Big Fish is a 2003 movie directed by Tim Burton. It tells the story of a Paris-based journalist named Will Bloom who comes home to Ashton, Alabama, when he hears that his father, Edward, is terminally ill with cancer and has been taken off chemotherapy. Will and his father have been estranged for the past three years largely because of the fanciful tales that Edward has consistently told about his life. As a child, Will happily accepted the stories as explanations for his father's long absences as a traveling salesman, but as an adult, he has realized that these fanciful stories merely prevented him from getting to know his father. With his pregnant wife, Will returns home to make amends, get some answers, and find some understanding with his father.
The film stars Ewan McGregor as the young Edward Bloom, and Albert Finney as older Edward Bloom. It also stars Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Helena Bonham Carter. The screenwriter, John August, got the rights to the book version, by Daniel Wallace, 6 months before it was published, and Steven Spielberg was the first choice to direct.
The film was released to generally high acclaim. Critics praised its blending of emotional impact and more fantastical elements. It was nominated for 4 Golden Globes, and the score, by Danny Elfman, was nominated for an Academy Award.
