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.
Big Fish is Tim Burton at his most heartfelt. It has all the elements that define his style: extraordinary characters, magical creatures, and worlds that blur the line between fantasy and reality, but beneath the whimsy lies a deeply human story.
As in many Burton films, the unusual is celebrated, while the ordinary often feels uninspiring. The "odd" is where beauty, kindness, and possibility are found.
The film follows Edward Bloom, a man whose life is told through a series of increasingly unbelievable stories, much to the frustration of his skeptical son, Will. Watching Edward's adventures is immensely entertaining, but the emotional core of the film lies in the tension between a father who chooses to see the world through imagination and a son determined to uncover the literal truth.
Big Fish is one of those rare movies that changes as you grow older. As a child, it is an enchanting fantasy full of unforgettable characters and adventures. As a parent, it becomes something much deeper. It explores how we remember the people we love, the stories we tell about our lives, and the legacy we leave behind.
The film also carries a powerful message: life is, to a large extent, what you choose to make of it. Attitude, optimism, and enthusiasm may not change reality itself, but they profoundly shape how we experience it and how others remember us. Edward Bloom reminds us that a life filled with wonder, generosity, and imagination can become something far greater than a collection of facts.
What a great film! I watched it years ago but I honestly didn’t remember anything about it so it was like I was watching it for the first time. Such a well put together story and oh man that ending, pulling on my heartstrings. Also, not sure why, but I’m a sucker for movies with narrators. I have to say, I think this is Tim Burton’s best film.
This is one of those movies where it gets better on a second viewing. Thought it was ok in the theater. Over 20 years later, I really liked it. Visually fun, and not as dated as you might think, it’s an odd movie, with a nice little message.
Unexpectedly wholesome and exactly what we all need to be reminded of.
Truly beautiful. I think it's written to let your imagination translate it in many different ways and it's so so good.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Big Fish – The truth hidden inside the telling.
This is another one of those films that really deserves six stars, but the scale won’t allow it. It’s a story about stories — or maybe a story about the stories we tell ourselves so life feels bigger, kinder, and worth the trouble.
At its heart, it follows a son who has spent his life hearing about his father’s extraordinary exploits. To him, they’ve always felt like exaggerations — the colourful musings of a man trying to make up for years of absence. Their relationship is strained, distant, and unresolved. And early on, we learn the clock is already running out. His father doesn’t have long left.
To make matters worse, at least from the son’s point of view, the stories don’t stop. They intensify. And now they’re being told to his wife, who encourages them — treating them not as ramblings, but as something meaningful. To the son, it all looks like the indulgence of a dying man clinging to fantasy.
And yet, each story is wonderful in its own right. Larger than life, absurd, tender, and full of colour. You’re invited to enjoy them even while sharing the son’s frustration — because surely none of this can be real.
Until the moment comes, as it has to. And suddenly, one by one, the characters from those stories appear. Not as myths. Not as metaphors. Just… people. The stories were true. All of them.
The final revelation isn’t really a twist at all. The father never lied. He never misled. He just told the truth in a way that made life worth listening to. The tragedy is that the son couldn’t see it sooner — not because he was wrong, but because the truth was simply too fantastic to believe.
This film gently reminds you that some people are straight shooters, some things aren’t what they seem, and sometimes the real failure is not listening closely enough. You can live a quiet life. Or you can live a great one. Either way, the story you leave behind matters.
Now if you’ll excuse me — where are my damn tissues.
🍷 A deep red wine by firelight — rich, emotional, and guaranteed to leave a lump in your throat long after the glass is empty.
This movie is great for me. You will need to think about the meaning and the storyline because it can be easy to misunderstand the message or the point. The characters are really well though and the cast is great in the interpretation.
Every 5 years or so I watch this movie again. Every time I interpret it a bit differently. They really nailed the 'growing up' thing to its core.
This is a movie that will truly make you believe in fairy tales! This movie had high morals and a deep story line with dramatic and sometimes unbelievably fantastic turns. If you enjoyed "Forrest Gump", this will almost surely be another favorite. Definitely recommend it
Have seen this at least 20 time,never tired of it!
Gets me every time. My favorite Burton. Fantastic cast with a charming, epic and outrageous story. So fun while being heartwarming.
Based on the novel of the same name, Tom Burton's 2003 fantasy drama "Big Fish" acts as a heartwarming tale of fiction and reality and whether or not one can identify if the both are one and the same, and sees a son going on a journey to learn the truth about his father's past life to see if what he's been told are all lies. We get flashbacks into Edward Bloom's past as older Edward, played tremendously by Albert Finney, recalls the many events of his past as his younger self played with such endearment by Ewan McGregor is truly a big fish in a small pond and find himself in various places with extraordinary people and truly living a fairytale life if what he tells his son (Billy Crudup) are to be seen as highly fabricated. McGregor and Finney work together to make Edward seem like the exact same man from start to finish, and his romance with his wife Sandra (Jessica Lange/Alison Lohman) is very sweet yet it feels weird to promote the message of being weird and stalkerish to get who you deem the love of your life even while she's with someone else. The surrealism blends very well with the reality of life as the fish is an analogy for those who feel they are just too big of a person for their small town and need to explore and live their lives to its potential, but the film's main message seems to suggest that the stories we hear about others, whether we believe them to be true or not, become so engrained in who they are that they help to build the mythology and legacy they leave behind forever.
Reviews
Big Fish
mdediego reviewed
Big Fish
July 27, 2026Big Fish is Tim Burton at his most heartfelt. It has all the elements that define his style: extraordinary characters, magical creatures, and worlds that blur the line between fantasy and reality, but beneath the whimsy lies a deeply human story.
As in many Burton films, the unusual is celebrated, while the ordinary often feels uninspiring. The "odd" is where beauty, kindness, and possibility are found.
The film follows Edward Bloom, a man whose life is told through a series of increasingly unbelievable stories, much to the frustration of his skeptical son, Will. Watching Edward's adventures is immensely entertaining, but the emotional core of the film lies in the tension between a father who chooses to see the world through imagination and a son determined to uncover the literal truth.
Big Fish is one of those rare movies that changes as you grow older. As a child, it is an enchanting fantasy full of unforgettable characters and adventures. As a parent, it becomes something much deeper. It explores how we remember the people we love, the stories we tell about our lives, and the legacy we leave behind.
The film also carries a powerful message: life is, to a large extent, what you choose to make of it. Attitude, optimism, and enthusiasm may not change reality itself, but they profoundly shape how we experience it and how others remember us. Edward Bloom reminds us that a life filled with wonder, generosity, and imagination can become something far greater than a collection of facts.
SirMonkalot reviewed
Big Fish
June 22, 2026What a great film! I watched it years ago but I honestly didn’t remember anything about it so it was like I was watching it for the first time. Such a well put together story and oh man that ending, pulling on my heartstrings. Also, not sure why, but I’m a sucker for movies with narrators. I have to say, I think this is Tim Burton’s best film.
Callum reviewed
Big Fish
January 27, 2026⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Big Fish – The truth hidden inside the telling.
This is another one of those films that really deserves six stars, but the scale won’t allow it. It’s a story about stories — or maybe a story about the stories we tell ourselves so life feels bigger, kinder, and worth the trouble.
At its heart, it follows a son who has spent his life hearing about his father’s extraordinary exploits. To him, they’ve always felt like exaggerations — the colourful musings of a man trying to make up for years of absence. Their relationship is strained, distant, and unresolved. And early on, we learn the clock is already running out. His father doesn’t have long left.
To make matters worse, at least from the son’s point of view, the stories don’t stop. They intensify. And now they’re being told to his wife, who encourages them — treating them not as ramblings, but as something meaningful. To the son, it all looks like the indulgence of a dying man clinging to fantasy.
And yet, each story is wonderful in its own right. Larger than life, absurd, tender, and full of colour. You’re invited to enjoy them even while sharing the son’s frustration — because surely none of this can be real.
Until the moment comes, as it has to. And suddenly, one by one, the characters from those stories appear. Not as myths. Not as metaphors. Just… people. The stories were true. All of them.
The final revelation isn’t really a twist at all. The father never lied. He never misled. He just told the truth in a way that made life worth listening to. The tragedy is that the son couldn’t see it sooner — not because he was wrong, but because the truth was simply too fantastic to believe.
This film gently reminds you that some people are straight shooters, some things aren’t what they seem, and sometimes the real failure is not listening closely enough. You can live a quiet life. Or you can live a great one. Either way, the story you leave behind matters.
Now if you’ll excuse me — where are my damn tissues.
🍷 A deep red wine by firelight — rich, emotional, and guaranteed to leave a lump in your throat long after the glass is empty.
Julie Jones reviewed
Big Fish
January 12, 2026This is a movie that will truly make you believe in fairy tales! This movie had high morals and a deep story line with dramatic and sometimes unbelievably fantastic turns. If you enjoyed "Forrest Gump", this will almost surely be another favorite. Definitely recommend it
ርልዪረ reviewed
Big Fish
August 3, 2025Based on the novel of the same name, Tom Burton's 2003 fantasy drama "Big Fish" acts as a heartwarming tale of fiction and reality and whether or not one can identify if the both are one and the same, and sees a son going on a journey to learn the truth about his father's past life to see if what he's been told are all lies. We get flashbacks into Edward Bloom's past as older Edward, played tremendously by Albert Finney, recalls the many events of his past as his younger self played with such endearment by Ewan McGregor is truly a big fish in a small pond and find himself in various places with extraordinary people and truly living a fairytale life if what he tells his son (Billy Crudup) are to be seen as highly fabricated. McGregor and Finney work together to make Edward seem like the exact same man from start to finish, and his romance with his wife Sandra (Jessica Lange/Alison Lohman) is very sweet yet it feels weird to promote the message of being weird and stalkerish to get who you deem the love of your life even while she's with someone else. The surrealism blends very well with the reality of life as the fish is an analogy for those who feel they are just too big of a person for their small town and need to explore and live their lives to its potential, but the film's main message seems to suggest that the stories we hear about others, whether we believe them to be true or not, become so engrained in who they are that they help to build the mythology and legacy they leave behind forever.
