Tim Burton's 'Big Fish' a great catch
By Jeff Renfro
In "Big Fish," Tim Burton returns to the fairy-tale model that has been prevalent in his most famous works, while also adding a level of maturity that has earned the film rave reviews. The film can be seen as a return to offbeat moviemaking after Burton's turn as the director of "Planet of the Apes" and "Mars Attacks." Burton simultaneously shows that he is still the master of idealistic fables and a filmmaker with a truly unique perspective.
The film centers on the relationship between a father, who considers himself to be a master storyteller, and his reporter son, who has returned home after a lengthy absence to make peace with his ailing father. The father recounts his unbelievable life story in an attempt to explain to his son and daughter-in-law the lessons that life has taught him.
The film begins with scenes of the son eagerly listening as his father tells him an adventurous tale about his childhood run-in with a witch; the son hangs on every word and looks at his father with awe. Eventually, the son rejects the stories of his father as "entertaining lies" and moves to Paris to pursue a career in reporting. The rest of the film is a series of flashbacks in which the father makes his way in the world. His experiences run the gamut: his friendship with a giant, his escape from an idealic country town, fighting in the Korean War, and rebuilding a small town.
The biggest difference between "Big Fish" and the rest of Burton's films is the freedom that the actors receive. Johnny Depp's performance in "Edward Scissorhands" is truly remarkable, but the viewer gets the sense that Depp is limited by Burton's vision. Every aspect of Burton's earlier films are straight from his own imagination; "Big Fish" feels like more of a collaboration between the actors and Burton.
Billy Crudup plays the role of the son in a performance that is both subtle and powerful. The character has rejected his father's boisterous attitude and lives a safe, conservative life. He has always resented the lifestyle of his father and combines all of these features to create a character that is calm, but ready to explode at any moment. The older incarnation of the father is played by Albert Finney. Most of his scenes take place with him lying in bed, making his performance even more impressive. The younger version of the father is Ewan McGregor, who gives a performance that reminds the viewer of his charming role in "Trainspotting." McGregor is truly the star; he is placed in extraordinary situations, but conveys an earnestness and honesty that allow the audience to admire the character. Jessica Lange is wonderful as the mother. She is in a limited number of scenes, but always conveys a quiet assurance.
Burton manages to tell the story of a reconciliation between a dying father and his son without reverting to sappiness. There are no straight-forward answers offered in "Big Fish." Burton attempts to find the role of fable in real life. Even in the resolution, the characters are still shown to have faults that they must continue to deal with.
It is rumored that Burton made the movie, in part, as an attempt to criticize the aloof style of Forrest Gump (Burton names one of the supporting characters Jenny in a possible allusion to Gump). Burton recognizes that people can make profound impacts on the lives of others in a way that does not illustrate the full character of a person. Burton's fables attempt to provide models of morality through the use of incomplete characters.
Grade: A-
Contact Jeff Renfro at (408) 554-4546 or jrenfro@scu.edu.