AT THE MOVIES WITH KASEY BUTCHER
One time when my dad was a kid, he was out riding his father’s new French racing bicycle. Little did he know, his neighbor’s horse was on the loose. As he passed a row of trees, the horse came galloping between them and hit my dad. The horse, my father, and my grandfather’s French bicycle went flying. The horse died, my dad broke his collarbone, and the bike was destroyed. It has always seemed a little unlikely to me that my father actually “got hit by a horse riding his bicycle,” but that doesn’t make the story any less true.
Big Fish is a movie that focuses on the tall tales told by Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor / Albert Finney) to his son, Will (Billy Crudup), and anyone else who will listen. Edward was confined to his bed as a child and amused himself by reading the encyclopedia. After finding an article about the common goldfish and discovering that a fish given enough space can grow up to four times the size of a normal goldfish, he decides that the small town of Ashbury is not a big enough pond for him. He then sets out to become a big fish.
After not speaking to his father for three years, Will finds out that his father is dying of cancer. He rushes home determined to find out who the man behind the stories really is. Will finds out, however, that after telling his stories time and time again, Edward became the stories whether or not he befriended a giant, met a witch, or caught the most elusive catfish in Alabama. He became the big fish.
Big Fish is an enchanting film. It captures the mysticism of a tall tale and adds in a little touch of sarcasm. It is the first time I have ever seen a movie capture the wonderment of childhood and of a story well told.
While being somewhat silly and light-hearted the movie deals with some pretty deep concepts as well. Who creates our reality? Edward told his stories so many times that they became reality. He chose who he was and created his own past and future. In the end, there was not a dry eye in the house.
This movie is a masterpiece. It is visually appealing, using light and color to produce a dreamlike setting for the stories and starkness to reality, creating a definite line between the two until the end when the line is slightly blurred and fantasy becomes reality.
The acting is also amazing. Both McGregor and Finney add a tongue in cheek frankness to Edward, making the character charming, if not a little crazy. Other memorable performances were given by Helena Bonham Carter who played a witch and Jessica Lange who played Sandra, Edward’s wife. Sandra is a vital character, a person in which Edward’s fantasy and reality meet. She is the love of his life and Lange plays her to perfection.
To make a long story short, Big Fish is a smart, sweet, spectacular movie that combines childlike fantasy with intellectual depth to provide a poignant story.
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