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Big Fish
Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.
2003 · Directed by Tim Burton · 125 min · Adventure · Fantasy · Drama · Screenplay in the scene database · 32 frames
Tagline
An adventure as big as life itself.
Plot
At William Bloom's wedding party, his father Edward recalls the day Will was born, claiming he caught an enormous catfish using his wedding ring as bait. Will has heard his father's fanciful tales many times, and believes they are lies. Fed up by the stories, Will has a falling out with his father. Three years later, Edward is diagnosed with cancer, prompting Will and his pregnant wife Joséphine to spend time with him in Alabama.
Edward's life is chronicled through flashbacks, beginning with his boyhood encounter with a witch. She shows Edward how he will die, which does not faze him. As he reaches adulthood, he finds his home too confining, and sets out into the world. He meets a giant named Karl, and they begin traveling together. When they find a fork in the road, they take separate paths. Edward traverses a swamp and discovers the hidden town of Spectre, where he befriends the poet Norther Winslow and the mayor's daughter, Jenny. Not ready to settle down, Edward leaves Spectre, but makes a promise to Jenny that he will return.
At Joséphine's request, the bed-ridden Edward tells her how he met his wife, Sandra. In more flashbacks, Edward and Karl visit the Calloway Circus, where Edward falls in love with a beautiful woman. Edward and Karl get jobs in the circus, and the ringmaster Amos Calloway reveals to Edward one detail about the woman each month. Three years later, Edward discovers that Amos is a werewolf, but shows no ill will towards him. In gratitude, Amos reveals the woman's name as Sandra Templeton. Edward confesses his love to Sandra, but she rebuffs him despite his romantic gestures. Sandra's fiancé, Don Price, beats Edward up, which prompts Sandra to break off their engagement and marry Edward instead.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: John August
- Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot
- Edited by: Chris Lebenzon
- Music: Danny Elfman
- Production design: Dennis Gassner
- Produced by: Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks, Richard D. Zanuck
Cast
- Ewan McGregor as Ed Bloom (young)
- Albert Finney as Ed Bloom (senior)
- Billy Crudup as Will Bloom
- Jessica Lange as Sandra Bloom (senior)
- Helena Bonham Carter as Jenny (young & senior) / The Witch
- Alison Lohman as Sandra Bloom (young)
- Robert Guillaume as Dr. Bennett (senior)
- Marion Cotillard as Josephine
- Matthew McGrory as Karl the Giant
- David Denman as Don Price (age 18-22)
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Columbia Pictures, The Zanuck Company, Jinks/Cohen Company, Tim Burton Productions
- Budget: $70,000,000
- Box office: $123,200,000
- Themes: witch, fish, love of one's life, parent child relationship, circus, fairy tale, fishing, leech, story teller, fair
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