 by DonMac

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Up to the Hype
After all the wonderful ads, I was really looking forward to this movie. I was disappointed to realize the ads showed the very best parts. Read more

Published on July 14 2004 by Melissa McCauley

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the greatest movies ever!!!
well...i must admit..a friend wanted me to see this movie and i had no desire to do so.. i thought it looked quite boring and didn't seem like the kind of movie i would enjoy... Read more

Published on July 13 2004 by Jeremie T. Riggins

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