# Tim Burton's Big Fish **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-burtons-big-fish/224987 "2004-01-17T20:18:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-burtons-big-fish/224987/21 "2004-01-26T17:24:28Z")
> [@Tanaqui](#): > > I liked it a lot. I see that someone mentioned s/he felt the movie couldn’t decide whether to be drama or fantasy–but for me, that was the best part about the film. I liked the way they were tangled together. The imagery was wonderful, and the film was just beautiful in general–from the house with the white picket fence to the circus. I liked the layers in the film, the questions in raises, and the way the answers were never given to us on a silver platter… It made me laugh, and it made me think. I don’t ask for much more in entertainment. I agree completely. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-burtons-big-fish/224987/22 "2004-01-26T17:28:48Z")
I loved the movie. I don’t have much to add, other than… This is the perfect movie to see with your SO. Perfect. Seeing it with my girlfriend was a great decision. The shot of a young Edward Bloom sweeping aside the popcorn is an incredibly beautiful sequence. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-burtons-big-fish/224987/23 "2004-01-26T21:55:17Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I’ve seen the movie twice now and I’m still not clear on what was true and what was fantasy in the stories. The people at least seemed to be real. Does anyone have a clear take on this? I think maybe the movie is asking us (a) can ever really know what is true and what is fantasy, and (b) does it really matter in the end? Perhaps The Truth is the uncatchable fish? ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-burtons-big-fish/224987/24 "2004-02-09T21:53:17Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I’ve seen the movie twice now and I’m still not clear on what was true and what was fantasy in the stories. The people at least seemed to be real. Does anyone have a clear take on this? As **Tanaqui** pointed out, the answers were not given to us on a silver platter. I really like that in a movie. But when I’m not given the answers, I have a tendency to try to find them. In this case however, I think we aren’t meant to find them. For one thing, we can never know for sure, and for another, it’s irrelevant. They’re just a bunch of little stories. It doesn’t matter what’s real, you should just enjoy it. That’s my answer. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-burtons-big-fish/224987/25 "2004-07-18T03:11:42Z")
I finally got around to seeing the film tonight. My wife and I rented it from the DVD store. At the end, I was genuinely moved. That doesn’t usually happen. The fantasy sequences (a bit awkward at first) paid off in the last half hour, when we discover how well-liked E. Bloom was. The embarassing storytelling became much more than just another way for him to make up for his insecurities – he told the stories because they are, as the scorpion might say, in his nature. And his son finally realizes how important the stories are to his father, and to his father’s loved ones and friends. My favorite scene: When E. Bloom was holding his breath underwater, and his wife came in and joined him. He’s a true eccentric whose wife loves him absolutely. Unconditional love served as a touching theme throughout. This scene’s display – a simple, private, heartbreaking moment – justified the whole movie for me. I told my wife: “This was a wonderful film.” I don’t usually say that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-burtons-big-fish/224987.md?page=1)