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The Whale (2022 film)

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The Whale
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDarren Aronofsky
Screenplay bySamuel D. Hunter
Based onThe Whale
by Samuel D. Hunter
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMatthew Libatique
Edited byAndrew Weisblum
Music byRob Simonsen
Production
company
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • September 4, 2022 (2022-09-04) (Venice)
  • December 9, 2022 (2022-12-09) (United States)
Running time
117 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$4.4 million[2][3]

The Whale is a 2022 American drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky. It is based on a screenplay by Samuel D. Hunter, adapting his 2012 play of the same name. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton. In the film, a morbidly obese and reclusive English teacher tries to restore his relationship with his teenage daughter.[4]

The Whale had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2022, and was released in the United States on December 9, 2022, by A24. The film received polarizing reviews from critics, though the cast's performances (particularly Fraser and Chau) were praised, with Fraser earning nominations for Best Actor at the 80th Golden Globe Awards and the 28th Critics' Choice Awards.

Plot

Charlie is an obese and reclusive professor who teaches online college writing courses but keeps his webcam switched off, afraid to show his appearance to the students. Charlie is cared for by his nurse and only friend Liz who urges him to visit a hospital as he is at severe risk of congestive heart failure. He is also visited by Thomas, a New Life Church missionary who tries to evangelize him. Charlie frequently orders pizza to which he and his delivery driver Dan follow a usual routine: He leaves the pizza on the porch, takes the money from the mailbox, and leaves without ever interacting with Charlie.

Charlie has also been attempting to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter Ellie whom he has not seen in eight years. Charlie offers her all the money in his bank account to persuade Ellie to spend time with him without her mother's knowledge. Ellie agrees, but only if Charlie helps her rewrite an essay for school. Charlie agrees. In exchange for her company, Ellie must write in a notebook he provides.

Liz is disgruntled by Thomas' frequent visits and tells him that Charlie does not need saving. Liz reveals that she is the adopted daughter of New Life's head pastor and that Alan, Charlie's deceased lover whose death from suicide due to religious guilt caused Charlie to uncontrollably binge-eat, was her brother. Charlie never fully recovered from the loss. Despite Liz's objections, Thomas still believes his mission is to help Charlie.

Charlie's health begins to decline after almost choking on a sandwich, and Liz brings him a wheelchair to make it easier for him to move around his apartment. One day, Ellie secretly slips sleeping pills into another sandwich she makes for Charlie. After he falls asleep, Thomas arrives and Ellie begins to question him while smoking marijuana. After initially hesitating, Thomas admits he ran away from his family and old mission in Iowa after feeling unfulfilled and stealing all the money from the youth group. Ellie secretly records his confession on her phone.

Liz brings Mary, Charlie's ex-wife and Ellie's mother, to visit him and the truth about Ellie's secret meetings with her father is revealed. A heated exchange occurs where Charlie reveals he has $120,000 in his bank account. As Charlie had lied to her about not having money for healthcare, Liz angrily storms out, leaving Mary and Charlie alone to argue about the breakdown of their marriage and their failures as parents. As Mary leaves, Charlie tearfully admits he needs to know there is at least one thing he did right in his life.

Thomas visits Charlie one last time, informing him that he is moving back home after Ellie sent his confession to his former youth group and family. His family has dismissed the incident and is welcoming him home. Thomas attempts to proselytize Charlie, but is chastised after he blames Alan's death on his homosexuality. Charlie experiences a severe binge-eating episode after Dan glimpses him for the first time and sends out a profanity-laden email to his students asking them to write something honest. In his next class, Charlie reveals he's being replaced as their professor and reads some of their candid responses. To reciprocate their honesty, he switches on his webcam for the first time and ends the class by throwing his laptop against the fridge.

Feeling guilty for abandoning Charlie, Liz comforts him as Charlie nears death. Ellie storms into the apartment to confront him over his rewritten essay. Charlie reveals that he replaced her rewritten essay with a critical essay of Moby Dick that she wrote in eighth grade as he considered it the most honest essay he's ever read. Ellie tearfully rebukes Charlie as he attempts to reconcile one final time. He asks her to read the essay to him. Ellie reads the essay as Charlie stands up and attempts to walk toward her, something he had tried but failed to do during Ellie's first visit. As Ellie completes the reading, they are engulfed by a great white light as they remember a visit to the beach as a family.[5]

Cast

  • Brendan Fraser as Charlie Sarsfield, an overweight and reclusive English professor
  • Sadie Sink as Ellie Sarsfield, Charlie's estranged teenage daughter
    • Jacey Sink as young Ellie
  • Hong Chau as Liz Grant, a nurse and Charlie's best friend who takes care of him
  • Ty Simpkins as Thomas, a religious Christian missionary
  • Samantha Morton as Mary Sarsfield, Charlie's ex-wife and Ellie's mother
  • Sathya Sridharan as Dan, a pizza delivery worker

Production

Aronofsky said he had been trying to get the film made for a decade, blocked by the casting of Charlie until he saw a trailer for Journey to the End of the Night on YouTube which starred Fraser, when it "clicked" for him to cast Fraser.[6]

On January 11, 2021, it was announced that A24 had global distribution rights to The Whale, which would be directed by Aronofsky and would star Fraser.[7][8][9] In February 2021, Hong Chau, Sadie Sink and Samantha Morton joined the cast.[10] The following month, Ty Simpkins joined the cast.[11] Sathya Sridharan also joined the cast.[12]

Filming

Principal photography began on March 8 and wrapped on April 7, 2021 in Newburgh, New York. The film entered post-production the same month.[13][14]

For the titular role, Fraser spent four hours each day in the makeup department getting fitted with prosthetics that weighed up to 300 lbs.[15] He also worked with a dance instructor for months before filming to figure out how his character would move with the excess weight and consulted with the Obesity Action Coalition.[15]

The cast and the director holding a press conference during the 2022 Venice Film Festival

Release

The Whale had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2022, where it received a six-minute standing ovation.[16][17] It made its North American premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022.[18] The film was released in the United States on December 9, 2022, following with a Canadian release on December 21.[19][20]

Critical reception

Brendan Fraser received universal acclaim for his performance, which was widely seen as his career comeback.

Rotten Tomatoes reported that critics found The Whale an empathetic film carried by Fraser's performance. On the site, 65% of 246 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10.[21] Metacritic sampled 51 reviews and assessed 23 as positive, 21 as mixed, and 7 as negative. It gave the film a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[22]

The Whale received generally positive feedback at Toronto, with particular praise for Fraser's and Sink's performances.[23] When the film had a limited theatrical release, Variety reported "Reviews...have been polarizing, with others [than Variety's review] criticizing the film's portrayal of fat people."[24] Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com praised Aronofsky's direction and Fraser's performance, writing that the "story is one of different levels of heartbreak and human misunderstanding" and "Aronofsky and Fraser have taken substantive risks, in the name of an insistent empathy."[25] Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph, gave it a perfect five stars, stating: "Fraser seals his comeback in a sensational film of rare compassion."[26]

In his review, Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman called Fraser "slyer, subtler, more haunting than he has ever been", adding that he gives an "intensely lived-in and touching performance".[27] Matthew Creith of Out Front noted "The highlight of The Whale comes from an outstanding turn from Hong Chau, who gives a memorable performance in a vital role that balances Charlie's outlandish behavior."[28] Hannah Strong of Little White Lies praised Fraser and the "strong ensemble", highlighting Sink's "tricky role" in which she "captures the anger and sadness that comes from parental abandonment", and stating that while Aronofsky "isn't a particularly empathetic filmmaker" and The Whale is not without flaws, the film "reflects tenderly on shame, guilt, and the human impulse to care and be cared for."[29]

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair wrote that the film "meant to be a poignant consideration of guilt, sexuality, religion, remorse" but "we really only know that because the movie shouts it at us." He also criticized Fraser's performance as "lost".[30] Mark Hanson of Slant Magazine felt that Aronofsky reins in his "typically ostentatious style" but "considering how Libatique's camera leeringly treats Charlie as an unsightly object of pity throughout, it's difficult to deny the film's fatphobia, though its mawkishness is no less oppressive".[31] Katie Rife of Polygon wrote "If you look at The Whale as a fable, its moral is that it’s the responsibility of the abused to love and forgive their abusers. The movie thinks it’s saying 'You don’t understand; he’s fat because he’s suffering.' But it ends up saying 'You don’t understand; we have to be cruel to fat people, because we are suffering.' Aronofsky and Hunter’s biblical metaphor aside, fat people didn’t volunteer to serve as repositories for society’s rage and contempt."[32]

Portrayal of obesity

On the podcast Don't Let This Flop, EJ Dickson said the film was met with criticism for its use of a prosthetic suit instead of casting an obese actor, with accusations that it "stigmatizes and mocks fat people".[33] On NPR's culture section, Jaclyn Diaz reported that this criticism extends to detractors calling the film's premise "inherently dehumanizing".[34]

Writing for The New York Times, Roxane Gay expressed her opinion that the film's empathy was only superficial and that the depiction of Charlie reinforced anti-fat stereotypes and preconceptions. She writes "Mr. Aronofsky, said proudly that Charlie's story was told with empathy. He seemed to think he was being sincere, but I was bewildered because an empathetic portrayal isn't at all what was conveyed onscreen. As I looked around the audience, I was struck by the fact that there were only four or so fat people in the audience and none on the stage."[35]

Accolades

Awards and nominations for The Whale
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
AACTA International Awards February 24, 2023 Best Actor Brendan Fraser Pending [36]
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards January 28, 2023 Best Actor Pending [37]
Alliance of Women Film Journalists TBD Best Actor Pending [38]
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Hong Chau Pending
Best Screenplay – Adapted Samuel D. Hunter Pending
Best Woman's Breakthrough Performance Sadie Sink Pending
Chicago Film Critics Association December 14, 2022 Best Actor Brendan Fraser Nominated [39]
Best Supporting Actress Hong Chau Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 15, 2023 Best Actor Brendan Fraser Pending [40]
Best Young Actor/Actress Sadie Sink Pending
Best Adapted Screenplay Samuel D. Hunter Pending
Best Hair and Makeup The Whale Pending
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association December 19, 2022 Best Picture 7th place [41]
Best Actor Brendan Fraser Runner-up
Best Supporting Actress Hong Chau Runner-up
Florida Film Critics Circle December 22, 2022 Best Actor Brendan Fraser Runner-up [42]
Golden Globe Awards January 10, 2023 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Pending [43]
Gotham Independent Film Awards November 28, 2022 Outstanding Lead Performance Nominated [44]
Outstanding Supporting Performance Hong Chau Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association Awards February 24, 2023 Best Actor Brendan Fraser Pending [45]
Best Supporting Actress Hong Chau Pending
Best Adapted Screenplay Samuel D. Hunter Pending
Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts Awards February 17, 2023 Best Makeup and Hairstyling Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Anne Marie Bradley Pending [46]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 16, 2022 Best Original Score in an Independent Film Rob Simonsen Nominated [47]
Indiana Film Journalists Association December 19, 2022 Best Film The Whale Nominated [48]
Best Director Darren Aronofsky Nominated
Best Lead Performance Brendan Fraser Nominated
Best Supporting Performance Hong Chau Nominated
Sadie Sink Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Samuel D. Hunter Nominated
Best Musical Score Rob Simonsen Nominated
Las Vegas Film Critics Society December 11, 2022 Best Picture The Whale Nominated [49]
Best Director Darren Aronofsky Nominated
Best Actor Brendan Fraser Won
Best Supporting Actress Hong Chau Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Samuel D. Hunter Nominated
Best Female Youth Performance (Under 21) Sadie Sink Nominated
London Film Critics' Circle February 5, 2023 Actor of the Year Brendan Fraser Pending [50]
Supporting Actress of the Year Hong Chau Pending
Mill Valley Film Festival October 18, 2022 Audience Favorite – US Cinema The Whale Won [51]
Montclair Film Festival October 30, 2022 Junior Jury Prize Won [52]
New York Film Critics Online December 11, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Hong Chau Won [53]
Satellite Awards February 11, 2023 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Brendan Fraser Pending [54]
Best Adapted Screenplay Samuel D. Hunter Pending
St. Louis Film Critics Association December 18, 2022 Best Actor Brendan Fraser Won [55]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 12, 2022 Best Actor Nominated [56]
Best Adapted Screenplay Samuel D. Hunter Nominated
Best Youth Performance Sadie Sink Nominated

References

  1. ^ "The Whale". Venice Biennale. June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  2. ^ "The Whale (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  3. ^ "The Whale (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  4. ^ "The Whale". A24. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  5. ^ Nolfi, Joey (December 21, 2022). "The Whale ending explained: Brendan Fraser breaks down Charlie and Ellie's final scene". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 21, 2022. Fraser: It's important because it's a Herculean effort that he makes to even get to his feet. For him to finally break through to her, humble himself before her, and let her know that he made a mistake and is sorry for it. While his life has not physically ended in that moment, I think that he knows he doesn't need to live any longer, which is why he takes off his breather, he's got her reading the essay, and he does take to his feet like three Olympic dead-lifters, takes his baby steps to his baby, and in that beautiful two-shot, a great white light appears, and they look skyward. Depending on your belief system, spiritually or otherwise, we see that Charlie — with a touch of magic realism — finally does fly.
  6. ^ "Actor Brendan Fraser Charts a Major Comeback With 'The Whale'". NBC Los Angeles. September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Lang, Brent (January 11, 2021). "Darren Aronofsky, Brendan Fraser Team on 'The Whale' for A24". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 11, 2021). "Darren Aronofsky Sets Next Film 'The Whale' At A24 With Brendan Fraser Set To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Romano, Nick (January 11, 2021). "Brendan Fraser to star in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale, about man with compulsive eating disorder". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 10, 2021). "'Watchmen's Hong Chau To Co-Star With Brendan Fraser in Darren Aronofsky's Next Film For A24". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
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  15. ^ a b Brendan Fraser's Triumphant Comeback: How Playing a 600-Pound Gay Man in 'The Whale' Resurrected His Career
  16. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2022 | The Whale". Venice Biennale. June 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
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  24. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (December 11, 2022). "Box Office: Brendan Fraser's 'The Whale' Scores Biggest Arthouse Opening of the Year". Variety. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  25. ^ Kenny, Glenn. "Venice Film Festival 2022: The Whale, The Ghost of Richard Harris, Don't Worry Darling". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  26. ^ Collin, Robbie (September 4, 2022). "The Whale, review: Brendan Fraser seals his comeback in a sensational film of rare compassion". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
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  28. ^ "Denver Film Festival Review: 'The Whale'". Out Front. November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
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  33. ^ Dickson, EJ (September 7, 2022). "Welcome Back, Brendan Fraser, You Sexy MF". Rolling Stone.
  34. ^ Diaz, Jaclyn (September 6, 2022). "Why Brendan Fraser's Hollywood comeback story is both warming hearts and raising ire". NPR. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  35. ^ Gay, Roxane (December 10, 2022). "Opinion | The Cruel Spectacle of 'The Whale'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  36. ^ Shackleton, Liz (December 15, 2022). "'The Banshees of Inisherin', 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Head Nominations for Australia's AACTA International Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
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  38. ^ "2022 EDA Awards Nominees". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  39. ^ Tallerico, Brian (December 14, 2022). "The Banshees of Inisherin Named Best Picture by Chicago Film Critics Association". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
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  44. ^ Reul, Katie; Lang, Brent (November 28, 2022). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Wins Best Feature at Gotham Awards". Variety. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  45. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 15, 2022). "6th Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All At One,' 'The Banshees of Inisherin' lead". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  46. ^ Moye, Clarence (December 8, 2022). "'Everything, Everywhere,' 'Top Gun' Lead Inaugural HCA Creative Arts Awards Nominations". Awards Daily. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  47. ^ Grein, Paul (November 17, 2022). "Rihanna's 'Wakanda Forever' Song, Terence Blanchard Win at 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  48. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 19, 2022). "The 2022 Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  49. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 11, 2022). "The 2022 Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
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  51. ^ Anderson, Erik (October 18, 2022). "'TÁR' wins Mill Valley Film Festival Audience Award; 'The Whale,' 'Close' receive top awards". AwardsWatch. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  52. ^ Moye, Clarence (October 31, 2022). "Montclair Film Festival Announces 2022 Award Winners". Awards Daily. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
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  54. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 8, 2022). "'Top Gun: Maverick' leads International Press Academy's 27th Satellite Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
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  56. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 12, 2022). "The 2022 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
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