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.)

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.

Read about where you can watch the new movie 'The Whale' starring Brendan Fraser and Sadie Sink. Find out the streaming release date for 'The Whale' as ...

[Euphoria](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hbomax.com%2Fseries%2Furn%3Ahbo%3Aseries%3AGXKN_xQX5csPDwwEAAABj) and the Paramount+ film [Everything Everywhere All at Once](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paramountplus.com%2Fmovies%2Fvideo%2FUs5KETz9uN5_zCoEJsyITt6LykZHTKrG%2F). But with the pattern most movies follow these days, it's probable that it will take at least 45 days for it to drop on HBO Max. [$9.99 per month](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hbomax.com%2Fsubscribe%2Fplan-picker) or $99.99 per year. Whether you want to see it to celebrate Brendan's return to the big screen or you're simply intrigued by the movie's plot, you're probably wondering where you can watch and stream The Whale at home. in journalism and a minor in business management. Based on this, it's likely that The Whale will eventually make its way there as well. As he grieves the death of his partner, he decides to try and rebuild a connection with someone he's currently estranged from: his 17-year-old daughter Elle (Sadie Sink). It's available on the platforms below: [awards season buzz](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/the-whale-trailer-brendan-fraser-sadie-sink-1235327670/). She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. Here's what we know about where to watch and stream The Whale online: Between Darren Aronofky's vision behind the A24 psychological drama and a memorable performance from Brendan Fraser, it was no surprise when The Whale received [three nominations](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2023) at the 2023 Oscars.

Darren Aronofsky's 'The Whale' has been criticized for its depiction of obesity even as Brendan Fraser's performance has been praised for its delicate ...

A film that had seemed interested in the lives and feelings of its characters, and in an unlikely but touching relationship between two people at odds with the world around them, turns into a movie with Something to Say.” Deakins’ work is beautiful, Colman is incredible, and the role of Stephen proves to be a breakout for Ward. Mendes raises the stakes and accelerates the plot, pushing Hilary and Stephen through a series of crises that weigh the movie down with earnest self-importance. [the Hollywood Reporter, Leslie Felperin](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/roald-dahls-matilda-the-musical-emma-thompson-netflix-1235233946/) wrote, “Where the inelegantly but undoubtedly quite specifically titled ‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical’ really makes its bones is in the big, showstopping numbers like ‘School Song’ and ‘Revolting Children,’ in which the ensemble of tightly rehearsed tykes get to strut their stuff. The food isn’t so much food as it is a metaphor for all the hurt and pain he’s absorbed. With energetic musical numbers, the film stars Alisha Weir in the title role as a little girl with a vivid imagination and transformative intelligence sent away to a boarding school. Scott](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/07/movies/the-whale-review.html) wrote, “as an exploration of — and argument for — the power of human sympathy, ‘The Whale’ is undone by simplistic psychologizing and intellectual fuzziness. … But here’s the thing: The film is built around the idea of revulsion and extreme consumption. With a supporting cast that also includes Hong Chau and Samantha Morton, the movie is in theaters now. We’ll be back at the AMC Sunset 5, starting at 7 p.m. [Envelope roundtables](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-12-08/actresses-roundtable-2022-bassett-condon-corrin-dern-deadwyler-monae) released, recorded in-person for the first time since 2019. 14, we will have an Indie Focus Screening Series event featuring the movie

The Whale aims for noble sentimentality, but Darren Aronofsky can't stop turning pain into spectacle.

The problem is that Aronofsky is transfixed by Charlie in all the wrong ways, positioning him as a walking house of horrors. But revealing the how and why of Charlie’s deep sadness is just not as psychologically intricate as Hunter or Aronofsky seem to think it is—and besides, more time is spent gawking at Charlie’s physical strain. In the end, the project falls prey to the same trap as Charlie’s judgmental visitors do: seeing only a symbol where they could have seen a person. Charlie has been in a severe depressive state since the loss of his partner. His confinement is abject, but the source of his pain is deeply relatable: grief. But in The Whale, which is adapted from Samuel D.

Stories have an impact. They contribute to perception. And how this film deals with fatness is egregious: exploitative and, at times, cruel.

The way “The Whale” is told reflects such a profound and pathetic dearth of imagination. “The Whale,” in the end, isn’t the serious film it so desperately wants to be. We bring who we are to the art we consume. I am not sure if it is discomfort that makes me feel this way or if the depiction of Charlie hit too close to home. Before long, his face is slicked with grease, and he has thrown open his refrigerator, desperate for anything to fill the yawning void of hurt from which he cannot escape. He is a part of the world even as he forces his way out of it. At points, I was reminded of “Leaving Las Vegas” and how Ben Sanderson (Nicolas Cage) is afforded a kind of dignity as he drinks himself to death. I didn’t know much about the film, but I did know that it was about a fat man seeking some kind of redemption and that it starred Mr. His performance makes him a strong contender for all the major awards, and that’s a shame — not because he doesn’t deserve them but because what’s also being rewarded is such a demeaning portrayal of a fat man. Most audiences will see the spectacle of a 600-pound man unwilling to care for himself, grieving the loss of his partner who died by suicide, eager to die himself and using food as the means to that end. The film should ask us to see Charlie, the protagonist played by Brendan Fraser, as a person, to understand his grief and mourn with him, to hope for him to pull his life together. I suppose that’s the point of this particular adaptation of Sam Hunter’s play of the same name.

Since the Academy expanded Best Picture, only one Best Actor winner, has not seen their film also nominated in the top category. Will this season test that ...

I wouldn’t dare spoil what she gets up to in Glass Onion, but suffice it to say she’s given plenty of opportunities to show off her range. A co-lead who splits POV duties with Colman, Ward could have had a Supporting Actor shout had Empire of Light performed up to expectations. Gleeson interrupted Ke-Huy Quan’s winning streak by taking the NBR’s Supporting Actor prize. With early voting bodies proving resistant to Fraser’s charms, Farrell has had the tastemaker phase of the season all to himself. [Anthony Lane](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/12/brendan-frasers-soft-quizzicality-in-the-whale). The good news is that many reviewers seem to be doing just that. Unfortunately, it debuted to a muted reaction during festival season, with critics bemoaning the first-time solo screenwriter’s inability to pick a lane. With sterling cinematography from Roger Deakins and a star turn from Olivia Colman, Sam Mendes’s early-’80s drama boasts a gold-plated awards pedigree. Current Predix [Slate](https://slate.com/culture/2022/12/whale-movie-brendan-fraser-oscars-best-actor.html?via=rss).) Team Whale will argue that this is not a movie for critics, and they might be right. Since the Academy expanded Best Picture, only one Best Actor winner, Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, has not seen their film also nominated in the top category. [handing Top Gun: Maverick their Best Film prize](https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/national-board-of-review-winners-top-gun-maverick.html).

In the Darren Aronofsky-helmed film, Fraser plays Charlie, a house-bound 600 lb. English teacher who teaches students virtually with his camera blacked out.

We made different sets of arms and there was a graduation in his skin color and complexion to show the decline of his health. Fraser: The pieces that were created went on like a glove, and I was in this five-point harness. Morot: When you start with it inanimate matter, like silicone, and you’re in moles, and you see the entire process and then you glue it onto your actor’s face, it’s often hit or miss. It was heartbreaking to peel that off and throw it away. I had to get the tactile experience of actually wearing the gear. With the help of an iPad, our producer did a scan of Brendan in his garage and he sent me the data. We also had that for his legs and arms and body parts. It has vitality, and it has a sentience to it so that when an actor wears it, it doesn’t look like a Halloween costume makeup, you can see the artifacts and the performance comes through. We didn’t have access to Brendan the way we normally would because of the pandemic. He was able to say, “Look, I need to create a makeup and costume using prosthetics and here’s the actor that I have. That gave us a lot of freedom because we were able to modify them quickly. What it all gave us was this detail that’s almost impossible to obtain with more traditional means of sculpture.

Sadie Sink admits to not knowing that much about Brendan Fraser before she starred opposite him in Darren Aronofsky drama The Whale.

[The ](https://screenrant.com/stranger-things-season-5-max-sadie-sink-whale/) [Stranger Things](https://screenrant.com/stranger-things-season-5-max-sadie-sink-whale/) [ star](https://screenrant.com/stranger-things-season-5-max-sadie-sink-whale/) admitted to meeting Fraser for the first time at a table read without knowledge of the actor's vast filmography, but also shared her desire to educate herself on his work. Although Fraser has admitted to gaining some weight for the role, the bulk of his appearance was achieved with a bodysuit. However, Fraser's dedication to the role has paid off as early reactions to the film have had nothing but positive things to say about his performance, with many critics calling it Oscar-worthy. So they assembled a group of actors to just come to this theater in the East Village and read 'The Whale.' With leading roles in Encino Man, Airheads, George of the Jungle, Blast from the Past, and as Rick O'Connell in the popular The Mummy action-adventure franchise, Fraser established himself as one of the top leading men of his time. Now, Fraser has returned to the cinema with The Whale from award-winning writer and director Aronofsky.

Being just 20 years old, Sadie Sink was not alive when Brendan Fraser had his biggest hits, and the actress didn't know who he was when meeting him.

Sink herself has taken much of her success in her stride, but there is no doubt that she has grown as an actress since joining Stranger Things as Max in season two. While there is no doubt that The Whale is Brendan Fraser’s film, Sadie Sink builds on her emotional Stranger Things performance to be a real presence in the movie. “The fluidity that Sadie plays, this beautiful controlled rage, was breathtaking to me. [The Whale](https://movieweb.com/the-whale-cast-plot-release-date/), Sink plays Ellie, the estranged daughter of Fraser’s Charlie. So they assembled a group of actors to just come to this theater in the East Village and read The Whale. While for anyone over a certain age it seems hard to believe that someone could have gone any distance through life without discovering the likes of The Mummy, George of the Jungle, or Fraser’s other hits from the late 1990s/2000s, it should be remembered that 20-year-old Sink was not born when many of the actor’s biggest hits were released.

The Whale director Darren Aronofsky explains how he knew Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, and Hong Chau were perfect for their roles.

But the real breakthrough on the production design was the idea of putting the couch in the center of the room, which, if you think about it, very, very few rooms on the planet have couches in the center of the room. The downside is that the camera operator is actually always a great artist who's feeling what the actor's gonna do and is able to, in the moment, feel that and usually dance with them a little better. Charlie is a man of letters and so, basically, in between takes being able to take a book off of the shelf and being like, “Oh, this is a great freaking book,” and look at it, was a great treat for the crew, but it was also really realistic for Charlie. Is there any tiny detail in that set that might not be at the center of a frame, but says a lot about Charlie that you hope viewers notice? But then, which role was the most challenging to fill where it took more of a search to find the right actor? It was very clear to me when I met with him right after the idea of him possibly doing it that here was an actor who saw the opportunity and wanted the opportunity. When I was talking to her, she mentioned one specific scene that you two had to talk through a bit. It was something I think subconsciously came through to all of us. It's just the type of Zen Buddhism blocking out of all that so that you can just really push out these feelings is really hard. I mean, the kind of twists and turns that the actor would have to take were so complicated. I think the reality is, it's a process of collaboration where you slowly figure out who's gonna play the role and how then to use what that person and that actor is to make the role that much more real. And that, to me, is the magic of cinema, is that you can enter the minds and the souls of characters anywhere on the planet and go on a journey with them and realize how similar you are to these people even though they are so different to you in circumstance or place or moment in their life.

Audiences who are familiar with the work of Darren Aronofsky are well accustomed to his thought-provoking, and often divisive, films.

In a way that Aronofsky often does to integrate the spiritual and religious imagery that’s present in his movies, he has Charlie ascend to heaven. During the film, we learn that Charlie is openly gay and had a relationship with a former student of his named Alan. In an attempt to stand while he and Ellie are having a moment together, Charlie dies. Charlie also has a daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink), whom he wants to reconnect with, although she doesn’t feel the same way. His sister Liz (Hong Chau) stops by periodically to take care of him. His latest film,

Brendan Fraser discusses the process of using make-up and prosthetics for the film 'The Whale,' including how much ice they used on set.

Unfortunately, at least for the [Golden Globes](https://www.vulture.com/2022/11/brendan-fraser-wont-attend-golden-globes.html), Fraser won’t be wearing his icy suit to their show. In an interview with [Variety](https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/brendan-fraser-the-whale-transformation-makeup-darren-aronofsky-adrien-morot-1235454301/), Fraser and prosthetics makeup designer Adrien Morot revealed that it took over six hours every day for Fraser to transform into his character Charlie. Brendan Fraser’s prosthetics are just one of the chilling performances in the new film