The Whale (2022)
January 23, 2023 10:41 AM - Subscribe
A reclusive English teacher (Brendan Fraser) attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter (Sadie Sink).
Several entertainment magazines are saying that the Best Actor Oscar is pretty much in the bag for Brendan Fraser thanks to this film.
Several entertainment magazines are saying that the Best Actor Oscar is pretty much in the bag for Brendan Fraser thanks to this film.
Better yet, it's a TRIPLE-feature; I also made a post for Gods and Monsters as well. (I wanted to get some of his more serious work listed up in here precisely because of the "Brenaissance"; I was never into his slapsticky stuff.)
The film itself was fine, but it was his performance that really knocked my socks off.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:00 AM on January 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
The film itself was fine, but it was his performance that really knocked my socks off.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:00 AM on January 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm interested in what Sadie Sink goes on to do. I am a mild fan of Stranger Things, and this last season she was easily the strongest actor in the whole series.
posted by SoberHighland at 12:11 PM on January 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by SoberHighland at 12:11 PM on January 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
As is no surprise, Brendan Fraser was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. But people were surprised that Hong Chau was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress; that was an unusually tight category this year, and it's honestly gonna be a toss-up (she's up against Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and Angela Basset).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:04 AM on January 24, 2023
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:04 AM on January 24, 2023
I'm curious about this film having been a long time fraser fan. in these strange and uncertain times...is this a dark film that's going to really bring me down?
posted by j_curiouser at 11:20 AM on January 25, 2023
posted by j_curiouser at 11:20 AM on January 25, 2023
It....depends?
I shall divulge a bit of the backstory (this is stuff you find out in the film but isn't necessarily "spoilers") and see if that helps. 8 years prior, Fraser's character Charlie was married and they had an 8 year old daughter; but then Charlie fell in love with another man and left his wife and daughter for him. The pair were together for several years; but one source of strain was the fact that his boyfriend was from a conservative Christian family who didn't accept him (save for his adopted sister). The family rejection lead the boyfriend to starve himself to death - and that loss, coupled with regrets over having left his daughter, have lead Charlie to swing in the other direction and attempt to eat himself to death.
That's all backstory for the film itself. The whole story takes place on what is to be the last few days of Charlie's life; he's been getting regular visits from his deceased boyfriend's sister (who's a nurse and has appointed herself his caretaker), and makes his living as a teacher over Zoom (keeping his camera turned off), but has been shunning any medical care so he can save all the money for his daughter. The action of the film comes during the week when he knows he's pretty much near the end of his life, and reaches out to his daughter one last time to apologize.
That....maybe can help you decide?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:50 AM on January 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
I shall divulge a bit of the backstory (this is stuff you find out in the film but isn't necessarily "spoilers") and see if that helps. 8 years prior, Fraser's character Charlie was married and they had an 8 year old daughter; but then Charlie fell in love with another man and left his wife and daughter for him. The pair were together for several years; but one source of strain was the fact that his boyfriend was from a conservative Christian family who didn't accept him (save for his adopted sister). The family rejection lead the boyfriend to starve himself to death - and that loss, coupled with regrets over having left his daughter, have lead Charlie to swing in the other direction and attempt to eat himself to death.
That's all backstory for the film itself. The whole story takes place on what is to be the last few days of Charlie's life; he's been getting regular visits from his deceased boyfriend's sister (who's a nurse and has appointed herself his caretaker), and makes his living as a teacher over Zoom (keeping his camera turned off), but has been shunning any medical care so he can save all the money for his daughter. The action of the film comes during the week when he knows he's pretty much near the end of his life, and reaches out to his daughter one last time to apologize.
That....maybe can help you decide?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:50 AM on January 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
ty
posted by j_curiouser at 12:08 PM on January 25, 2023
posted by j_curiouser at 12:08 PM on January 25, 2023
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I have always enjoyed Fraser and I'm glad he's having this career renaissance. I look forward to seeing this.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:49 AM on January 23, 2023 [1 favorite]