Brendan Fraser

The issue was that Darren Aronofsky and distributor A24 were insistent that the public and voters see "The Whale" in a theater or not at all.

The conversation switches from “Where can I see this movie?” to “Let’s stay home and watch it tonight.” People talk about Fraser and “The Whale” just when they’ve overdosed on Butler and “Elvis,” which have been at the center of the Best Actor conversation for months. The further good news is that people can now cry to their heart’s content while watching “The Whale” without feeling the least bit self-conscious, since they can now experience it in the discomfort of their own living room. “The Whale” can finally be seen by the largest possible audience at a moment when its star most needs maximum exposure. This is a very good thing from where I sit, as I consider Fraser’s work as Charlie in “The Whale” to be a stunningly moving performance, not to mention a moment of considerable redemption for an actor who has rarely been accorded his due. It was a shame, not because I at all dislike or discount Butler – he was sensational as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – but because on a level playing field, Fraser should be the choice. As the astounding success of Amazon has taught us, people want things delivered to them and want them delivered now. The issue was that producer-director Darren Aronofsky and distributor A24 were insistent that the public and SAG voters see “The Whale” in a theater or not at all. At this late stage of the game, those backing “The Whale” have changed up the narrative by giving the movie a sudden burst of availability. [Brendan Fraser](https://www.goldderby.com/t/brendan-fraser/) (for “ [The Whale](https://www.goldderby.com/t/the-whale/)”) or [Austin Butler](https://www.goldderby.com/feature/austin-butler-elvis-oscar-interview-transcript-1205298155/) (for “Elvis”) is The Chosen One, circa 2023. While there have been several screenings of the film for critics and voters, those behind it had made it a little tough to find the movie outside of a theater. The perception was that “The Whale” campaign was running low on steam, and it was potentially impacting its star’s chances – particularly at the SAGs. Or in the age of COVID, even as we’re undeniably past the height of virus fear, maybe they just didn’t want to have to leave the house to catch Fraser’s gut-wrenching performance as a morbidly obese man struggling to reconcile with his estranged teenage daughter before it’s too late.