Enjoyable but phony diversion

Rating: 6/10 (18 May 2004)

Spoilers. Big Fish is a disjointed but watchable attempt at creating a heartwarming story, except for the fact that it seems as genuine as Taco Bell. It tells the story of the boring Ed Bloom Jr., who hasn't spoken to his father in three years. He's about to have a kid and his dad is fighting cancer, and just for once he would like to know his "real" father. It's pretty typical and there are no surprises concerning this part of the movie. From what I can tell, Ed Bloom Jr. has no reason to mope about just because his father told some tall tales. The problem with this movie is that it's basically a set-up to flashbacks that will set-up the character of Ed Bloom Sr., so that when he dies in a typical fashion at a hospital bed while coughing and doing the usual old man routine, a couple of tears will be shed by the audience. The father never tells his son the truth and the son is too selfish and judgmental to accept that maybe his father is not a liar. The flashback scenes are okay but aside from the war flashback few are emotionally engaging and do little to enhance the story. Ewan McGregor was cast for his appearance and little else it seems. His accent is pretty bad and although he can be quite likable he rings undeniably phony as a Southerner. In the end, however, the story is utterly predictable. The whiny kid who hates his father is moved when he does die and at the funeral all of his dad's old pals show up. There's something false about that kind of sentiment, and that kind of fraud runs through the whole movie. It's too much; too big, too loud (too many boisterous pop songs), not personal enough, and the script merely goes through the motions. None if it seems sincere, like any of its creators had a real story to tell. It seems like a neat idea that Burton and August thought up to sell tickets to people too eager to cry and be "tugged at the heartstrings". If you have to watch it, it's not so bad, and if your curiosity is getting at you, it's worth a rental. But be prepared to slog through too many predictable clichés.
Rating: 6.0