Remembering: Big Fish
(American fantasy-adventure directed by Tim Burton;starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup,
Jessica Lange and Loudon Wainwright III;
released December 10, 2003)
by Live Music Head
(originally published at notinhalloffame.com February 6, 2013)
It’s a story about a storyteller.
It’s a story about the importance of telling stories.From the imagination of Tim Burton,
it’s also a heartwarming story about a father and a son.
Albert Finney is absolutely adorable as Edward Bloom,
the flamboyant travelling salesman
who tells incredibly outrageous tales
to anyone who will listen,
much to the embarrassment of his son Will (Billy Crudup).
Will grows up to be a storyteller himself,
albeit a journalist more interested in truth.
Jessica Lange plays the love of Bloom’s life and Will’s mother,
and with such a lovely presence in the film,
she brought more than a few tears to my eye.
Circus life is also depicted in the film,
with oh-so many colourful characters,
such as Danny DeVito as the ringmaster;
a ringmaster who Bloom would have you believe also turns into a wolf.
Set in Alabama, this really is an enjoyable story of tall tales;
a film I may never have got round to watching if not for
the cameo appearance by singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III.
I seek out anything and everything ol' Loudo's involved in.
And in this film, Wainwright plays Beamen,
the barefoot Mayor of Spectre.
And he’s a might bit creepy at it too,
what with that big toothy grin he wears
while leading his flock of perfectly behaved little towns folk
in a hoe-down of ring-around-the-rosy.
Steve Buscemi plays his poet pal Winslow.
And with that banjo player sitting on a porch rocking chair plucking,
brings both Deliverance and The Stepford Wives to mind.
The trailer for Big Fish...
to anyone who will listen,
much to the embarrassment of his son Will (Billy Crudup).
Will grows up to be a storyteller himself,
albeit a journalist more interested in truth.
Jessica Lange plays the love of Bloom’s life and Will’s mother,
and with such a lovely presence in the film,
she brought more than a few tears to my eye.
Circus life is also depicted in the film,
with oh-so many colourful characters,
such as Danny DeVito as the ringmaster;
a ringmaster who Bloom would have you believe also turns into a wolf.
Set in Alabama, this really is an enjoyable story of tall tales;
a film I may never have got round to watching if not for
the cameo appearance by singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III.
I seek out anything and everything ol' Loudo's involved in.
And in this film, Wainwright plays Beamen,
the barefoot Mayor of Spectre.
And he’s a might bit creepy at it too,
what with that big toothy grin he wears
while leading his flock of perfectly behaved little towns folk
in a hoe-down of ring-around-the-rosy.
Steve Buscemi plays his poet pal Winslow.
And with that banjo player sitting on a porch rocking chair plucking,
brings both Deliverance and The Stepford Wives to mind.
The trailer for Big Fish...
