The Whale (2022)
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A morbidly obese, reclusive English teacher attempts to reconcile with his estranged daughter while grappling with his own deteriorating health.
The story
In 2016, Charlie, a morbidly obese and reclusive English teacher in Moscow, Idaho, lives a secluded life, teaching online courses while hiding his appearance from the world. Despite his deteriorating health and the warnings of his nurse, Liz, Charlie remains determined to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, Ellie, whom he abandoned years prior. As his physical condition worsens, Charlie seeks to forge a reconciliation with her, offering a significant sum of money to spend time together. The narrative explores his internal struggles, his complicated relationships with those around him, and his desperate hope for redemption before his time runs out.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2016, Charlie, a morbidly obese man in Moscow, Idaho, lives in isolation, teaching online classes while hiding his face. He is cared for by Liz, a nurse who is secretly the sister of Charlie's former lover, Alan. Charlie's primary motivation is to reconcile with his estranged daughter, Ellie. He offers her his savings to spend time with him, and she agrees on the condition that he helps her with her schoolwork. As Charlie's health fails, he interacts with Thomas, a missionary who also seeks to help him. The story unfolds as Charlie's past and present collide, involving his ex-wife Mary and a pizza delivery man, Dan, who finally sees Charlie's face. In a final, poignant moment, Ellie reads an old essay she wrote about Moby-Dick. As she finishes, Charlie rises and walks toward her, and the two share a final moment of connection as he is enveloped in light.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 117
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Darren Aronofsky
- Writers
- Samuel D. Hunter · writer
- Cast and characters
- Brendan Fraser · Charlie; Sadie Sink · Ellie; Hong Chau · Liz; Ty Simpkins · Thomas; Samantha Morton · Mary
- Genres
- psychological drama
- Themes
- guilt; sexuality
- Tone and mood
- poignant; heartbreaking
- Premise and plot tags
- father-daughter relationship; obesity; redemption
- Source material / true-story basis
- Samuel D. Hunter's 2012 play The Whale
- Reception
- The film received a polarized response, with critics praising the performances but criticizing the portrayal of obesity.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 64% · scale: percentage · review count: 347
- Awards and nominations
- Best Actor · Academy Awards · win; Best Makeup and Hairstyling · Academy Awards · win; Best Supporting Actress · Academy Awards · nomination; Best Adapted Screenplay · British Academy Film Awards · nomination; Best Make Up & Hair · British Academy Film Awards · nomination; Best Supporting Actress · British Academy Film Awards · nomination; Best Actor · British Academy Film Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally set to star James Corden and be directed by Tom Ford.; The character of Liz was updated to be adopted to accommodate the casting of Hong Chau.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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