Dad's Movie Lists
 

Big Fish (2003), Director: Tim Burton, rated PG-13 for language, some scary scenes

From the imagination of director Tim Burton. An adventure as big as life itself.

Film ClipStarring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Danny DeVito

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #37 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Big Fish

"A man tells so many stories, that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal." Will Bloom

Why watch this? It is a visually stunning, creative tale about a wounded son and his eccentric father.

Plot Summary: Will returns home to visit his dying father, Edward Bloom, a man known for his incredible, larger-than-life stories. Frustrated by his father's constant tall tales, Will attempts to uncover the truth behind them, seeking to reconcile the imaginative narratives with the real life his father lived. Through flashbacks and Will's investigation, much is gleaned about the relationship between fact and fiction, the nature of legacy, and a son's journey to understanding his father.

Dad's Preview: Father-Son relationships can be strained. This fantastical, allegorical film deals with this topic. A young man feels he doesn't really know his father. His Dad was an eccentric man who always told wild, farcical stories about his lifey. The Son, now about to be a father himself, is exhausted for the truth. There is a lovely, whimsical quality at play in this true work of cinematic art, and it is thoroughly enjoyable... and Ewan McGregor wins you over.


Columbia Pics, Jinks-Cohen Co., The Zanuck Co.; Sony Pictures Releasing

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