Last night, I went to see the movie The Whale starring Brendan Fraser.
The only thing I knew about the movie going in was that the main character, an obese, recluse online English teacher, was struggling to reconcile with his teenage daughter.
As a former English teacher, I knew the English teacher part would be interesting and the movie did not disappoint.
Many references to teaching composition were made including how to use topic sentences, and thesis statements, and how important it is to use truth and critical thinking when analyzing literature.
In addition, the movie, originally a play on Broadway, centered around a student essay written about Moby Dick the famous novel by Herman Melville. Critics have theorized that Moby - the whale - symbolizes “white economic expansion and exploitation in the nineteenth century. As a part of the natural world, it represents the destruction of the environment".
(I hate to use sparknotes.com, but I am lazy this morning.)
The student essay points out that there are pages and pages of boring parts in the novel that delays the telling of the sad story of the destruction of the whale. (Some critics theorize the whale escapes. It is up for interpretation.)
Amazingly, during this five-act play set in the apartment of this unfortunate character that is kind of what happens.
The first few acts are not boring but the first four acts delay the telling of a very sad story.
Charlie, Brandan’s character, is 600 pounds and a whale.
He has a relationship with one of his male students, who becomes his partner, and he abandons his wife and eight-year-old child.
In the movie, he explains to his daughter - now 18 - that he had experienced true love and found his soul mate in his partner; however, religion/society got in their way and his partner could not live with it. Charlie’s partner jumped off a bridge and completed suicide several years ago.
Some of the movie is NOT easy to watch. The opening scene might shock you, but keep watching. It was meant to get your attention. Charlie has pizzas delivered almost every night and he binges - often choking and vomiting. Charlie is shown naked and it ain’t pretty.
Some of the movie IS easy to watch. Charlie has a caring friend who is a visiting nurse who takes care of him. Charlie is a loving kind person who believes people are amazing. He cares about his online students and realizes that his daughter has not turned out to be an evil bitch, but she is a caring loving human.
SpoilerAlert Altert:
Both whales die in the end. There has always been a debate about Moby, but it is obvious that Charlie has gone to the light. However, both whales accomplished their goals and became free in the end. Charlie has mended all of his fences and broken free of societal restraints and the same holds true for Moby.
I was hesitant to see this movie. I thought it was fat shaming. Thanks for your review. I should go. We saw A Man Called Otto. It was great, Tom Hanks is a national treasure.