Big Fish
A son tries to separate fact from his father's tall tales.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Big Fish, released in 2003, is an American fantasy drama directed by Tim Burton. It adapts Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel *Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions*. The plot follows a son frustrated by his father’s constant tall tales, struggling to separate truth from fiction in the man’s life. The cast includes Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard, Steve Buscemi, and Danny DeVito.
Screenwriter John August read a manuscript of the novel six months before its publication and persuaded Columbia Pictures to buy the rights. He started adapting the book into a screenplay while producers negotiated with Steven Spielberg to direct; Spielberg eventually left to work on *Catch Me If You Can* (2002). After finishing *Planet of the Apes* (2001), Tim Burton and Richard D. Zanuck took over, bringing McGregor and Finney into the project.
The story’s focus on a dying father reconciling with his son held personal meaning for Burton, whose own father died in 2000. Filming took place in Alabama, using fairy-tale vignettes and a Southern Gothic style. The movie premiered in Manhattan on December 4, 2003, had a limited release on December 10, and went wide on January 9, 2004. It earned several award nominations: seven BAFTA nods, four Golden Globe nominations, two Saturn Award nominations, an Academy Award nomination, and a Grammy nomination for Danny Elfman’s original score. A musical adaptation premiered in Chicago in April 2013.
**Plot** At William Bloom’s wedding, his father Edward recounts the day Will was born, claiming he caught a giant catfish using his wedding ring as bait. Will, tired of hearing these fanciful stories, believes they are lies and has a falling out with his father. Three years later, Edward is diagnosed with cancer, so Will and his pregnant wife Joséphine return to Alabama to spend time with him.
Edward’s life unfolds in flashbacks. As a boy, he meets a witch who shows him how he will die, which doesn’t scare him. As an adult, he leaves home and meets a giant named Karl. They travel together until a fork in the road splits them. Edward finds the hidden town of Spectre, befriends poet Norther Winslow and the mayor’s daughter Jenny, but leaves after promising to return.
At Joséphine’s request, the bedridden Edward tells how he met his wife Sandra. In flashba
- Release Year
- 2003
- Director
- Tim Burton
- Based On
- 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace
- Screenwriter
- John August
- Genre
- Fantasy drama
- Country
- United States
- Notable Awards
- Academy Award nomination, Grammy Award nomination, seven BAFTA nominations, four Golden Globe nominations, two Saturn Award nominations
Lore & Background
The film's development began when screenwriter John August read a manuscript of the novel six months before its publication and convinced Columbia Pictures to acquire the rights. August adapted the novel into a screenplay while producers negotiated with Steven Spielberg about directing; Spielberg eventually left to focus on Catch Me If You Can (2002). Tim Burton and Richard D. Zanuck took over after completing Planet of the Apes (2001). Burton, whose father had died in 2000, found personal significance in the theme of reconciliation between a dying father and his son.
Principal photography began on January 13, 2003, and was shot on location in Alabama in a series of fairy tale vignettes with a Southern Gothic aesthetic. The film premiered on December 4, 2003 in Manhattan, followed by a limited release on December 10 and a wide release on January 9, 2004. A musical adaptation premiered in Chicago in April 2013.
Reader's Guide
Big Fish is significant as a deeply personal project for Tim Burton, allowing him to process emotions related to his father's death through the film's narrative of a son reconciling with his dying father. The film's structure, blending fantastical tall tales with emotional drama, was praised for its unique storytelling approach. It received multiple award nominations, including an Academy Award nomination and a Grammy Award nomination for Danny Elfman's original score. The film's legacy includes a musical adaptation that premiered in Chicago in 2013, demonstrating the enduring appeal of its mythic, Southern Gothic aesthetic.
Did You Know?
- John August read a manuscript of the novel six months before it was published and convinced Columbia Pictures to acquire the rights.
- Tim Burton's father had died in 2000, and he found he could process emotions related to his father's death by making the film.
- The film was shot entirely in Alabama except for one week of filming in Paris.
- A musical adaptation of Big Fish premiered in Chicago in April 2013.
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