*** Official BIG FISH Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Dome Vongvises]

I just heard what the story was about, but I finally saw a trailer for it. My God, it looks great.

 

[dan fritzen]

On Sony's website it says select cities and more on Christmas day, is this true? I want to see this movie and do not know if it is coming out Christmas day anywhere around here.

 

[Scott L]

i saw it in ny last weekend, I thought the big release was something like Jan 5. More cities Xmas day sounds to me like other big cities such as Chicago and Houston.

 

[Ron-P]

Although I haven't seen Moulin Rouge mainly because I'm not a big fan of musicals, but maybe I'll check it out.

You should Chris. I'm not much of a musicals fan either, but this one was a big surprise. Extremely well done. It is one of my vary favorite films.


Peace Out~

 

[ToddP]

Anyone know what select cities are? I would think that DC would be one of them, but I can't seem to find any information on where or if it is playing here.

 

[TheLongshot]

Anyone know what select cities are? I would think that DC would be one of them, but I can't seem to find any information on where or if it is playing here.

Moviefone has a listing for Bethesda Row...

Jason

 

[Scott L]

To those who saw the movie:

Anyone else leave the theater feeling this film was lacking something? It was a touching story but didn't seem to have that Burton flare. Like I could tell Sleepy Hollow was a Burton film even if I didn't see the credits, same goes for Scissorhands, but I didn't feel like he left his mark on this screenplay.

Just kinda let down that's all. Didn't seem all that different from a standard hollywood movie with a great story.

 

[dan fritzen]

Minneapolis has it playing at the Lagoon theater on Dec 25th!

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Standard Hollywood movie...with a great story? Sounds like anything but a disappointment!

 

[Vickie_M]

No, except that it was too short. I could live in Edward Bloom's world for a long time. I've seen it twice now and can't wait to see it again.

My husband saw it with me the 2nd time. He loved it. I knew he would. He cried. I knew he would. That he can open his heart to a movie like this is exactly why I love him so.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Anyone else leave the theater feeling this film was lacking something? It was a touching story but didn't seem to have that Burton flare. Like I could tell Sleepy Hollow was a Burton film even if I didn't see the credits, same goes for Scissorhands, but I didn't feel like he left his mark on this screenplay.

Just kinda let down that's all. Didn't seem all that different from a standard hollywood movie with a great story.

Except for the "great story" part, I've felt this way about recent Burton films, particularly "Planet of the Apes" and "Sleepy Hollow". There was a certain perverse promise in his earlier movies, particularly Frankenweenie, Pee-Wee and Beetlejuice, and Scissorhands seemed to show that he could marry sentiment to subversion without undercutting either.

But "Big Fish" is pure treacle, without flair or nuance, and there's simply no "great story" to be found here. On the other hand, there's plenty of fooferaw about the power of stories, expressed in earnest, drawling voice-overs of rank Hallmark baloney, numbingly reassuring metaphors about life being lak a box of chocolates. It celebrates that modern American knack for shutting one's eyes to both the deep mysteries and contradictions of life for an ostrich-eye'd view of the world as some sort of childhood picture-book, a Gumpian Odyssey for self-infatuated narcissists backslapping their compulsive bent toward confabulation. In the end, it's just so much maudlin bullshit.

And, yet, despite all the earnest sentimentalizing and romanticized solipsism, the old man's finally just an insufferable windbag and his kid is simply an obnoxious, simpering bore. Maybe that's the ol' subversive Burton emerging, after all, albeit in such a shadow of a whisper that one might simply mistake it for poor filmmaking. I'm going with the latter.

 

[Scott L]

meh big words still won't convince me. His work is far from boring. I think he's a genious, and "picture-book" movies are most welcome with all of the explosions and car chases out there.

 

[Brion Lydon]

I want to see this movie but I just can't see it being better than The Return of the King. I'll have to check it out myself.

Brion

 

[MattBu]

I want to see this movie but I just can't see it being better than The Return of the King. I'll have to check it out myself.

Different strokes I guess. I think the whole TTT series is poop, but I loved this movie dearly.

I guess I'll wait for the discussion thread to discuss this movie only to say this:

It's the only movie that I've ever cried in public at, and at that I cried for the last 10 minutes straight with a lump in my throat. Thankfully I wore a baseball cap the to theater.

 

[Chazz_S]

Did I like Moulin Rouge?: NO

Did I like Big Fish?: YES

ROTK is still the best movie I saw this year, but Big Fish is in my top ten.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Big Fish" please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "Big Fish" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy

 

[todd stone]

Guys, I have yet to see the movie, but no one is talking about the music in the film? Has Elfman delivered again? Does it sound "elfmanish?"

 

[Chazz_S]

It did not sound 'elfmanish' to me at all. I did not know if he did the score going in to the movie, and must have missed his credit in the opening.

Sometime into the movie, I started to wonder "Did Elfman score this? It does NOT sound like his other work at all". Which is very pleasing because frankly his other work is starting to sound too similar to me. In fact I'm surprised to find out he actually did score this film.

 

[Joseph Young]

The music didn't sound typically Elfman at all. I kept wondering why Burton had chosen another composer, until I realized it was Elfman. Strange.

I liked Big Fish. I didn't love it, but I liked it. In this age of ironic and cynical cinema, it was a breath of fresh air for me, especially on Christmas. The special effects were gently applied, and there wasn't a whole lot of bombast and spectacle (no small feat for a whimsical film). I found the overall structure of Big Fish too sparse, and the ending overly maudlin, but what a sweet film, with a wonderful supporting cast.

In other words, if I'm going to actually get angry and rant about either a film by Burton or a film currently in theaters, Big Fish is not that film. I can't see how it would make anyone angry.

I recommend it.

 

[Clint]

Just got back from seeing this movie. Big Fish is not for everyone. Big Fish reminded me of Forrest Gump and The Road Home. Only those movies were better.

The whole movie felt forced. I love the creativity but there just was no emotion there. Sorry.