The iceberg...

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2004)

Just as Billy Crudup tries to explain how his father is like an iceberg, so do I attempt to describe this movie. It's 10% colorful, imaginative fantasy. The other 90% deals with sincere, real issues - personal identity, the psychological divide between childhood and adulthood, true compassion, and....death. It could be that my current situation involving a grandfather who is nearing the end of his life resembles this movie enough to tug painfully at the heartstrings. But, I think it's more than that. Big Fish has a magic that is rarely seen in movies. It sparkles with creativity, genuine performance by all cast members, and a sincerity that reaches right to the depth of the soul.