VerbalKint

Coming November 26th, 2003 in the US and February 6th, 2004 in the UK...

Here's a summary in case you haven't head what it's about:

The story revolves around a dying father and his son, who is trying to learn more about his dad by piecing tgether the stories he has gathered over the years. The son winds up re-creating his father's elusive life in a series of legends and myths inspired by the few facts he knows. Through these tales, the son begins to understand his father's great feats and his great failings.

Ewan plays young Edward Bloom, the father character in the tall-tale retellings of his young days.

It's based on the novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions which I would highly recommend. By all accounts I've heard, this film is going to be incredible. It's being directed by Tim Burton and co-stars Albert Finney (old Edward), Billy Crudup (William Bloom), Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, and others. [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] Amazing cast, amazing story, and from what I've heard, and amazing screenplay.







I don't remember the last time I've been this excited for a movie. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I would be excited for it anyway because I think it's going to be great, but I'm quadruple excited because Ewan's in it and I think he's going to be fantastic [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I have my whole family interested in this movie. My brother's even reading the book, and he NEVER reads [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

Rach

[ 08-12-2003: Message edited VerbalKint ]

LilMouse

Thanks, Rach for starting this thread. I am also very excited about this movie. I enjoyed the book and can't wait to see how it comes out as a movie. The character of Edward Bloom was fun to read and I know Ewan will really make the character fun to watch. He does a great job in all his movies.

VerbalKint

Indeed, and it is a really interesting character. He's super-humanly perfect. Oh yes, good role for Ewan [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

So do you think this movie will win any awards? The way things are shaking down, and I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but I do think there is a lot of potential here for awards, even Oscars.

Rach

LilMouse

I think if Columbia does enough promotion there could be a big chance of getting awards. On other message boards people are saying Albert Finney and maybe Jessica Lange will be nominated in the supporting categories. I also hope the movie gets a best picture nomination. I'd be very upset if Ewan was looked over again. He deserves a nomination. maybe the movie will even get nominations for set design, costumes, music and adopted screenplay. Tim Burton could get a nom too.

steffieweffie

I can't wait for this movie as well. I am reading the book, or I should say, have been reading the book. I stopped because I was reading too many at once [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] The book jumps around and it's style is different from other books I have read. I like what I have read so far though.

TheIrish

I cant wait for this movie. I sure hope it lives up to all the hype and Ewan is nominated for something. It is time he is recognized for his talents.

steffieweffie

I edited the title to let everyone know that this thread may contain spoilers. What would everybody lik eto do? I know in the past the spoiler warning has been posted, but has that prevented anyone from spoiling themselves? If not, want to try a thread that is spoiler free?


I'll add spoiler space for this review of the script
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The Stax Report: Script Review of Big Fish
Stax looks at John August's screenplay for Tim Burton's next film.

May 07, 2002 - Stax here with my reaction to the screenplay for Big Fish! This 125-page second draft dated June 29, 2000 is by John August (Go, Charlie's Angels). It's an adaptation of Daniel Wallace's novel, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions. DreamWorks had been developing this project for the last several years with Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis attached to direct it at different points. Now DreamWorks has stepped aside and let Columbia Pictures take over Big Fish with Tim Burton (Planet of the Apes) helming it. Filming could begin as early as this fall although no one has been cast yet. August's screenplay adaptation will still be used. Richard Zanuck, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen will produce the picture.

Big Fish is the story of one Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman with a lifelong penchant for telling tall tales. His grown son Will, an Associated Press reporter and father-to-be, returns home to Ashland, Alabama because his cancer-stricken father is on his deathbed. Will and Edward have been estranged for several years now, primarily over Will's inability to accept his father's "storytelling" (that's putting it kindly). In order to finally understand his father, Will must revisit the stories that his father told him about his life. While the plots of these stories are obviously bogus, their metaphorical meanings reveal the essence of who Edward Bloom really is.

In many ways, Will is the man that his father never became. Edward was a "big fish" in a small town but he never quite got the chance to fulfill his ambitions. Will, on the other hand, works for a major news agency and lives in Paris. Edward, though, seems more at ease with himself and his life than Will who is holding on to his disappointment in a father who was never really there for him. And when he was around, Edward took more satisfaction in telling tall tales (with Will often just being a footnote in them) and making himself the center of attention.

The tales that Will revisits illustrate Edward's fantastical journey from small town boy to circus carny to the courtship of his wife Sandy to the Vietnam War. Ultimately, Edward's Homeric-like odyssey is about true love, his epic search to find, win, and keep the woman of his dreams. This quest leads Edward to befriend a giant, Siamese twin showgirls, a werewolf-like circus midget, a bank-robbing poet, and other assorted freaks and dreamers. Through these bizarre stories, Will realizes the kindness that his father sought to bring to others.

Big Fish is a charming little yarn that's not easily categorized. I don't think the following comparisons do the story justice; I only make them to give you an idea of the story's tone. Big Fish has the whimsy and wit of The Princess Bride, the episodic nature of O, Brother Where Art Thou?, and the "Southern epic" quality of Forrest Gump (that may explain Zemeckis' attraction to the piece). It's an uplifting story that, although it deals with heartfelt issues, doesn't take itself too seriously. If Tim Burton hadn't tackled Big Fish then I could definitely have seen the Coens or Rob Reiner making a decent film from it.

The character of Edward Bloom is an odd cross between Walter Mitty and Royal Tenenbaum. My favorite parts of the script were the segments that recreated his "big fish stories." Edward is an immensely likable chap, a trait that would later serve him well as a salesman; his mythic lifelong journey made for a fun experience.

What makes Edward Bloom endearing and memorable is that he will not be stopped once he sets his mind on something, regardless of losing his shoes, not knowing the identity of the woman of his dreams, or being drafted to go to Vietnam. That's what gives his final obstacle (cancer) such poignancy. (I could see Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, or Jim Carrey in this role, which requires the actor to age from his late teens to his early sixties.)

My only gripe – and it's not a major one – is with the character of Will who must bear the story's "weight." Edward gets to be charming and fun while Will is the one wrestling with issues; that sometimes made him a bit of a wet blanket. That said, I enjoyed the irony of Will's form of storytelling (the regimented "just the facts" style demanded by the Associated Press) being the polar opposite of his father's larger-than-life yarn spinning.

Big Fish is about many things (life, death, love, dreams, fathers and sons, reconciliation) but it's a particularly compelling statement about the art of storytelling, about "the power of myth" (to borrow a line from Bill Moyers) and its ability to transport, enlighten and entertain us. I look forward to seeing how Tim Burton will interpret John August's script. Big Fish could end up being Burton's most mature and thoughtful film yet. – STAX http://www.thezreview.co.uk/comingsoon/b/bigfish.htm

TheIrish

Thank you for using the spoiler space. It is much appretiated.

LilMouse

yea, BF is written differently than other books, but that's what I like about it. I think that it's going to be a little difficult to adopt but I can't wait to see how John August did it.

Thanks for the script review [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] it seems like it's basically the same as the book and not too many things changed.

VerbalKint

The only differences I can discern are in the actual stories. From pictures and reviews that I've seen, it just seems like some of the stories were added on, but that's not a big deal at all. You could throw in almost any story and it wouldn't be too far fetched for Edward [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

I loved the book and read it in two days. They style was really cool, and somewhat reminded me of my favourite book Catch-22. It had the same kind of great wit about it ("Edward Bloom was not a likely candidate for death" or "It wasn't like the whore house in town, it was just a house where a whore lived"). Though Catch-22 skips around chronologically more than BF, still reminded me of the style.

Rach

LilMouse

New pictures....

Nini Legs in the Air

all kids of nice pics, I like the one with the dog [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[img]smilies/flowers.gif[/img]Ellen

BYtheSEA

I like the pic with the dog too.

Here's one that's missing ...



[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

LilMouse

here's some more pics and a clip.
More will be seen Monday October 6th on Entertainment Tonight. http://www.themoviebox.net/trailers/...r-preview.html

Screencaps of the clip:

VerbalKint

Ooooooh! Ooooooooooooh! Great new pics AND that little clip from the trailer was awesome. I'm the happiest I've been about anything in weeks [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] They said that there's going to be a first look at the film on Entertainment Tonight Monday. w007! I'm so excited I could wet myself [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Rach