Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Hailey Anne Nelson

A story about a son trying to learn more about his dying father by reliving stories and myths his father told him about himself.

Flixster Users

86% liked it

456,867 ratings

Critics

77% liked it

203 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 5 min.

Directed by: Tim Burton

Release Date: December 10, 2003

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DVD Release Date: April 27, 2004

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Stats: 32,724 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (32,724)


  • October 6, 2009
    I wish I wasn't so literal when it comes to movies. I'm sure there is more to this film allegorically or metaphorically or whatever speaking. But normally what I see is what I get. But that's OK in this case, because it stands on its own surface merits.

    Billy Crudup plays a y...( read more)oung expectant father who only knows his own father through the tall tales Dad tells about his life. The tales are so extreme -- shown as flashbacks in the film -- that the son believes none of it. When the father (played by Ewen MacGregor as the young man, and Albert Finney as the elder) is on his deathbed, the son sets out to find out the truth. On his quest he finds out things about his father as well as himself.

    This is typical Tim Burton stuff, with a fairytale look, oddball characters, and with lots of heart. I wasn't sure I was liking Big Fish at first, but after sleeping on it (I saw it last night), I decided I DO like it, particularly the ending. I left me with the idea of truth maybe being even stranger than fiction.
  • September 23, 2009
    Big Fish wants to be a lot of things. It wants to be an epic adventure tale, a fascinating collection of fables, and a story of reconcilliation between father and son. The movie is definitely more successful at achieving some of those things than others.

    I had to keep reminding...( read more) myself that this was a product of Tim Burton, because it was made without many of his signature flourishes. Much of it is set in bright, eye-catching locales that give a surreal feel to much of the film. The fantasy in Big Fish is about as far from Edward Scissorhands as it can be. Burton fanboys/girls will not be pleased if they watch this hoping for the standard Burton-isms. Yes, I made that word up. I like it though, and I'll probably use it again.

    Part of the movie is set in the real world, part is set in completely fictional locales, and the rest consists of idealized versions of places in Alabama like Auburn. I have to say that the real world portions are the least interesting, because the story being told there just is not written well enough to make the audience care. What should have been the heart of the movie is instead the stock melodrama that you would expect from a weekly cable show.

    The more imaginative portions of the movie are more interesting, but they never went as far as I wanted them to. A movie about tall tales and wild stories really needs more imagination than Big Fish had to offer. Ewan McGregor and Alison Lohman add a lot of charm that the script doesn't supply on its own (Danny Devito was pretty awesome too!), but they're only on-screen for part of the time. I'm not saying that the other actors are bad, it's just that they weren't really given a lot to work with.

    If I had to describe Big Fish with a single word, I would choose uneven. There are two movies tangled up in it together, but I really only was interested in one of them.
  • September 9, 2009
    A good film but not Burton at his best. It's style over content with only basic character development, which ultimately lets the story down.
  • March 19, 2009
    Tim Burton has always been an interesting filmmaker, and while this movie feels more concerned with getting to the images and crazy set pieces then it was about telling a human story, it shows imagination, which is severely lacking in movies today.
  • February 12, 2009
    A fantastic adventure story, a truly beautiful film. I just love Albert Finney in this role and Ewan McGreggor too. This is an easy watching kind of ?moral to the story? type film, one that can be enjoyed at any age and watched over and over again, a real modern day fairy tale.
  • November 19, 2009
    Good movie about love and adventure.
  • November 13, 2009
    You will cry your eyes out. This film is so touching.
  • November 13, 2009
    Tim Burton, un gars qui peut pas vivre sans eau, la plus belle scène d'amour de tous les films qui existe et je pleure a chaque fois.
  • November 12, 2009
    Best Supporting actor 2003
  • November 11, 2009
    my fave tim burton film... just funny, touching and crazy... kudos to ewan and sir albert finney....

Critic Reviews


May 3, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

An ebullient tall tale about the magic of imagination and the power of myth. full review

December 26, 2003
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A long-winded indulgence in tear-and-a-smile whimsy. full review

December 25, 2003
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Burton's fabled imagination runs wild with this material, and Big Fish often achieves a whimsical, poetic beauty. full review

December 25, 2003
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Burton, who has clung to the trappings of precocious genius well into his 40s, demonstrates a new emotional maturity. full review

December 25, 2003
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

There is no denying that Will has a point: The old man is a blowhard. There is a point at which his stories stop working as entertainment and segue into sadism. full review

December 10, 2003
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

You'd think that Burton, whose movies can be so invigoratingly nasty or so hypnotically moody, would be able to pull off a gentle, mainstream crowd-pleaser without making it dull or preachy. But Big F... full review

December 10, 2003
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

The most curious thing about this magical-realist fable ... is how thin and soft it is, how unpersuasive and ultimately forgettable even its most strenuous inventions turn out to be. full review

November 20, 2003
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Director Tim Burton finally hooks the one that got away: a script that challenges and deepens his visionary talent. full review

View more Big Fish reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • jrlearmonth
    January 14, 2009
    for any Edward bloom fans there is a cool site about telling stories like him at bloombla.com ... and his profile is at http://www.bloombla.com/profile/edwardbloom ...you can see how much you have in common with Edward bloom. Pretty cool, check it out!
  • michaela89
    January 5, 2009
    no... she was singin in the church when he started to grow... it was only for like a second
  • Rossjm
    August 26, 2008
    She played the little girl who he meets in that village. Thank god it was only a small part!
  • emzconnolly69
    July 28, 2008
    who did miley cyrus play in big fish?? anyone know??
  • Kruise
    June 13, 2008
    Certainly a film with a strong message. Everything one does has an effect on life.

    Just did not appreciate one scene where Edward brought disgrace to his mom. Could have been left out.
  • adeleTye
    February 15, 2008
    did you guys no that in the scene where the professor with the projector of edward's I LOVE SANDRA, that professor was actually the author (Daniel Wallace) of Big Fish?
  • countrydude3001
    November 24, 2007
    This is one of the best thought out movies ever, but yet it's slightly different than the book
  • mmh73
    November 19, 2007
    that was a cool film
  • memphismom
    September 7, 2007
    To Miakeane,
    Miley was the little girl that said: Don't cuss, there's a lady present. This was her first movie.

    The other girl, the blond in Spectre was played by Hailey Anne Nelson. She was Young Jenny.

    GREAT film!
  • MidnightPrincess4
    August 26, 2007
    This is a splendid movie! I absaloutly love it! it's so magical!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Big Fish Trivia


  • What Tim Burton movie involves a giant, a witch and the handi matic?  Answer »
  • Tagline: "An adventure as big as life itself."  Answer »
  • "They say time freezes when you first see your true love. What they don't tell you is that, when time starts up again, it moves super fast to make up for it."  Answer »
  • He directed "Big Fish" and "The Corpse Bride".  Answer »

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