The 48th Best All-Time Film
(17th Post-1998)
Big Fish (2003)
As a son of a father, and a father to sons, I am always a sucker for a good father-son film. Already mentioned in these lists is the wonderful “About Time.” But one of, if not my, favorite father-son story is Tim Burton’s 2003 film, “Big Fish.”
It is the story of a son who has failed to really know who his father is his whole life. William is fed up with all of his father’s stories that are so outlandish and unbelievable that they can’t be factually true. As his father, Edward Bloom, nears death, William tries to piece together the facts of his father’s life. And what he discovers is that the stories contained a lot of truth. In fact, a lot of the “embellishments” and “flourishes” told a lot more about who his father really was, more than the dry facts and events by themselves did.
“Big Fish” is not just about a son getting to know and accept his dad for who he really is, it is a reminder that stories have a power to communicate meaning and truth. It is not just lives lived, but how those lives are reflected upon and understood that tell us who a person really is.
Big Fish (2003)
It is the story of a son who has failed to really know who his father is his whole life. William is fed up with all of his father’s stories that are so outlandish and unbelievable that they can’t be factually true. As his father, Edward Bloom, nears death, William tries to piece together the facts of his father’s life. And what he discovers is that the stories contained a lot of truth. In fact, a lot of the “embellishments” and “flourishes” told a lot more about who his father really was, more than the dry facts and events by themselves did.
“Big Fish” is not just about a son getting to know and accept his dad for who he really is, it is a reminder that stories have a power to communicate meaning and truth. It is not just lives lived, but how those lives are reflected upon and understood that tell us who a person really is.
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