Big Fish
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
“An Adventure As Big As Life Itself.”
Big Fish is a fun and fantastic film about the life of Edward Bloom [Ewan McGregor]. As his son, Will [played by Billy Crudup], experiences his father’s life through the tall tales he was told as a child, he begins to understand that his perception of his father all these years might not have been entirely accurate. And he’s figuring it out while his father is on his deathbed [elder Edward Bloom played by Albert Finney] after getting a call from his mother [Jessica Lange].
This was one of those gems we wandered into because we’re Tim Burton fans and we came out completely happy. The visuals were stunning, the story was quirky and fun, sometimes sad, but overall it was just infectious in it’s innocence. It’s a study in how, over time and retelling, any tale can turn into a legend, but the underlying message generally stays intact. Ewan McGregor does a great job playing the younger Edward Bloom in a series of fun and vivid flashbacks as Will tries to piece together who his father really was. Along the way we meet many colorful characters played by Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi, Helena Bonham Carter, and more.
4 out of 5. If you like Tim Burton, Ewan McGregor, The Wizard of Oz, the show Pushing Daises or all of the above, you’ll love it.
Add’l Info: Released: Jan 4, 2004 • Runtime: 125 minutes • Rated PG-13 for a fight scene, some images of nudity and a suggestive reference
