Film: Big Fish

[Belisarius]

[Takes deep breath]

I liked it, but I thought it was sort of overrated. If the movie wants to blur the line between reality and fantasy, it succeeds, but I found myself repeatedly perplexed. Ewen MacGregor is great in his role, and the film really is touching, but between getting lost in the plot, I felt the movie was trying too hard to be sentimental. I don't know--it was just a "chick flick" to me, sorry.
Not to mention that my childhood prevents me from identifying with some deep father-son bond.

[SPOILER WARNING]

I also found the son's change of heart at the end of the movie to be a little hard to believe, especially for someone who disowned his father simply because he considered him to be an interminable liar.

 

[Petersko]

**Spoilers**


**Spoilers**

Belisarius - I think the sons change of heart was reasonable. After all, he has discovered that at least some truth exists in the stories, and that his father wasn't an adulterer as he suspected - in fact, his father revitalized a community out of the goodness of his heart and remained true. He also learned the value of a harmless tale, and, well... it's his father, dying, asking for some understanding.

Really, the imminent loss of his father would probably be enough to get him to give his father at least the illusion that he understands.

 

[beanergrl]

SPOILER WARNING BELOW:

--

--

the dad dies? okay, that's it. no way am i watching it.

[edit: just added some spoiler space - 1234 ]

 

[Petersko]

Interesting note: Karl the Giant is played by Matthew McGrory. His height is 7'6".

Other films he has been in:

House of 1000 Corpses
Men in Black II
Bubble Boy
Dead Hate the Living!
God Is In The T.V.

 

[RareForm]

This was a very awesome and unique movie....i loved every part of it...it definitely was nothing of how i thought it was going to be....great movie!

 

[jaymie]

Ahhh, I love this film. I watched it tonight. The acting was first rate, cinematography, photography -- nearly blew me away! This is the kind of movie you can use in your life. When you are feeling sad and the trees are trying to maim you, you must get up and say, "wait a minute, this isn't how I die!" Steve Buscemi was awesome. Love that guy. Cinematography during when Albert is in the bed talking to Marion was very impressive.

Two thumbs up!

 

[L O V E L I F E]

I thought that this movie was extremely overrated.

More overrated than a similar overrated movie, Forrest Gump.

*** SPOILERS***

Others have mentioned the oversentimentality, and I agree, but what bothered me most is that in the end, we're supposed to agree with the father, when in my opinion, the son was right all along.

 

[DigitalDuality]

I personally can relate to the father more so. Where the world is boring, where typical conversation is always the same blah blah blah.. Where the exaggerations of story telling, which most people do at times to varying degrees, makes them much more interesting, even if not entirely correct. He created his world of fiction in his head and lived in it. It's quirky and uncommon.. and unique in a way, most people would never dream of taking it that far. I knida liked it.

 

[Banquo]

This was a good movie. The weakest point, imo, is the actor who plays the son. He was completely stiff and uninteresting. Tim Burton has had a tough time finding his stride. He always has good ideas or concepts in his movie but many times they do not go anywhere. The Pierce Brosnan professor bit in Mars Attacks, for example, was hilarious for the first one or two minutes of screentime...but then dragged on until it was tired. Big Fish is much more coherent and is Burton's best in a while.

 

[mealltach]

We construct our world through storytelling. I think that the line between embellishment and reality is utterly blurred, and there is never really any way to tell.

People are sooo petrified of sentimentality, especially in film and fiction - i really don't understand why - it's just another method of expression. I think that the characters in this movie are, in and of themselves, embellishments, with different points of view taken to extremes (see Digital Duality's last post for a succinct description of this). It's hyperbole to convey how we construct our world, and i thought this movie was terrific, really. I bawled my face off, and i loved it.

 

[onetwothreefour]

^^^ good point.

i am one of the biggest criticisers of sentimentality, but it can be really useful sometimes. anyone who likes titanic (and the fact that i actually do will probably raise an eyebrow) must admit this -the entire film is based around it- and it can be a strangely enjoyable experience.

so yeah, i agree

 

[SlayerFairy]

I fell in love with this movie. Great movie for Father/Sons. T'was a tear jerker. It made my man cry and my baby's gansta lol...Not really but he's a tough cookie.
MUST WATCH MOVIE

 

[onetwothreefour]

on another note, does anyone have the dvd? i'd like to purchase, but probably won't unless the commentary is good...anyone?

 

[DigitalDuality]

I've listened to so many commentaries, i've kinda gotten sick of them all. I have the DVD, but still haven't listened to the commentary.

 

[L O V E L I F E]

I'm the biggest sucker in the world for father/son movies.

But not this one.

If you like father/son stuff, watch A Bronx Tale.

 

[skywise]

I was kind of dissapointed with this movie. I like Tim Burton but this just seemed like a second rate and little bit weirder Forest Gump.

 

[Silver7]

I liked this movie a lot.

 

[obsolete]

I saw this when it was out and i loved it! Such a great piece of pure story telling and fantasy... or is it

I am buying this on DVD!

 

[jaymie]

The commentary on this one is just okay. It's still very interesting, but Tim Burton's stride is definitely not in lingual storytelling.

 

[bGIveNs33]

definately on my list to see... pearl jam has a song in the sound track as well..