Barnes & Noble

Filmmaker Tim Burton’s apparently boundless imagination finds inspiration in Daniel Wallace's colorful novel, making this adaptation a delight for fans of both. In the waning days of his life, Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), a seemingly ordinary man who has crafted an elaborate personal mythology, hopes for reconciliation with his adult son, Will (Billy Crudup), who has grown alienated by his father's stubborn adherence to tall tales. Some of these tales are presented in flashback form, and it's in these sequences that Burton's skill at visualization is really put to the test. He paints Bloom's dream world with vivid colors and peoples it with sharply drawn characters. Ewan McGregor plays Edward Bloom as a young man, and he brings an almost childlike sense of wonder to the proceedings -- a quality that's vital to sustaining the willing suspension of disbelief you'll need to fully appreciate the film's charm. Finney has the difficult task of exhibiting passion and vigor in a decaying body, and though he plays most of his scenes in bed, he still manages to make Edward a boyish romantic. Jessica Lange is equally effective in the role of Bloom's adoring wife, the ageless princess to his Prince Charming. And Crudup perfectly conveys not only Will's nagging irritation with his father but also his less-obvious envy of the older man's ability to transcend the realities and heartaches of the workaday world. Burton has often copped to making films as a way of retaining his own youthful sense of wonder, and it's easy to tell that he relates to the character of Edward Bloom. As the film winds down, Will finally comes to grips with his father's character, and he begins to understand the introspective process by which people evaluate their successes and failures as they age. That's a valuable lesson to take away from Big Fish, but Burton doesn't hit the viewer over the head with it: He makes Big Fish an enchanted and entertaining journey, filled with extravagant imagery and beguiling characters. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Tim Burton directs the fantasy drama Big Fish, based on the book Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Southern writer/illustrator Daniel Wallace. Billy Crudup plays William Bloom, a young man who never really knew his dying father, Edward (Albert Finney) outside of the tall tales he told about growing up, making his way, and meeting his mother (played as a young woman by Alison Lohman and in older age by Jessica Lange). During Edward's last days, William and his wife Josephine (Marion Cotillard) hold bedside vigil as the old man recollects elaborate memories of his youth (in which he is played by Ewan McGregor). Still doubting the the legends and folklore, William makes a journey to meet a mysterious woman (Helena Bonham Carter) from whom Edward had bought property. Steve Buscemi and Danny De Vito also star. Andrea LeVasseur

Product Details

• UPC: 043396008373
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Français
• Time: 2:05:00
• Sales Rank: 6,772

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Big Fish / Rudy (1994)

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