The Dean of Cinema

Written by Dean Zarbaugh II

An adventure as big as life itself. Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.

This Father’s Day, I sat down to rewatch my favorite Tim Burton film. It’s the story of a son trying to understand his larger than life father. This is a deeply personal film for me because it mirrors my own struggles to understand my father behind all the tall tales he liked to tell and his penchant for stretching the truth to its breaking point.

Like Edward, my dad was a social person, willing to strike up a conversation with anyone at any time. Growing up, we vacationed at Disney World in Orlando a couple of times of year. After retiring from journalism, Dad went into automobile sales, and thanks to his outgoing personality and ability to chat up a brick wall, was exceptionally good at it. He would regularly be the top salesman every month, and year for a few years in a row. It afforded us a comfortable life in a post-9/11 world. Every night at Disney, Dad would spend the hours of 9pm to whenever with “the guys” at the cigar shop that used to be at what is now called Disney Springs. That was his “me” time and where many of his tall tales were told.

Now, my dad was great at reading people, but believe it or not, he had a real blind spot for celebrities. There were multiple instances where the employees of the cigar shop would go up to my dad after someone he was talking to left, and the conversation would go something like this:

Employee: do you know who that was?
My dad: yeah, he said his name was Scott.
Employee: yeah! Scott Stapp, the lead singer of the band Creed?
My dad: *shrugs* never heard of them

Employee: do you know who that was?
My dad: shrugs
Employee: that was Snoop Dogg!
My dad: Oh, I’ve heard of him! He was nice.

Or the time he sat next to Alan Ruck after talking with him the entire flight to Cleveland from LA, went “you’re someone famous aren’t you?” That was my dad. Not recognizing Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or Stuart from the tv show Spin City WHICH WE WATCHED EVERY SINGLE WEEK BECAUSE MICHAEL J. FOX IS A TREASURE. He was able to have real conversations with these people because he wasn’t expecting anything from them.

*Author’s note: this was when Creed was actually somewhat popular*

The one time he did recognize a celebrity was when he and my mom visited me when I was living in Los Angeles. We went to one of Dad’s favorite breakfast places, The Griddle Cafe. He only knew about The Griddle because he read that “Leonard” DiCaprio ate there. No, I didn’t immediately correct him on getting one of the most famous actors of all time’s name wrong. He called him Leonard for quite some time, and I wouldn’t let anyone correct him. It made me laugh every single time. Anyway, we’re eating breakfast, finishing up a nice meal when my dad spots – no, not Leonard DiCaprio – it was fellow Cleveland native Drew Carey sitting down to eat with his significant other. Dad wants to go over and tell Drew that we’re also from Cleveland and that we love The Drew Carey Show. I’m not one to go up to celebrities anyway, but there are two lines I don’t cross no matter what: 1) don’t bother them when they are with their families. 2) don’t bother them while they’re eating. Dad, on the other hand, walked straight up to Carey, prompting me to get embarrassed and leave the restaurant. That was my dad. He did things his way. Marched to the beat of his own drum. *Second author’s note: Drew Carey handled the interaction with grace and charm and was very kind despite the interruption*

When Dad passed away a couple of years ago, it left a massive void in my life. You see, I never got the catharsis that William experiences in the film. I never got that one final story that put everything in perspective for me. It’s a Hollywood ending, but it doesn’t feel cheap. Between Tim Burton’s directing, both versions of Edward Bloom, Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor, and Billy Crudup’s acting, the moment is wholly earned.

Big Fish is always a tough watch for me. It’s a beautiful and powerful film, filled with magical performances and it’s Burton’s best by a country mile. It never ceases to make me cry my eyes out in the end and wonder if I did right by my dad, and if I’m living up to his expectations of me. When I was 6 years old, a tornado ripped through my hometown, destroying our home. We were home watching Murder, She Wrote when my dad happened to notice the odd color of the sky from the window. He stepped out onto the front porch and noticed the air was dead still. He rushed back inside and raced me and my mom to the basement. He covered us with couch cushions and blankets and shielded us with his own body. We all survived thanks to his quick thinking.

He was a political journalist for 31 years, and held a lot of powerful people’s feet to the fires in his columns. I write about movies and how they make me feel. I empathize with William as he attempts to have a real conversation with his dad, something my dad and I hardly ever did. He could be just as stubborn as Edward, especially when confronted about the things he said. I could be just as stubborn also. I regret it all these years later and I wish I could speak to him just one more time and tell him that I love him.

The script from John August is one of the most beautiful to come out of Hollywood. It’s an adaptation of the novel “Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions” by Daniel Wallace. August based the his script around his own relationship with his father, which adds another layer to the film. Like August and William Bloom, there were many times in my life that my dad and I felt like strangers that knew each other very well. Ships passing each other in the night.

Tim Burton’s directing reaches new heights on Big Fish. It distinctly looks and feels very Burton-esque in its vibe, while being a brighter looking film than his normal fare. Cinematographer Philippe Rousselot lensed some gorgeous films before Big Fish including Interview With a Vampire, and Remember the Titans. He gives Big Fish a gorgeous, vibrant color. The daffodil scene is especially memorable in its beauty. Rousselot balances that beauty with a bit of drab darkness in the scenes with Edward the senior, foreshadowing the inevitable outcome of the story.

Ewan McGregor was why I originally watched the film back in 2003. I was a huge fan of the Star Wars prequels, especially McGregor’s ability to channel Sir Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi and I jumped at the chance to see him in something non-Star Wars related. Big Fish is a highlight reel performance. He was the perfect casting for a young Edward Bloom. He’s handsome, charming, and endearing. You believe everyone’s infatuation with Edward, because who isn’t infatuated with Ewan McGregor?

Albert Finney puts on a masterclass in acting as the senior version of Edward, a man who can command a room with his presence, and hold everyone’s attention with his innate storytelling ability. As strong as he is when speaking, Finney is able to convey so much in a single look. There’s a scene where William cuts him off from beginning one of his tall tales, and the frustration at being muzzled raging beneath the surface is palpable. In true Edward Bloom fashion, he moves the goalposts by telling a different story instead. In the final scene, when he’s watching and listening to William finish his story, there is a look of love and admiration in his eyes finally seeing his son embrace who he really is. It’s a beautiful performance from an absolute legend of cinema.

Jessica Lange plays Sandra, Edward’s wife and love of his life. She is one of cinema’s greatest treasures. One of the most talented performers to ever grace the screen. She’s able to deftly slide into any role and make it her own. The Postman Always Rings Twice, Blue Sky, Tootsie. The scene of Sandra and Edward in the bathtub “drying out” is usually when the waterworks start for me. It’s such a beautiful scene of two people embracing their love for one another and being vulnerable with each other over what comes next. It makes me think of what my mom must have been going through when my dad was knocking on Heaven’s door. Lange and Finney’s acting ground Sandra and Edward’s relationship. They give it real weight and meaning that comes off genuine. It’s an emotional punch to the gut, but so well done by Lange. She deserved much more award recognition for this role.

Billy Crudup plays William, the frustrated son yearning for one “real” conversation with his dad. I empathize with William as he struggles to reconcile the man from the myth of his father. Growing up, people would know my dad wherever we went. I would find myself shaking hands with politicians from all levels of government, judges, lawyers, sheriffs, you name it. Everyone knew my dad and didn’t hesitate to tell me what a “legend” he was. It’s hard to walk in that large of a shadow, with everyone already having grand expectations of you.

As always in a Tim Burton flick, Helena Bonham Carter pops up not in one role, but two. She plays the old witch that young Edward encounters as a child, and then the adult version of the little girl he meets in Spectre, Alabama before he leaves. She’s an incredible performer that has such amazing range. She’s tremendous in the film and nails both roles with ease.

Big Fish is Tim Burton’s most emotional film, and an outlier in his career. When one hears Tim Burton, the first thing that comes to mind is Edward Scissorhands or Ed Bloom… come to think of it, Burton really likes protagonists named “Edward.” Big Fish is everything its protagonist is: charming, eloquent, raw, and emotional. It features memorable performances from the entire cast and sticks with you long after the credits roll. It’s my annual Father’s Day tradition to watch and remind myself of how much my dad loved me, despite our differences.

This article is dedicated to my dad. Thank you for all you did for me. I hope to live up to your expectations of me.