Taglines: An adventure as big as life itself.
Big Fish movie storyline. United Press International journalist Will Bloom and his French freelance photojournalist wife Josephine Bloom, who is pregnant with their first child, leave their Paris base to return to Will’s hometown of Ashton, Alabama on the news that his father, Edward Bloom, stricken with cancer, will soon die, he being taken off chemotherapy treatment.
Although connected indirectly through Will’s mother / Edward’s wife, Sandra Bloom, Will has been estranged from his father for three years since his and Josephine’s wedding. Will’s issue with his father is the fanciful tales Edward has told of his life all his life, not only to Will but the whole world. As a child when Edward was largely absent as a traveling salesman, Will believed those stories, but now realizes that he does not know his father, who, as he continues to tell these stories, he will never get to know unless Edward comes clean with the truth before he dies.
Big Fish is a 2003 American fantasy comedy-drama film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, and Marion Cotillard. Other roles are performed by Steve Buscemi, Helena Bonham Carter, Matthew McGrory, and Danny DeVito among others.
About the Story
In the heartwarming film “Big Fish,” director Tim Burton (“Batman,” ‘Edward Scissorhands”) brings his inimitable imagination on a journey that delves deep into a fabled relationship between a father and his son.
Edward Bloom (Finney) has always been a teller of tall-tales about his oversized life as a young man (McGregor), when his wanderlust led him on an unlikely journey from a small-town in Alabama, around the world, and back again. His mythic exploits dart from the delightful to the delirious as he weaves epic tales about giants, blizzards, a witch and conjoined-twin lounge singers.
With his larger-than-life stories, Bloom charms almost everyone he encounters except for his estranged son Will (Crudup). When his mother Sandra (Lange) tries to reunite them, Will must learn how to separate fact from fiction as he comes to terms with his father’s great feats and great failings.
From the imagination of visionary director Tim Burton, comes the fantasy-rich family drama Big Fish. A web-like tapestry woven of stories both real and exaggerated, Big Fish is the story of Edward Bloom and those who love him. Even if he doesn’t always believe every word he says, for Edward it’s all in the telling.
As an eight-year old confined to bed because of a preternatural growing spurt, Edward occupies himself by reading the entire World Book Encyclopedia. He is taken in particular with an article about goldfish, in which he learns that “if goldfish are kept in a small bowl, they will remain small. With more space, the fish can double, triple or quadruple its size.”
Ten years later, after becoming one of the most popular young men in Ashton, Alabama, he realizes that, like the goldfish, in order for him to grow he must leave home and explore the world. As he confides to his new friend Karl the Giant, “You think this town is too small for you? Well, it’s too small for a man of my ambition. I love every square inch of it. But I can feel the edges closing in on me. A man’s life can only grow to a certain size in a place like this.”
Big Fish (2003)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Danny DeVito, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, Hailey Anne Nelson, Ada Tai, Alison Lohman, Marion Cotillard
Screenplay by: John August
Production Design by: Dennis Gassner
Cinematography by: Philippe Rousselot
Film Editing by: Chris Lebenzon
Costume Design by: Colleen Atwood
Set Decoration by: Nancy Haigh
Music by: Danny Elfman
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for a fight scene, some images of nudity and a suggestive reference.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: December 10, 2003
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