With “Big Fish,” Tim Burton has exor-cized the “Planet Of The Apes” demon. Whereas the latter was a very un- Burtoneque disaster that no doubt shocked his devotees, the former is a remarkable return to form for the auteur who brought us such wonderfully imaginative fare as “Edward Scissorhands,” “Beetlejuice” and “Ed Wood.” In fact, “Big Fish” — based on the popular novel by Daniel Wallace — may be Burton’s most ambitious film to date in that he manages to fuse his flair for the fantastic with a very real, very accessible story of an adult son’s desire to reconnect with his estranged, dying father. Shot almost entirely in the river-laden sticks of central Alabama near the actual setting of Wallace’s stories, “Big Fish” is an amazing looking film thanks to the combined talents of Burton and Academy Award-winners Dennis Gassner (production designer) and Philippe Rousselot (director of photography).
And the acting ain’t bad, either. Albert Finney is in top form as Edward Bloom, a man who has spent a lifetime spinning tall tales, much to the chagrin of his skeptical son Will (a very good Billy Crudup), a just-the-facts-please reporter who fled to Paris to avoid the father he feels he never really knew. Will returns home to Alabama to be by his dying dad’s side, and is once again regaled with wild stories about Edward’s oversized life as a young man (Ewan McGregor). McGregor’s resemblance to a young Finney is uncanny, and he more than compliments the elder actor’s masterful turn with is best performance since “Trainspotting.” Jessica Lange is, as always, a joy as Edward’s loving wife. Alison Lohman fills that role in the flash-back/fantasy sequences, which include excellent supporting appearances by Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito and the fabulous Steve Buscemi as a poet turned bankrobber.
“Big Fish” goes unabashedly over the top, which some may find a bit tiresome. Heck, at times it’s downright schmaltzy. But it’s Christmas, after all, and if you’re willing to lose yourself for a few hours in a surrealist fish story, well, it’s hard to imagine anything better than what Burton has conceived here. (Rated PG-13, for a fight scene, some images of nudity and a suggestive reference. Running time: 125 minutes)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 24, 2003. Read the original PDF.