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

[Michael Reuben]

I think how much you enjoy it depends on how much emotion you are able to give up.

Y'know, in my nearly six years on this forum (not to mention multiple previous decades of moviegoing), I've often found myself trying to theorize why others don't like films I love, or swoon over films that leave me feeling ill.

What I've come to realize is that all such efforts are futile at best and pretentious at worst. One should just assume that every viewer goes in with the best of intentions and as much emotional openness as they can muster -- and for whatever reason some movies and viewers just don't connect.

M.

 

[Tino]

Well said Michael. This film worked for some and not for others. To infer that disliking this film is a result of some lack of emotions, compassion or the ability to immerse yourself in the film is presumptuous and somewhat insulting.

I went in with the best of intentions, hoping to see a good film full of sincere emotions, good storytelling and great acting.

0 for 3 unfortunately.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

I think that the people that didn't enjoy the movie are the Will Blooms of the movie.

Wow, you seem to know a lot about individuals you don't even know and the human psyche by making such a generalization.

Why the need to pigeonhole people into a certain class or group just because they did/didn’t like a particular film is beyond my comprehension because to do so is ridiculous as the act itself.

~Edwin

 

[Patrick Sun]

Well, at least it's a divisive film with little common ground in the middle, it appears, as the personal baggage one takes into the film might color their reaction to it (moreso than other types of films).

 

[Vickie_M]

It would be interesting to me to know something about the people who dislike or hate it. Are both of your parents living? I'm just curious.

It's possible this film might resonate more with people who've lost a parent (especially a father) before they had a chance to really get to know them.

It's just a theory, with nothing negative implied. Some people don't like it. That's fine. I think it's a wonderful movie and was also in tears at the end. My huband felt the same way. I'm not keeping statistics on the above question, but I lost my mother after I was grown, but before I really got to know her as a person, and he lost his father, a larger-than-life man, as Edward Bloom was, before they had a chance to connect as adults.

 

[Vickie_M]

quote:

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I think that the people that didn't enjoy the movie are the Will Blooms of the movie.
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Wow, you seem to know a lot about individuals you don't even know and the human psyche by making such a generalization.

I'm not sure why what William said is considered derogatory, as it seems you think it is. That was my thought too. Will Bloom was a very nice man, a smart, decent person. He was just impatient at his father's embellishings of the truth. He wanted reality, not fantasy, and wasn't willing to "go with the flow" of how his father told the story of his life. Will Bloom wasn't wrong. Ed Bloom wasn't wrong. They just looked at the world in different ways.

 

[Vickie_M]

To infer that disliking this film is a result of some lack of emotions, compassion or the ability to immerse yourself in the film is presumptuous and somewhat insulting.

I wouldn't go that far, but I would say that threads like this make me love my husband even more than I already do, if that's possible. We wouldn't be together if he were the kind of person who hated Moulin Rouge and Big Fish. I'm indescribably lucky.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It's easy to seperate reality from fiction in this story, and I must admit I am a bit surprised at the confusion some seem to experience.

It's not nearly so cut and dry, and I'm not sure the lines are neccesarily where you've assigned them. Truth can be stranger than fiction, and the meandering line between them can be far less clear than one might think.

 

[Clay-F]

I thought we didnt spoilerize in discussion threads?

Yet to be safe...

(Admin note - no need for spoilers in the discussion thread.)

The witch thing was confusing. She says that in his mind it makes perfect sense as to how they could meet before as a child. I was expecting a bigger payoff on what he saw as his own death.

Did this movie remind anyone else of Don Juan DeMarco?

Overall I'm happy with it. I had to go to the hospital this morning to sign papers so they could treat my 102 year old Grandmother for Pneumonia, so this film hit a little harder.....

 

[William Lee]

I didn't mean for my comments to be negative in any way towards anyone. It was just a theory on why I thought this movie seemed to work so well for some and not as well for others.

Will Bloom, like Vicki said, was a very smart and intelligent man who was just fed up with the lies and stuff his father told him. What I came away from the movie with was the thought that Will Bloom was sick at his father trying to make his life more amazing than it was, (how his birth was so elaborate, as well as other things). I didnt mean to accuse anyone at all, I apologize for the misunderstanding. Alot of the complaints I've read about this movie was how trite it was, how emotionally hollow, etc. It just seemed like something Will Bloom would say if he himself watched Big Fish.

 

[Vickie_M]

quote:

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I just fell in love with his love and joy and exuberance. The unfortunate thing is that overall that bothered me - how did he turn into the cranky old Edward?
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You act like they are the same character. The Edward Bloom of the stories bears only a tenuous connection to the Edward Bloom dying in the bed.

I missed this before. This is a good point. The real Edward Bloom was a pretty normal person. He was a salesman. He did some good things for people and made some good friends along the way, but his life probably wasn't all that different from any other guy. What made him special was his ability to take ordinary or slightly above-average interesting situations and turn them into fantastical stories.

The Ewan McGregor Edward Bloom is the Edward Bloom that the Albert Finney Edward Bloom made up to take part in the stories.

 

[JonZ]

Being a total pessimist who tends to watch downbeat and heavy movies, I could use more ....

"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."



:star: :star: :star: out of 4 :star:s from me.

 

[Vickie_M]

"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."

Geez, who wrote that?? Whoever it was, they really didn't get the movie. I can visualize the whooshing going on.

 

[Adam_S]

you know what just occured to me? I think there is only one moment in the entire film that Ed Bloom claims something is true: "They say that when you meet the love of your life, time stops--and that's true" I've only seen the movie once, so I can't be sure.

I'd personally like to believe that time stops more than anything else out of the movie.

Adam

 

[Tino]

Vickie

Our own RICH MALLOY said that a few pages back. I tend to agree with him for the most part.

My question to you is, what exactly didn't we "get".

I got what the film was trying to say, I just didn't like the way I "got" it. No whooshing here!

 

[Vickie_M]

Our own RICH MALLOY said that a few pages back. I tend to agree with him for the most part.

:b Sorry, I thought it was from an outside reviewer. I should have kept my mouth shut.

 

[Carlo_M]

but my bowels are churning up a storm... let me just say I'm swearing off Burton entirely, something I should've done a long time ago.

and then later, by the same person:

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.

It's nice to have an opinion, but when that opinion seeks to invalidate others' opinions (intimating that anyone moved by Big Fish is falling for the "maudlin bullshit" and other colorful metaphors in the above post) I think this sort of thing is just written to rankle those who like/love a film. And clearly this shows that someone is not going into the film with "best intentions and emotional openness".

So is it fair to try to reign in one side, who love this film and question why it is that someone could hate it, while allowing the other side seemingly free reign to invalidate the opinions of others?

 

[Michael Reuben]

It's nice to have an opinion, but when that opinion seeks to invalidate others' opinions

You mean like intimating that anyone who didn't like the film went in with "preconceived notions" or was unable to "give up" emotion to the viewing or lacked the applicable life experience (i.e., losing a parent)? If seeking to invalidate contrary opinions is a sin (and that's a big "if"), neither the film's detractors nor its fans have been blameless.

But if you're suggesting that there's some form of moderation going on, you're mistaken. There isn't, there hasn't been, and assuming the discussion remains civil, there won't be.

M.

 

[Holadem]

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.

I can't get offended by this passage, I am still trying to figure out what the hell that means.

Seriously, I liked the movie, but I can agree a bit with this point.

--
H

 

[JonZ]

"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"

Well this I dont agree with. One message of this film is quiet clear - Dont limit yourself to a small existance. Go out there and experience life. Theres a big huge world out there,see it,experience it and touch as many people as you can doing it(Sorry but I dont see this as ostrich eyed and colorcoating. Its a worthwhile thing to say, and damn good advice.The meaning of life is the one you give to it.)

I didnt want to get into this, but...Seeing this film reminded me of something I havent thought about in years, when I was researching alot about religion and philosophy.

That is that Death is really very sad. When someone dies, everything that person was goes with them.Everythin they dreamed for themselves, their hopes and ambitions,everyone they ever loved, their memories and experiences,etc

When Im dead and gone, my friends will get together and remember me. How? But siting around saying "remember when Jon did this?"Do you remember the time he...."etc,etc.

Through stories.

This film does have something to say. Is it "self important"?yes and no since Ed obviously made a big impact on others lives.