The tears are earned - not extracted

Rating: 8/10 (7 May 2013)

At first glance, Big Fish seems like a Tim Burton film grounded in reality; a picture of his that finally abandons his unconditional love for fantasy in favor of a more realistic, recognizable world. However, the fantasy is even greater here, and only uses its reality and recognizable qualities as a backdrop for a moving, poetic parable on life itself in one of the grandest ways.
Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) is a middle-aged man who has long been in a strong relationship with his mother but not his father. His father has a way of attempting to generate connection and likability through stories that seem to only serve as charming, whimsical little tales to amuse a small child. When his father becomes bed-stricken, he desperately wants to know more about who he is. He is tired of having a father/son relationship solely built on what appears as a mutual understanding between two people that live in the same house.
Of course his father, Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), gives the explanation the only way he can give it - through a larger than life story. In these flashbacks showing his young life he is played by Ewan McGregor, a perfect fit for the enigmatic Edward. These flashbacks detail persistency, young-love, passion, and several other themes and morals better than some films do on their own. Often, we'll pounce back into reality with Will taking care of his father or furthering an attempting at long overdue connection.
I know I"m not the only soul who can relate to Big Fish's portrayal of father/son disconnect. Even as I continue to live with my father in my teen years, I can't help but think of him as someone I know very well rather than my all-powerful father. I love him, certainly, but our drastic difference put us at what I call a quandary that is unable to remedied. The film succeeds in showing that even if there's no spark between you and a parent, you're only given one set of biological parents and you should make an attempt at the strongest connection possible.
Big Fish is visually marvelous and explicitly potent when it reaches the flashback sequences. Burton isn't as dark or as Gothic as he could be and simply enjoys emphasizing the unique, vibrant environments of each specific flashback. I feared early on that this film would be one I could only admire, as alienation began to sit in. And yet, Burton - a true cinematic auteur - doesn't keep viewers at arm's length with the material. He has his own tricks of pulling an audience-member into the film and it definitely shows here. I can't recall another film when I went from alienation to comfort so quickly.
The concept of a father attempting to provide his son with insight and significance of his existence - and his ability to connect with others on a personal level - is not different from what renowned Swedish director Ingmar Bergman captured beautifully in his film Wild Strawberries. The story concerned a daughter, now well-grown and a functioning adult, attempting to get closer to her father who has always been able to generate smiles and charm from strangers but not close family. One strength it possessed over Big Fish was its lack of ambiguity and abstraction. Ultimately, these features give this film one of its greatest strengths and, simultaneously, one of its greatest weaknesses. The abstraction makes the film not open to one interpretation, but it also somewhat prevents strong connection with characters.
Big Fish benefits from a strong sense of imagination and emotion, which comes through in the very wend. It's less surprising but very moving, and is captured in an unconventional way. It doesn't feel like tears are being extracted, but earned and deserved as the film doesn't play the game of emotional manipulation. Burton erects a nicely-articulated, magical wonderland with flowing music and limitless characters. Just in that respect the tears don't seem to be obligatory.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, and Jessica Lange. Directed by: Tim Burton.