Mr. Burton, let me tell you that you have done it again. Not only did you produce something enjoyable for my high school days with “A Nightmare before Christmas”, but you continue to surprise me as a college student with “Big Fish.” Many elements of this film contribute to your overall, Grade-A rating for a great, interesting modern fantasy.
First off, I was taken through a line of stories about Edward Bloom’s life, starting from the day he was born to long after his funeral.
Because of Bloom’s habit of telling tall tales, however, the events become far from ordinary. For instance, the newborn Edward was pushed out so fast that he slid halfway down one hall of the hospital. Due to his quick puberty, he was forced to stay in bed for three years so that “everything would end up in the right place”. He travels to many incredible places; such as a witch’s mansion, the town of Specter, Auburn College, the Korean War, and a circus with a werewolf for a ringmaster.
Some of these stories end up being true, as well as off-the-wall. Bloom’s son Will hopes to disprove the tall tales, yet instead learns a lot about Edward’s life, as well as the false parts.
There was no witch with a glass eye, but there was a little girl named Jenny; a citizen of a town where everyone goes barefoot. Will meets her years later in the now-abandoned Specter, and she tells him of a brief crush she had on his father. He also learns that the elder Bloom was responsible for rebuilding the town, once all of its people had gone bankrupt.
Soon, more parts of the stories are proven. This is clearly shown in the funeral sequence, where many characters come to pay their respects. There really was a giant named Karl whom Edward worked with in the circus, as well as the werewolf of a ringmaster. Although they weren’t Siamese, the twin performers for a Communist variety show also were real, as was the ‘Poet Laureate’ of Specter that became a criminal. And Bloom was really thought to be dead, when in fact he was taking a long trip home that lead through at least three countries.
While other parts of the stories remained symbolic to Edward’s memory, the movie still proves an important fact-sometimes tall tales make the truth more interesting. Because of this, Will does learn something good about his father’s character. Edward wasn’t the liar that Will had once thought him to be, but rather someone who had been blessed with a most interesting life. And in spite of the stories not being written down, they continue to be told long after the elder Bloom’s death.
This, as Will himself says, is what makes his father “immortal”-just like the big fish that got away, the memories of Edward’s exploits continue to live on.
Friday, July 4, 2025