Ed Wood is his masterpiece but this is second. Also, don't care too much about Oscars or how "criminal" it is that it didn't gEt dA aWRdS. Nobody cares about that shit now.
Easily Burton's most powerful film. The themes about the power of storytelling and truth versus fiction are in every scene, and when it all culminates in the reality of the funeral it really is beautiful. Every actor has a moment to shine, the cinematography is immaculate, and Albert Finney's narration is so charming. For more Burton - Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd.
So my dad passed away when I was 5. All I ever had growing up was the stories everyone told me about this man I'm the son of. This movie hit me so fucking hard I remember being a little upset I wasn't ready for it. It is such an incredible film and such a beautiful reminder we are so much bigger than this world has space for.
"Tell me how it happens." "Tell me how it starts." "Like this." The whole of Big Fish rides on those two words, "like this." Immaculate writing and filmmaking.
I consider this a great movie that is underappreciated, even with as many award nominations and positive response it received. I definitely think it's Tim Burton's masterpiece (close competition with Edward Scissorhands). I sadly cannot watch the entire film anymore after losing my mom a few years ago. In fact, seeing pieces of it in your reaction was enough to leave me as emotional spent as you were at the end.
I'm right there with you, while I love the movie, I always found it hard to watch cause the end always gets me/I always end it bawling. Now - after having lost my mom a year and a half ago? it's just.... I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it again yet. Maybe someday I'll be able to get there, but it is definitely a movie that leaves you feeling raw even when you haven't lost someone.
So you say its underappreciated and underrated blah blah... but then in the next sentence mention how many awards it was nominated for and the positive response it recieved. What is it... is it just that people need to believe that what they like is somehow underrated because everyone should love it like they do, or they need to think its underrated so they feel special because they like it. I see this all the time. No shit I've seen people complain that Sylvester Stalone is underrated in comments sections of reactions to his movies. Dude is a household name but still people claim he's underrated... somehow?? Its a weird quirk man. Weird.
@@Trainwheel_Time I said underappreciated because people don't talk about it much anymore like some of the other excellent movies from the same time period. That is very different than underrated by definition, and underrated is not a word I used at all. Your comment makes no sense with the context of what I wrote.
I can't watch this movie without ugly sobbing, especially the last 10 minutes. Definitely my favourite Tim Burton movie, it was so much fun watching this with you!
when all the people from his story appeared and it turned out he just exaggerated them but not even "that" much...that brought me to tears despite watching the movie with 4 friends (usually I'm much more composed when with company)
I search for reactions to this movie every couple of months. It's criminal how little content there is about this masterpiece on RUclips. Thank you for showing this to us!
Underrated masterpiece. Modern day scenes are pure reality and the flashbacks are the visual representations of the father's stories... they seem to be nonsensical and ridiculous, and plain lies, but as soon as you realise he is a storyteller you see that the stories are a mix of fiction, embellishment, exaggeration. and the truth. Much as we all tell. Easy to dismiss the nonsense without realising it has a basis in truth. Beautiful.
I keep thinking I wish I could've done that... The scene where the son narrates his death, really guts me... My father caused so much pain and hurt and I was never able to forgive him and he never changed, I hated him so much even after his death... But now, in my early 30s, is not like I loved him as he did not make that possible, but I wish I could've let go with him alive, and not carried that through for so long even after he died in 2015...
@@violettaazul I am so sorry you had to be raised in that situation. My dad lived in extremes. When things were good he would self-destruct with drugs and alcohol. Caused bad times and he would clean up and be a great dad only to repeat the cycle. Today I'm sure he would be diagnosed as bipolar and helped. But the 70s were a different time. I've learned to forgive him, unfortunately after he died. I do understand certain lines should never be crossed and are unforgivable.
I jumped out of my chair when I saw you were doing "Big Fish" ! I LOVE this movie. The stories and style keep you glued to the screen. Fantastic performances by all. I was quietly sobbing at the end, from the moment his son got it and told his dad how his end would be with all the embellishments his dad loved to use. Of course it's just a story, and when he goes into the water Ed dies. And then we cut to his funeral and see all of those people he wove into his stories show up. And they all have stories about Ed and are sharing them together. And I was crying with you, we all were. For such a kind of goofy scene, it has so much emotional power! The song, "Man of the Hour" by Pearl Jam makes me cry because it makes me think of my Dad. Especially the line: "𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘸 𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸" *(𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥)
@@ShanelleRiccio I think it played in the final credits, so you may have missed it. But definitely give it a listen. Surprisingly tender for an Eddie Vedder song (Pearl Jam)
Don't feel bad I cried watching your reaction and I've seen the movie at least a dozen times. It's amazing how it hits differently in the phases of your life. It his hard when I was in my 20s with a strained relationship with my father, a feeling that I didn't really know him. now in my 40s with a child of my own, I feel Edward's desire to be bigger than he is. Just an incredible journey.
This movie could very easily be about my father, and it's by far his favorite. The storytelling, the devotion to his wife, even the fishing. I don't think I'll be able to watch it when he's gone, cause it'll break me in half emotionally.
When our local community theatre performed "Big Fish: The Musical" (yes and it's got some great music in it), I was honored to play Edward. The author of the book visit the local library where we held a Q&A and book signing. I've loved the movie for years, and it still moves me every time I watch it.
one of my favorites of all time. I love the message of how even the stories we make of our lives are more really us, because they tell us the values and dreams that make us up. The world is always there in it's neutral state, and each of us puts our own filters on it, and our stories help others see our world with our filters and thus know us more truly and more deeply than the facts of our lives alone could ever reveal ourselves to anyone.
Will: As we get-as we get close to the river, we see that everybody is already there. And I mean everyone...it's-it's unbelievable. Edward: The story...of my life. My heart explodes every time. To me it's just most powerful part of the film. He gives Will closure that his dad's life, family and son were more than he could have ever dreamed for. Beautiful. My first watch I cried through the entire credits and beyond.
@@SalvableRuinsame! I was a sophomore in high school when this movie came out. My older sisters and I rented it and I absolutely loved it. It went straight to my heart and it’s stayed there ever since.
I watched this RUclipsr called Mary Cherry react to this. I watched it 48 hours prior and I couldn’t stop crying for 5 minutes straight. And the thing about Mary is her reactions involve either extreme laughing or crying. I was like “she’s gonna be wailing”. She doesn’t shed one tear. And I cried watch her reaction video and I still to this day can’t believe I was crying more than her. She always cries harder than I do
Big Fish was the last movie my father and I watched before he passed. He was every bit a story teller as this man. We still laugh retelling them. But, I haven’t been able to watch this since then. This is the first time and 😭. Great take. ❤️
My grandpa would tell tall tales. He told us he wrote the battle hymn of the republic and fought in the civil war. He taught me how to “hang out” (we would each grab a coke, lean one shoulder against a wall, open the can, take a sip and say, “ahh.”) I first saw this movie right after his passing. I feel like he guided me to it
This is a bittersweet tear jerker. One cries as Bloom passes; tears of sorrow but also tears of joy as through the passing, his son finally sees the value in the stories and how REPRESENTATIVE they are of Edwards's character and life. Another great tear jerker is The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Highly recommended.
When this movie was released, I was having my own midlife crises. I have only dared to watch it once, but it made an impact. To me, the movie made me realize, that as an ordinary man in an ordinary job, just enjoy the moment you are in with the people you are with, and the magic is there. I KNOW, that when I die, I will be a big fish (and will be missed).
I saw Big Fish for the first time in December 2003 in Chicago when I was 15. I saw it with my parents and my little sister who was 14. We were sort of on vacation. Growing up, I was a huge Tim Burton fan and I was very excited to see this film. I had a feeling it was going to be very special. We were all really enjoying it a lot and then we get to the last 10 minutes. Both my mom and my dad started to really cry. It was very rare to see both my parents crying during a film. My sister and I found the whole ending moving but we didn't cry. She and I just looked at each other feeling surprised and taken aback by the level of this emotional reaction my parents were having in this movie theater. We clearly didn't really understand the film, process it, get it or take it all in like my parents did. They knew a lot more than we did. Still, we all loved it and we all still do. For me, this is Tim Burton's best film. The performances and casting across the board is perfect. It may also have my favorite Danny Elfman score along with Edward Scissorhands. I've seen Big Fish close to 25 times and that first viewing was one of the only times I didn't cry. And as I get older, I understand this film more and it gets more emotional to watch every time. But it also gets more meaningful and better.
This is one of my favorite movies, right up there with Driving Miss Daisey, and The Princess Bride. I saw this in the theater with some friends when it came out, and thoroughly loved every minute of it then. I've always loved embellishing my stories that I've told over the years, but felt that others found it bothersome. After seeing this movie I stopped worrying if others were bothered by my stories or not. I've toyed with the idea of embellishing stories of my ancestors or not, and to this day I go back and forth on that. Perhaps someday as many of my ancestors have fascinating stories that with some embellishment could suddenly become larger than life.
I love this movie. And when you started crying at the end (it gets me every time, too), the sky opened up here and rain started pouring. By the end of the trivia section, it stopped. So I think you may be a witch.
This movie is so moving and the story is so great. I first knew about this story from a high school musical production, where my daughter played Sandra and her boyfriend played Ed. The songs in that musical enhance the emotion of each scene and makes it more emotional. If you cried in the movie, you should see the musical. It's great. Great reaction and insight. Congrats.
Good lord there is barely any reaction or review on this. Thank you. This was such a sleeper hit from Tim Burton and always gets me in the end. I have the same relationship with my father as he is also the family storyteller and the last moments of the film are some of the hardest for me to watch, reminding me that eventually I will have to undergo the same situation with him. I hope I can honor him enough when he finally passes. That being said, beautiful movie. More people should see it
1st off, loved your reaction. I love it when a movie connects so well with someone it just runs a train right over them. 2ndly, ZOMG, you’re pocket sized!!!!
First time I watched Big Fish was in my childhood bedroom and it quickly grew to be one of my most treasured films. I spent a lot of my life not only figuring out who I am as a person, but trying to figure out who my dad was as well. After he passed away a few years ago, I uncontrollaby sob at the end of this film. I miss my dad, but I am glad that I knew him. Love you, Dad.
When I first saw this movie it hit me quite hard in the feels. The character of Ed Bloom was very much like my Grandfather, a renowned teller of tall tales and fishing stories. So profound was this that when my Grandfather passed away I could no longer bring myself to rewatch the movie. It simply hurt too much. These days, I myself have become a storyteller with something of a following, and the stories and characters I have created have become greater than the sum of my "real" life, so the film has taken on a new perspective as I have watched your review. In a way I have surpassed my Grandfather, and become that which I have created, and as my life has been stricken with age and health issues and I struggle to keep telling tales and in being my creation, I see - with hope - that my stories will most likely live on after me. I find no shame in saying that I was crying right along with you, Shanelle. There is no shame in it. It is a pity that society has led us to believe that showing emotion is a sign of weakness. Perhaps we will someday learn. Perhaps these stories will teach us.
I saw this in theaters when I was 16. It instantly became my favorite movie up to that point in my life, and remains in my top ten to this day. More than that, I think this was the first movie that made me really appreciate the art of cinema, and the way that visuals can add layers to storytelling where other mediums fall short, kicking off a lifelong love of the form.
This movie is so amazing. So much so that everyone that has seen it never really talks about it, but when it is mentioned everyone says it's one of their favorite movies
Oh I have this movie in my DVD collection and re-watch it once and a while. I had the same reaction the end of the movie as you did Shan. You're a brave person for keeping the emotions in this video. Thanks for your review of it.
I haven't watched this movie in years. If I'm honest, it's one I rarely think about, but, it's such an incredible piece of work. It's up there as one of Tim Burton's finest works for me.
My Dad was the Big Fish in our family. His stories were mostly true, but with a spin that always left us guessing. He passed in Oct. 2021 at 92 yrs. old. I miss him every day.
This movie absolutely wrecked me... 20 years later and I still can't tell anyone about it without breaking down and ugly crying. Coming from a family of Irish story tellers I could immediately relate to Edward, and knowing how important the stories were to him it broke me when he gave the conclusion of his great story to his son to finish for him.
The Town of Spectre is 5 mins away from my house. It can and is still visited by people all the time, and the island it's located on is a popular place for people to camp, picnic, and fish. It's a neat little place.
This movie, for lack of a better term right now, moved me when I first watched it. And I cried with you just now. I lost my dad in 2013, mom in 2015 my furbaby in 2019, and my husband in 2020. This hits hard. *More trivia. The house from the movie was recently fixed up during a Save The Town series on HGTV. Ben and Erin and many design stars undertook revamping a whole town.
The set for the town of Spectre was constructed on an island in Prattville, AL near where I grew up. The set buildings still stand and you can canoe out to the island for a visit and be welcomed by the goats that inhabit the island. 🙂
It's been years since I read/watched but I honestly preferred the book this movie is based on (Ewan McGregor's fantastically charismatic acting aside) because the father is more of a flawed character in it. For instance, if I'm remembering correctly, it's much more strongly implied he was at times unfaithful to his wife. I found it a more realistic and compelling story for the son to forgive his father when there were legitimately shitty things he did, and I think the movie kind of cops out on depicting that.
Shan…who could have guessed, you were such an Albert Finney fan! Gives me, the perfect opportunity to recommend…what I consider to be THE most criminally underrated, of all the Coen Brothers’ movies: Miller’s Crossing. It’s a great neo-noir, Gangster flick; with GREAT performances (including Shanelle favs…AF, and a small-but-meaty role for Steve Buscemi).
Rats, Shanelle! I always try to watch these on RUclips after watching them on Patreon in order to be supportive of the channel. And, I was all weepy with you over there, and dag-nabbit if I'm not all weepy over here, again! You only had to cry through it once. *sigh* Ah, well. Keep on keeping on, Little Girl! Looking forward to the next watch.
I used to constantly lament the loss of my machoness since every time that I watched this movie I would ball like crazy. Thanks Shanelle, it’s nice to have company.
You nailed it . To me music and movies are my poetic touch with the soul . They all have a moment in my life that I can revisit to feel human again . Keep up the great work .
Here is a quote that I really like, "Will you know who you are when you die, or will death have to tell you?" I feel this movie is the embodiment of that quote. This movie also helped me find my path and to embrace who I truly am. As we all should do.
This movie came out the year I was married. I appreciated it then for its fairy tale nature and whimsy. I watched it again after my father passed away, though, and it tore me apart. My father's visitation was attended by so many people that a line wrapped through the halls of the funeral home, and people waited in line for over an hour to pay their respects. He wasn't a brilliant storyteller, but he touched so many lives. I also have a great story about him mishearing the lyrics to "Just Like Jesse James" by Cher and thinking she was singing about Jessica Lange . . . so there's that.
I looked at the title as part of his tall tales. There is the tradition of the fish that got away and was super big, like in “Dave” where he was playing the giant robotic arms and said “I once caught a fish this big” and the arms made it super gigantic.
I watched this for the first time this past January - right around the first anniversary of my father's passing. I was a disgusting, blubbering mess.... and fell in love with the story. So glad you did this one!
This movie also breaks me down. But specially since I can definitely relate it to my own life. My dad passed away of cancer when I was 5, so all I know about him are the stories people tell me. The adventures he lived as a kid with my uncles and his friends, his accomplishments and tragedies, his travels around the world... all I have are his stories and that's how I know my own dad and in my mind they are more fantastical than reality, and I like to keep them that way. And when I meet a new person that knew my dad on some level, I always get their story with him and realize just how wonderful he was and what a long lasting impression he made on them.
I identify so much with the father/son relationship in this movie. The first time I watched it, I was overcome with the need to call my dad. Powerful stuff!
If you're looking for more Tim Burton, please try Peewee's Big Adventure! It was his first feature film, co-written by Phil Hartman. It's so funny, and there are very few reactions on RUclips for it, unlike a bunch of other Burton classics.
It definitely shows that Tim Burton resonated with the script. The emotion behind it shows and we feel it... even through second hand through lol As I've grown I've noticed another bit of ourselves that live on past us. My grandmother never told many stories about herself, most of what I know came from my grandpa. But, the most powerful thing about my grandma was her love. She taught me how to love not through words but through actions. And I see that in myself almost every day. Its a powerful message, how we live on in unexpected ways.
We rented this while at my mom's one weekend and I knew when I got back home I had to show it to my dad. We both loved it. Tim Burton has made some good movies, (even some REALLY good movies) since (Big Eyes) but this is his last masterpiece. Hopefully one day he'll make something at this level again.
My wife and I cried in the theatre when we saw it in Hong Kong when it first came out. Now I just cried in a Hong Kong restaurant as I shared the ending with you here. It’s a powerful film about family, stories, relationships between children and parents and more. 😢
Albert Finney’s Scrooge has been a yearly tradition in my family for 50 years. It’s in my opinion the best rendition of the story out of the bunch and he’s always been a favorite of mine since. He’s great in everything.
It's a traditional viewing for me too. "I Hate People" is my favorite song from ANY musical and continue to re-play it in my head whenever a moron gets in my way. Every song fits so well into their scene w/o feeling forced. 🎶Thank you very much! That's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me!🎶(ugh, so good.)
This movie came out while my own father was dying of cancer; he died the following spring. This was a very emotional movie for me at the time, but have since forgotten about it. Thanks for sharing your reaction with us. I was crying along with you. Hug your dad and tell him you love him. You don’t know when will be the last time you get to do that.
Loved this reaction. Made me cry all over again. If you like Finney, I highly recommend Erin Brockovich with Julia Roberts. Fantastic movie based on a true story.
This story reminds me of my grandfather and so I can't watch it without crying. He was the same as the dad, a big fish in a little pond. Which is made all the more poetic that on his farm he had a pond on his farm and the biggest fish in it was a catfish that when finally caught and released was over 35lbs.
My ex-girlfriend showed me this movie and I was bawling by the end. I don't think she realized how important this father-son bond is and how it makes us guys feel. Same thing for About Time, which I hope Shanelle will react to!!!
I used to work at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. While I was there, Big Fish filmed some of the Auburn University scenes there. I knew some people who were extras.
I saw this knowing nothing about it years ago, and left thinking this was one of the best movies I had ever seen. A huge Albert Finney fan, I was dismayed that his death wasn't given more attention by the industry and the media.
I forgot how powerful this was. And I think I've been afraid to watch it again. "We know our parents through their stories. That's enough." It has to be enough - we have no choice.
I loved this movie when it came out but many of my friends didn't gravitate towards it.. I love the storytelling! It's so nice to see how much you loved it!
I can't watch this movie without bawling like a baby. Hell I can't watch your reaction without tears pouring out. This movie is one of the all time greatest for me.
As much as I appreciate your movie making knowledge, your reaction to this movie endeared me to you once more. Thank you for not editing out your ending reaction.
Thanks for doing this one. This was the first movie to ever make me cry. I was 18 years old, and I watched it by myself not knowing what I was getting myself into. And it was just a few months after my dad had passed away. It was the first thing that actually forced me to process all the feels. I haven't watched it again since then. But I cried right along with you.
Tim Burton's masterpiece. There should be a criminal investigation into how this was only nominated for one Oscar.
that's ridiculous. just 1!
@@oscardiggs246 I agree to an extent. The "winners" are kind of pointless. But being nominated is kind of a big deal.
@@oscardiggs246 his Willie Wonka movie is terrible too.
@@biguy617 Oh, thanks. I had forgotten that one. You are very correct.
Ed Wood is his masterpiece but this is second. Also, don't care too much about Oscars or how "criminal" it is that it didn't gEt dA aWRdS. Nobody cares about that shit now.
When my Grandfather told stories, he would say "Don't stop me if you've heard this before". 🤣🤣🤣
I love how it turned out Edward's story was embellished, but it wasn't a lie.
As a child, i thought that his stories were all real but growing up, i realized he exaggerated some of it
Easily Burton's most powerful film. The themes about the power of storytelling and truth versus fiction are in every scene, and when it all culminates in the reality of the funeral it really is beautiful.
Every actor has a moment to shine, the cinematography is immaculate, and Albert Finney's narration is so charming.
For more Burton - Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd.
So my dad passed away when I was 5. All I ever had growing up was the stories everyone told me about this man I'm the son of. This movie hit me so fucking hard I remember being a little upset I wasn't ready for it. It is such an incredible film and such a beautiful reminder we are so much bigger than this world has space for.
lost mine I was 6 ... can't watch the end of this movie without crying.
"A story bigger than life itself!"
"Tell me how it happens."
"Tell me how it starts."
"Like this."
The whole of Big Fish rides on those two words, "like this." Immaculate writing and filmmaking.
I don't have to do that... everyone watched it unfold in real time. Videos, photos, souvenirs, thousands of emails.
Beautiful, beautiful moment - At the funeral, everyone is telling stories about Edward. The perfect tribute to the consummate storyteller.
I love how this film as so many endings, and how none is too much for it's purpose ❤
I consider this a great movie that is underappreciated, even with as many award nominations and positive response it received. I definitely think it's Tim Burton's masterpiece (close competition with Edward Scissorhands). I sadly cannot watch the entire film anymore after losing my mom a few years ago. In fact, seeing pieces of it in your reaction was enough to leave me as emotional spent as you were at the end.
I'm right there with you, while I love the movie, I always found it hard to watch cause the end always gets me/I always end it bawling. Now - after having lost my mom a year and a half ago? it's just.... I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it again yet. Maybe someday I'll be able to get there, but it is definitely a movie that leaves you feeling raw even when you haven't lost someone.
Ed Wood all day long!
So you say its underappreciated and underrated blah blah... but then in the next sentence mention how many awards it was nominated for and the positive response it recieved. What is it... is it just that people need to believe that what they like is somehow underrated because everyone should love it like they do, or they need to think its underrated so they feel special because they like it. I see this all the time. No shit I've seen people complain that Sylvester Stalone is underrated in comments sections of reactions to his movies. Dude is a household name but still people claim he's underrated... somehow?? Its a weird quirk man. Weird.
@@Trainwheel_Time I said underappreciated because people don't talk about it much anymore like some of the other excellent movies from the same time period. That is very different than underrated by definition, and underrated is not a word I used at all. Your comment makes no sense with the context of what I wrote.
It was terrible.
I can't watch this movie without ugly sobbing, especially the last 10 minutes. Definitely my favourite Tim Burton movie, it was so much fun watching this with you!
when all the people from his story appeared and it turned out he just exaggerated them but not even "that" much...that brought me to tears despite watching the movie with 4 friends (usually I'm much more composed when with company)
“Once time starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up.” I love that line.
I search for reactions to this movie every couple of months. It's criminal how little content there is about this masterpiece on RUclips. Thank you for showing this to us!
Omg literally same!!! It makes me so sad that more reaction channels still haven’t done this ugh
Because it sucked.
Underrated masterpiece. Modern day scenes are pure reality and the flashbacks are the visual representations of the father's stories... they seem to be nonsensical and ridiculous, and plain lies, but as soon as you realise he is a storyteller you see that the stories are a mix of fiction, embellishment, exaggeration. and the truth. Much as we all tell. Easy to dismiss the nonsense without realising it has a basis in truth. Beautiful.
I saw this in the theater, as soon as it was over I called my dad to tell him I loved him. This is a man I spent my life hating.
Hmm, I was gonna recommend Field of Dreams but maybe you shouldn't see that movie after all.
I keep thinking I wish I could've done that... The scene where the son narrates his death, really guts me... My father caused so much pain and hurt and I was never able to forgive him and he never changed, I hated him so much even after his death... But now, in my early 30s, is not like I loved him as he did not make that possible, but I wish I could've let go with him alive, and not carried that through for so long even after he died in 2015...
@@violettaazul I am so sorry you had to be raised in that situation. My dad lived in extremes. When things were good he would self-destruct with drugs and alcohol. Caused bad times and he would clean up and be a great dad only to repeat the cycle. Today I'm sure he would be diagnosed as bipolar and helped. But the 70s were a different time. I've learned to forgive him, unfortunately after he died. I do understand certain lines should never be crossed and are unforgivable.
I jumped out of my chair when I saw you were doing "Big Fish" ! I LOVE this movie. The stories and style keep you glued to the screen. Fantastic performances by all. I was quietly sobbing at the end, from the moment his son got it and told his dad how his end would be with all the embellishments his dad loved to use. Of course it's just a story, and when he goes into the water Ed dies. And then we cut to his funeral and see all of those people he wove into his stories show up. And they all have stories about Ed and are sharing them together. And I was crying with you, we all were. For such a kind of goofy scene, it has so much emotional power!
The song, "Man of the Hour" by Pearl Jam makes me cry because it makes me think of my Dad. Especially the line:
"𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘸
𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵
𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸"
*(𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥)
cant wait to listen to the song! Thanks for watching and sharing with me!! :)
@@ShanelleRiccio I think it played in the final credits, so you may have missed it. But definitely give it a listen. Surprisingly tender for an Eddie Vedder song (Pearl Jam)
Don't feel bad I cried watching your reaction and I've seen the movie at least a dozen times. It's amazing how it hits differently in the phases of your life. It his hard when I was in my 20s with a strained relationship with my father, a feeling that I didn't really know him. now in my 40s with a child of my own, I feel Edward's desire to be bigger than he is. Just an incredible journey.
I Agree I felt his desire and it was just too beautiful! Maybe I'll revisit this one in another 10 years 😂
This movie is a masterpiece. I get teary eyed every time I see it.
"I'm robbing this place." I think is far more compelling than his first poem.
This movie could very easily be about my father, and it's by far his favorite. The storytelling, the devotion to his wife, even the fishing. I don't think I'll be able to watch it when he's gone, cause it'll break me in half emotionally.
I not only think of this movie about the power of storytelling, but also respecting your elders and their life experience. Wonderful movie!
When our local community theatre performed "Big Fish: The Musical" (yes and it's got some great music in it), I was honored to play Edward. The author of the book visit the local library where we held a Q&A and book signing. I've loved the movie for years, and it still moves me every time I watch it.
one of my favorites of all time. I love the message of how even the stories we make of our lives are more really us, because they tell us the values and dreams that make us up. The world is always there in it's neutral state, and each of us puts our own filters on it, and our stories help others see our world with our filters and thus know us more truly and more deeply than the facts of our lives alone could ever reveal ourselves to anyone.
Will: As we get-as we get close to the river, we see that everybody is already there. And I mean everyone...it's-it's unbelievable.
Edward:
The story...of my life.
My heart explodes every time. To me it's just most powerful part of the film. He gives Will closure that his dad's life, family and son were more than he could have ever dreamed for. Beautiful. My first watch I cried through the entire credits and beyond.
Also it felt so therapeutic to cry with you during your first watch! I love that others have been touched by this film the way I was...
This is a movie that is appreciated as we age…I didn’t like it when it came out, but years later I rewatched it and it ‘clicked’.
Same. The best ones are like that, I think.
@@oscardiggs246 Same here.
I liked it the first time I saw it, so that's not everyone's experience.
@@SalvableRuinsame! I was a sophomore in high school when this movie came out. My older sisters and I rented it and I absolutely loved it. It went straight to my heart and it’s stayed there ever since.
I watched this RUclipsr called Mary Cherry react to this. I watched it 48 hours prior and I couldn’t stop crying for 5 minutes straight. And the thing about Mary is her reactions involve either extreme laughing or crying. I was like “she’s gonna be wailing”. She doesn’t shed one tear. And I cried watch her reaction video and I still to this day can’t believe I was crying more than her. She always cries harder than I do
Big Fish was the last movie my father and I watched before he passed. He was every bit a story teller as this man. We still laugh retelling them. But, I haven’t been able to watch this since then. This is the first time and 😭. Great take. ❤️
"Artists use lies to tell the truth. Politicians use the truth to tell lies."
My grandpa would tell tall tales. He told us he wrote the battle hymn of the republic and fought in the civil war. He taught me how to “hang out” (we would each grab a coke, lean one shoulder against a wall, open the can, take a sip and say, “ahh.”) I first saw this movie right after his passing. I feel like he guided me to it
There's something about this movie that reminds me of "Secondhand Lions" for some reason. And if you haven't seen that one, you definitely should.
i LOVED that movie as a kid.
And I believe both movies came out within a few months of each other, if I'm not mistaken.
"Yeah, they really lived!!!"
This is a bittersweet tear jerker. One cries as Bloom passes; tears of sorrow but also tears of joy as through the passing, his son finally sees the value in the stories and how REPRESENTATIVE they are of Edwards's character and life.
Another great tear jerker is The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Highly recommended.
When this movie was released, I was having my own midlife crises. I have only dared to watch it once, but it made an impact.
To me, the movie made me realize, that as an ordinary man in an ordinary job, just enjoy the moment you are in with the people you are with, and the magic is there.
I KNOW, that when I die, I will be a big fish (and will be missed).
I saw Big Fish for the first time in December 2003 in Chicago when I was 15. I saw it with my parents and my little sister who was 14. We were sort of on vacation. Growing up, I was a huge Tim Burton fan and I was very excited to see this film. I had a feeling it was going to be very special. We were all really enjoying it a lot and then we get to the last 10 minutes. Both my mom and my dad started to really cry. It was very rare to see both my parents crying during a film. My sister and I found the whole ending moving but we didn't cry. She and I just looked at each other feeling surprised and taken aback by the level of this emotional reaction my parents were having in this movie theater. We clearly didn't really understand the film, process it, get it or take it all in like my parents did. They knew a lot more than we did. Still, we all loved it and we all still do. For me, this is Tim Burton's best film. The performances and casting across the board is perfect. It may also have my favorite Danny Elfman score along with Edward Scissorhands. I've seen Big Fish close to 25 times and that first viewing was one of the only times I didn't cry. And as I get older, I understand this film more and it gets more emotional to watch every time. But it also gets more meaningful and better.
I love this movie. Even without the fantastical story elements, what a life to have lived.
All of us should be so lucky.
This is one of my favorite movies, right up there with Driving Miss Daisey, and The Princess Bride. I saw this in the theater with some friends when it came out, and thoroughly loved every minute of it then. I've always loved embellishing my stories that I've told over the years, but felt that others found it bothersome. After seeing this movie I stopped worrying if others were bothered by my stories or not. I've toyed with the idea of embellishing stories of my ancestors or not, and to this day I go back and forth on that. Perhaps someday as many of my ancestors have fascinating stories that with some embellishment could suddenly become larger than life.
"Better a big fish in a small pond". You're reaction was exactly right
I love this movie. And when you started crying at the end (it gets me every time, too), the sky opened up here and rain started pouring. By the end of the trivia section, it stopped.
So I think you may be a witch.
This movie is so moving and the story is so great. I first knew about this story from a high school musical production, where my daughter played Sandra and her boyfriend played Ed. The songs in that musical enhance the emotion of each scene and makes it more emotional. If you cried in the movie, you should see the musical. It's great.
Great reaction and insight.
Congrats.
Damn it, Shanelle... I've seen this movie a few times before, yet this is the first time I cried, and I blame YOU. Excellent reaction. ❤
You can always tell how well some one was liked by the laughter at the stories you tell each other you tell of a person at a funeral and wake
Watching you watch this impacted me a lot more than it did when I originally saw it.
I love your reaction to this!
Wow thanks Frank! I want everyone to get something new when they come here, you've given me a great compliment friend :)
Good lord there is barely any reaction or review on this. Thank you. This was such a sleeper hit from Tim Burton and always gets me in the end. I have the same relationship with my father as he is also the family storyteller and the last moments of the film are some of the hardest for me to watch, reminding me that eventually I will have to undergo the same situation with him. I hope I can honor him enough when he finally passes. That being said, beautiful movie. More people should see it
1st off, loved your reaction. I love it when a movie connects so well with someone it just runs a train right over them.
2ndly, ZOMG, you’re pocket sized!!!!
😂😂 I AM! and thanks for watching with me :)
First time I watched Big Fish was in my childhood bedroom and it quickly grew to be one of my most treasured films. I spent a lot of my life not only figuring out who I am as a person, but trying to figure out who my dad was as well. After he passed away a few years ago, I uncontrollaby sob at the end of this film. I miss my dad, but I am glad that I knew him. Love you, Dad.
When I first saw this movie it hit me quite hard in the feels. The character of Ed Bloom was very much like my Grandfather, a renowned teller of tall tales and fishing stories. So profound was this that when my Grandfather passed away I could no longer bring myself to rewatch the movie. It simply hurt too much. These days, I myself have become a storyteller with something of a following, and the stories and characters I have created have become greater than the sum of my "real" life, so the film has taken on a new perspective as I have watched your review. In a way I have surpassed my Grandfather, and become that which I have created, and as my life has been stricken with age and health issues and I struggle to keep telling tales and in being my creation, I see - with hope - that my stories will most likely live on after me. I find no shame in saying that I was crying right along with you, Shanelle. There is no shame in it. It is a pity that society has led us to believe that showing emotion is a sign of weakness. Perhaps we will someday learn. Perhaps these stories will teach us.
This movie is dangerous. It's haunting.
It's honestly the most powerful film I've ever seen.
This movie was the first time I ever cried in a theater, and it was like 10 straight minutes of tears pouring down my face.
I saw this in theaters when I was 16. It instantly became my favorite movie up to that point in my life, and remains in my top ten to this day. More than that, I think this was the first movie that made me really appreciate the art of cinema, and the way that visuals can add layers to storytelling where other mediums fall short, kicking off a lifelong love of the form.
This movie is so amazing. So much so that everyone that has seen it never really talks about it, but when it is mentioned everyone says it's one of their favorite movies
Oh wow, I loved this movie and I thought everyone had forgotten it! Fantastic reaction!
Oh I have this movie in my DVD collection and re-watch it once and a while. I had the same reaction the end of the movie as you did Shan. You're a brave person for keeping the emotions in this video. Thanks for your review of it.
This movie always reminded me of my grandfather. He used to love telling the same stories over and over.
Love that line that Jennifer tells Will about his father. "Theres only two women, your mother, and everyone else"
I haven't watched this movie in years. If I'm honest, it's one I rarely think about, but, it's such an incredible piece of work. It's up there as one of Tim Burton's finest works for me.
My Dad was the Big Fish in our family. His stories were mostly true, but with a spin that always left us guessing. He passed in Oct. 2021 at 92 yrs. old. I miss him every day.
This movie absolutely wrecked me... 20 years later and I still can't tell anyone about it without breaking down and ugly crying. Coming from a family of Irish story tellers I could immediately relate to Edward, and knowing how important the stories were to him it broke me when he gave the conclusion of his great story to his son to finish for him.
"Was her name Satine?"
Dang I was not expecting that reference. Delightful :D
The Town of Spectre is 5 mins away from my house. It can and is still visited by people all the time, and the island it's located on is a popular place for people to camp, picnic, and fish. It's a neat little place.
This movie, for lack of a better term right now, moved me when I first watched it. And I cried with you just now. I lost my dad in 2013, mom in 2015 my furbaby in 2019, and my husband in 2020. This hits hard.
*More trivia. The house from the movie was recently fixed up during a Save The Town series on HGTV. Ben and Erin and many design stars undertook revamping a whole town.
The set for the town of Spectre was constructed on an island in Prattville, AL near where I grew up. The set buildings still stand and you can canoe out to the island for a visit and be welcomed by the goats that inhabit the island. 🙂
It's been years since I read/watched but I honestly preferred the book this movie is based on (Ewan McGregor's fantastically charismatic acting aside) because the father is more of a flawed character in it. For instance, if I'm remembering correctly, it's much more strongly implied he was at times unfaithful to his wife. I found it a more realistic and compelling story for the son to forgive his father when there were legitimately shitty things he did, and I think the movie kind of cops out on depicting that.
Shan…who could have guessed, you were such an Albert Finney fan! Gives me, the perfect opportunity to recommend…what I consider to be THE most criminally underrated, of all the Coen Brothers’ movies: Miller’s Crossing. It’s a great neo-noir, Gangster flick; with GREAT performances (including Shanelle favs…AF, and a small-but-meaty role for Steve Buscemi).
Rats, Shanelle! I always try to watch these on RUclips after watching them on Patreon in order to be supportive of the channel. And, I was all weepy with you over there, and dag-nabbit if I'm not all weepy over here, again! You only had to cry through it once. *sigh* Ah, well. Keep on keeping on, Little Girl! Looking forward to the next watch.
I used to constantly lament the loss of my machoness since every time that I watched this movie I would ball like crazy. Thanks Shanelle, it’s nice to have company.
You nailed it . To me music and movies are my poetic touch with the soul . They all have a moment in my life that I can revisit to feel human again . Keep up the great work .
This might be your greatest reaction yet. Both commentary and emotion. It's magical.
Best movie ever made. If the last 10 mins doesn't make you cry, check your pulse. Love your genuine reaction.
The giant is definitely that tall. He died a few years ago though. He was the brother in house of 1000 corpses and devil's rejects too
I didn't actually mean he was the size of a house haha. Just that he's a real giant
One of my favorite movies ever, I love it, I quote it constantly, I'm inspired by the larger than life tales that Edward Bloom told his whole life
Here is a quote that I really like, "Will you know who you are when you die, or will death have to tell you?" I feel this movie is the embodiment of that quote. This movie also helped me find my path and to embrace who I truly am. As we all should do.
This movie came out the year I was married. I appreciated it then for its fairy tale nature and whimsy.
I watched it again after my father passed away, though, and it tore me apart. My father's visitation was attended by so many people that a line wrapped through the halls of the funeral home, and people waited in line for over an hour to pay their respects. He wasn't a brilliant storyteller, but he touched so many lives.
I also have a great story about him mishearing the lyrics to "Just Like Jesse James" by Cher and thinking she was singing about Jessica Lange . . . so there's that.
I looked at the title as part of his tall tales. There is the tradition of the fish that got away and was super big, like in “Dave” where he was playing the giant robotic arms and said “I once caught a fish this big” and the arms made it super gigantic.
This is easily my favorite Burton film. It feels like it doesn't get the love it deserves.
I watched this for the first time this past January - right around the first anniversary of my father's passing. I was a disgusting, blubbering mess.... and fell in love with the story. So glad you did this one!
This movie also breaks me down. But specially since I can definitely relate it to my own life. My dad passed away of cancer when I was 5, so all I know about him are the stories people tell me. The adventures he lived as a kid with my uncles and his friends, his accomplishments and tragedies, his travels around the world... all I have are his stories and that's how I know my own dad and in my mind they are more fantastical than reality, and I like to keep them that way. And when I meet a new person that knew my dad on some level, I always get their story with him and realize just how wonderful he was and what a long lasting impression he made on them.
I identify so much with the father/son relationship in this movie. The first time I watched it, I was overcome with the need to call my dad. Powerful stuff!
This movie breaks me every time. I’ve watch it so many times. Great reaction
If you're looking for more Tim Burton, please try Peewee's Big Adventure! It was his first feature film, co-written by Phil Hartman. It's so funny, and there are very few reactions on RUclips for it, unlike a bunch of other Burton classics.
💯 agreed. She absolutely must see it!
1000% needs to happen.
The story of a true rebel.
Completely underrated movie, the ending always gets me because it makes me think about my dad every single time and i choke up
My dad was a storyteller as well. I haven't seen this movie since he died. It hit me much harder this time.
It definitely shows that Tim Burton resonated with the script. The emotion behind it shows and we feel it... even through second hand through lol
As I've grown I've noticed another bit of ourselves that live on past us. My grandmother never told many stories about herself, most of what I know came from my grandpa. But, the most powerful thing about my grandma was her love. She taught me how to love not through words but through actions. And I see that in myself almost every day. Its a powerful message, how we live on in unexpected ways.
We rented this while at my mom's one weekend and I knew when I got back home I had to show it to my dad. We both loved it.
Tim Burton has made some good movies, (even some REALLY good movies) since (Big Eyes) but this is his last masterpiece. Hopefully one day he'll make something at this level again.
Thanks for doing this - one of my dad's favorites before he died. Makes me cry, too
My wife and I cried in the theatre when we saw it in Hong Kong when it first came out. Now I just cried in a Hong Kong restaurant as I shared the ending with you here. It’s a powerful film about family, stories, relationships between children and parents and more. 😢
This is one of those movies where even just seeing out of context snippets brings me to tears
YEAH I don't know if I can watch this again. I'll need to wait a long long time
Albert Finney’s Scrooge has been a yearly tradition in my family for 50 years. It’s in my opinion the best rendition of the story out of the bunch and he’s always been a favorite of mine since. He’s great in everything.
It's a traditional viewing for me too. "I Hate People" is my favorite song from ANY musical and continue to re-play it in my head whenever a moron gets in my way. Every song fits so well into their scene w/o feeling forced. 🎶Thank you very much! That's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me!🎶(ugh, so good.)
i love Ewan's smile. it's just soo full of happiness and joy. :)
This movie came out while my own father was dying of cancer; he died the following spring. This was a very emotional movie for me at the time, but have since forgotten about it. Thanks for sharing your reaction with us. I was crying along with you. Hug your dad and tell him you love him. You don’t know when will be the last time you get to do that.
18:51 - I said it once I'll say it again: THAT is why I love your reactions! :)
I love this movie so much. I cry every time I see it (or see someone reacting to it). I’m so glad you appreciated and loved it!
Loved this reaction. Made me cry all over again. If you like Finney, I highly recommend Erin Brockovich with Julia Roberts. Fantastic movie based on a true story.
This story reminds me of my grandfather and so I can't watch it without crying. He was the same as the dad, a big fish in a little pond. Which is made all the more poetic that on his farm he had a pond on his farm and the biggest fish in it was a catfish that when finally caught and released was over 35lbs.
My ex-girlfriend showed me this movie and I was bawling by the end. I don't think she realized how important this father-son bond is and how it makes us guys feel. Same thing for About Time, which I hope Shanelle will react to!!!
I used to work at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. While I was there, Big Fish filmed some of the Auburn University scenes there. I knew some people who were extras.
I just love your reviews of movies and how excited you get and the trivia part is one of my favorites ❤️❤️
I saw this knowing nothing about it years ago, and left thinking this was one of the best movies I had ever seen. A huge Albert Finney fan, I was dismayed that his death wasn't given more attention by the industry and the media.
I forgot how powerful this was. And I think I've been afraid to watch it again.
"We know our parents through their stories. That's enough."
It has to be enough - we have no choice.
I loved this movie when it came out but many of my friends didn't gravitate towards it.. I love the storytelling! It's so nice to see how much you loved it!
Always loved this movie. It's highly underrated and deserves more attention.
agree!
I can't watch this movie without bawling like a baby. Hell I can't watch your reaction without tears pouring out. This movie is one of the all time greatest for me.
As much as I appreciate your movie making knowledge, your reaction to this movie endeared me to you once more. Thank you for not editing out your ending reaction.
Of course! The people need to see what art can do! I appreciate your comment ❤️
Thanks for doing this one. This was the first movie to ever make me cry. I was 18 years old, and I watched it by myself not knowing what I was getting myself into. And it was just a few months after my dad had passed away. It was the first thing that actually forced me to process all the feels. I haven't watched it again since then. But I cried right along with you.