BIG FISH

We become the stories we tell and, by doing so, we can become immortal. That’s the final message of BIG FISH, a curious drama directed by Tim Burton (THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS) that plays with fantasy and drama, in a story about a perplexed son and his dying father, an incorrigible teller of tall tales.

The movie opens at the wedding reception of the son, Will Bloom (played by Billy Crudup), where Will’s father, Edward (played by Albert Finney), steals the spotlight from the newlyweds by telling, once again, the story of what Edward was doing on the day Will was born. Edward’s fishy story involves a real fish, who Edward says swallowed his wedding ring. His father’s story irks Will to no end, because Will has grown tired of Edward’s tall tales. Will thinks that his father tells such stories about his life in order to distance himself from true human intimacy. Will goes to Paris with his French bride, and the two men don’t speak to one another for three years.

Three years later, however, Edward is dying. Will and his wife, Josephine, return to the states, where Will tries to get Edward to tell him the truth behind the fanciful stories. Meanwhile, Josephine, who is delighted by Edward’s stories, sits down to hear more. From there, the movie flashes backward to Edward’s past life, which may or may not be embellished by great amounts of fantasy.

BIG FISH ends with a celebration of Edward’s life, where William learns that most of the people in Edward’s stories are real, only embellished. For instance, there really is a giant and a circus ringmaster who are friends with Edward, but the circus ringmaster doesn’t really turn into a werewolf when the moon is full. Or, does he?

The premise, or main theme, in Will’s relationship with his father and the stories his father tells is not clear, which means that Burton’s movie is not as compelling as it could have been. Some aspects of the stories don’t even seem to make sense from a fantasy point of view. Thus, some of the stories are more successful than others. Near the end, however, Will investigates one of his father’s stories and finds out some surprising facts about his father’s kindness and the great love that his father has for Will’s mother, played by Jessica Lange. Perhaps, then, this movie is about the love that one man has for the people in his life. Edward’s love for these people is so big that he can’t help himself when it comes to making all of them seem bigger than life. By making them seem bigger than life, Edward makes himself seem bigger than life. All in all, BIG FISH probably deserves a marginal three stars.

BIG FISH also has a Romantic worldview regarding the human condition. People are basically good, the movie suggests, even if they are always telling tall tales about their life, and there is no really evil person. Also, although there are some light Christian references, such as the singing of AMAZING GRACE at a church service, Edward says he thinks it’s best not to discuss religion with other people, because you don’t know who will be offended. BIG FISH also contains some obscenities, including a couple “s-h” words, and brief nudity. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution, therefore, because of all these problematic qualities.

Please address your comments to:

Amy Pascal, Chairman

Columbia Pictures

Amy Pascal, Jeff Blake, and Yair Landar

Vice Chairmen

Sony Pictures Entertainment

10202 West Washington Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232-3195

Phone: (310) 244-4000

Fax: (310) 244-2626

Web Page: www.spe.sony.com/

SUMMARY: BIG FISH is a curious fantasy drama about a perplexed son and his dying father, an incorrigible teller of tall tales. Sometimes entertaining and compelling, BIG FISH has a Romantic worldview, mixed with a few Christian and moral elements, some mostly light obscenities, and brief nudity.