Big Fish

Rating: 4/5

"Big Fish" tells the story of a young man grown up and looking for the truths in his dying father's big stories. Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) is happily married with a child on the way, but is summoned back home when it seems his father, Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) hasn't much time left to live. The two haven't spoken in 3 years, after Will told off his father who seemed to have stole the spotlight with his exaggerated story telling during the reception for his wedding. Ed's stories are filled with wonder and excitement, with impossible events and incredible characters; and, these are the only supposed facts Will really knows about his father's life. Will begs his father for the truth, wishing to truly know something, anything about his father that is in fact real.

The film jumps between Will's battle for reconciliation and the stories of young Ed Bloom (Ewan McGregor) and his many adventures. We meet giants, Siamese twins, circus leaders, and an evil Witch with a glass eye that will show you the way of your death should you gaze upon it. It's no surprise that Tim Burton's visuals find a cozy home within the storytelling portions of the film; however, what I found so interesting was how subdued his trademark stylization came across. Burton is never overwhelming with special effects or eerie portraits. The world seems extremely well rooted, with just the perfect amount of heightened reality and/or magic to keep the wonderful effect.

The many stories cut between the real life events at the Bloom household are portioned well, and we find ourselves pleasantly wrapped up in whatever tale is being presented until we snap back to reality with the quick realization of: "Oh yeah, this is happening." The Young Ed Bloom comes across as a charismatic and personable individual with an extreme charm and wit that even the foulest of figures would be hard-pressed not to like. The other characters that greet themselves along the path are never overbearing, but give an existence that's just right for a story that truly revolves around Ed. We meet these characters, learn a bit about them, spend enough quality time with them to care to remember them, and then move on. This is useful as old relationships will reappear or cross paths or be mentioned again at a later time. It doesn't matter about who the person really is, but what story they were involved with and the fact that they exist at all.

This is a fairly typical father-and-son story with the usual elements of necessary reconciliation. The characters are stereotypically stubborn in their opinions as each man's respectful wife leaves room for their husbands to do their thing. What truly makes the film shine is the stories themselves, and even more so the idea of the magic of storytelling. Stories have always been an essential form of passing down ideals and information from generation to generation. It's a means of keeping history straight and passing on traditions. Stories are what keep what has passed, alive. It's the only true form of immortality.

Ed tells large stories rooted in truth for the purpose of making his life seem much more interesting than what it might have been. Why Will is so adamant about knowing the fact facts of his father's life is not really supported strongly enough. It's understandable he wants to know about his father, and feels he's owed enough truth to properly remember his father by. What is learned in the end, at least I hope, is that maybe it doesn't matter whether we are remembered for what we did or didn't do, but that we're simply remembered at all.