The Whale

The message The Whale sends us home with seems to be: Thank God that's not us.

While their first meeting in many years is laden with exposition about the pain and awkwardness of their time apart, the two eventually settle into an interesting, prickly rapport. He does so much with his eyes here to give us a glimpse into Charlie's sweet but tortured soul, and the subtlety he's able to convey goes a long way toward making "The Whale" tolerable. At this moment, you're meant to marvel at the elaborate makeup and prosthetic work on display; you're more likely to roll your eyes at the writing. But in reality, the overall vibe is one of morbid fascination for this mountain of a man. His depiction of Charlie's isolation within his squalid Idaho apartment includes a scene of him masturbating to gay porn with such gusto that he almost has a heart attack, a moment made of equal parts shock value and shame. (For the record, I'm a fan of Aronofsky's work in general.)

From its triumphant world premiere (with seven-minute standing ovation) at the Venice Film Festival, A24 opens Darren Aronofsky's The Whale in theaters this ...

[Emma Thompson](https://deadline.com/tag/emma-thompson/), Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Sindhu Vee, Alisha Weir and [Lashana Lynch](https://deadline.com/tag/lashana-lynch/) and is directed by [Matthew Warchus](https://deadline.com/tag/matthew-warchus/). [Deadline review](https://deadline.com/2022/09/empire-of-light-telluride-review-olivia-coleman-sam-mendes-1235107299/) — and screened in Toronto. Netflix opens Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical in about 120 theaters including the Quad and iPic Fulton Market in NY and Cinemark Playa Vista, iPic Westwood, Regal LA Live and the Bay in LA. Record store owner Tori Tooms is just looking to get drunk and party when the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire in a rampant killing spree through a neon drenched snowscape, forcing her into a blood splattered battle for survival against the ruthless heavy metal Saint Nick. Searchlight has been having a strong run with The Menu and The Banshees Of Inisherin both in theaters. Outsider Pictures presents Fernando Guzzoni’s Blanquita, Chile’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature, at the Laemmle Glendale and Cinema Village in Manhattan. Multiplexes include the Metreon in San Francisco, Lincoln Square and Union Square in NYC and AMC Burbank. With never-before-seen archival footage and close access, the doc puts a disruptive spotlight on the pastoral prodigy turned political firebrand turned media establishment figure. [box office](https://deadline.com/tag/box-office/) grosses. The Whale looks set to do at least $50k per screen and possibly well over that in a specialty market that could use a bump. Aronofsky (Mother!, Black Swan, The Wrestler) directs from a screenplay by Samuel D. The former action star carries the psychological drama as Charlie, a reclusive and severely obese English teacher trying to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.

Fatsuits have historically been used to mock obese characters but Darren Aronofsky and Brendan Fraser insist 'The Whale' is different.

While she hadn’t yet seen it, she touched on the [stageplay’s plot](https://twitter.com/yrfatfriend/status/1567913284527079425) in which the story opens with Charlie worrying that he may have a heart attack after masturbating to gay pornography. Time will tell whether the controversy is enough to harm that campaign, and whether it raises awareness on a path toward broader change in the industry. “There’s a lot of controversy around actors and fatsuits, and I think that controversy is a legitimate one. He added that Charlie’s costume would “respect the laws of gravity and physics” in a way that is unique compared to previous movies’ efforts which have often served up mocking or comedic portrayals of fat bodies. He said he was “conflicted” because he loves Fraser and wants him to have his moment but the casting choice represents a wider issue. But Hunter, the writer of the original play, also told Variety that it “deliberately pokes at some people’s prejudices.” Here’s what to know about the discourse that has surrounded The Whale since its [debut at the Venice Film Festival](https://time.com/6210889/the-whale-review-brendan-fraser/) in September. [#MeToo](https://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-silence-breakers/) movement, which began to ripple through Hollywood in 2017. Last year, Sarah Paulson wore a fatsuit in American Crime Story to portray Linda Tripp—the woman whose recorded conversations with Monica Lewinsky were pivotal in President Bill Clinton’s sex scandal. Fraser added that “the torso piece was almost like a straight jacket” and he often needed mobility assistance from the crew. While Berk recalled groping Fraser in what he referred to as jest in his memoir, calling the allegations “a total fabrication,” Fraser said the alleged assault was more sinister. But the film has also been accused of fatphobia, with some saying the use of a fatsuit turns Fraser’s character into a spectacle.

One of the most-beloved titles to come out of this year's film festival circuit was The Whale, which stars Brendan Fraser as a regret-filled 600-pound man.

“The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”)with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”). John Wick: Chapter 4 will be available in theaters and IMAX on March 24, 2023 (or March 23rd in Australia/NZ).](/videos/john-wick-chapter-4-official-final-trailer) [The Little Mermaid - Official Trailer“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The film stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Prince Eric; Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) as the voice of Sebastian; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jacob Tremblay (“Luca”) as the voice of Flounder; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as Queen Selina; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; with Oscar® winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award® nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula. You can also check out our picks for the [Best Brendan Fraser Movies](/articles/best-brendan-fraser-movies) of all time. The Whale is still available in some theaters, but not everywhere. If you're wondering how and where you can watch it yourself, take a look at the information below.

No surprise from Aronofsky, but we have some questions! The-Whale-Ending-Charlie-Brendan-Fraser-Darren-Aronofsky.

Thomas also finds a picture of Charlie with Alan and realizes that he only put on the weight as a means of coping with his partner’s suicide. He even shows his face to his students, and compliments some of the responses that they left in the last message board post that he felt were more honest than their previous work. Between the effort of moving and his overall mental state, Charlie dies and ascends into an idealized version of heaven. However, Dan decides to wait on the porch when Charlie comes to pick up the pizza and finally sees him for the first time. While both the original stage production and the film are very similar, Hunter made some changes to the script when translating it to a feature. Throughout the film, Charlie orders pizza online and has the delivery boy, Dan (Sathya Sridharan), leave it outside his door. While Charlie is apologetic for his failure as a father, he does not apologize for his sexuality. Despite the seemingly cruel action, Thomas tells Charlie that he has newfound faith in people, as his parents have reached out to forgive him and welcome him home. Towards the end of the film, Charlie’s world begins to crumble. Charlie decides to reconnect with his daughter, Ellie ( [Sadie Sink](https://collider.com/sadie-sink-interview-the-whale-hong-chau/)), who has no interest in him. Hunter, and Aronofsky’s adaptation does a good job of reflecting the intimacy of a stage performance. [Darren Aronofsky](https://collider.com/tag/darren-aronofsky/)’s The Whale has already proven to be one of the most controversial films of the year, which isn’t all that surprising considering Aronofsky’s history of making divisive projects.