Tim Burton’s “Big Fish” is an oddball family drama wrapped in a collection of tall tales. Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) has just gotten married to Josephine (Marion Cotillard), but the big cloud hanging over the event for Will is his father Edward (Albert Finney), whose love of telling tall tales about his life has led to a strained relationship with his son. Will claims that due to his father’s propensity to tell one incredible story after another he could never truly trust him and form a relationship with him. They grow estranged and don’t even speak for three years, until Will hears that his father is at his deathbed. Him and a now pregnant Josephine travel to his father’s home to spend his remaining breathing moments together. Edward continues to tell his tall tales, remembering his life from his childhood days forward, as we see young Edward (Ewan McGregor) going from one crazy adventure to another. Along the way he meets an impressive collection of bizarre characters – from giants, to Siamese twins, mermaids, witches and so on. Still unable to believe his father, Will sets out to try and find out the truth. Surprisingly, some of the things he finds out seem to corroborate his father’s stories. Upon his return from his voyage Will learns that Edward has suffered a stroke and rushes to the hospital. Edward, who can barely speak, asks Will to finish his story. Will sneaks him out of the hospital and takes him to the river, where the characters from Edward’s stories appear to bid him farewell. At Edwards funeral many of the people from his stories turn up, proving that he indeed was telling the truth.
Joan Rivers still in coma
