Is Brendan Fraser's 'The Whale' based on a true story? A24's movie is inspired a harrowing tale
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Brendan Fraser made a stunning comeback into the world of cinema with Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Whale’ and there is no doubt that he is being touted as the frontrunner to win the Best Actor accolade at the Academy Awards. The movie sees Fraser playing the role of a man named Charlie who has not seen the outside world for a while now because of sadness. Charlie has gained a lot of weight after the tragic death of his partner. His partner's sudden demise shattered him and he started to suffer from an eating disorder. Despite earning critical acclaim, the movie also drew a lot of criticism for how it tackled obesity and dehumanized fatphobia.
The actor opened up about how difficult it was for him to act with all that prosthetics on him that took hours to remove. However, all the hard work paid off because critics as well as fans loved Fraser’s harrowing performance and made the movie a gigantic success. The movie had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival where Fraser received a five-minute standing ovation for his impeccable performance. Apart from his performance, people were keen to know if Charlie’s story was inspired by a true story or real-life events. So, let’s get to know if the film is really based on a true story or not.
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Is Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Whale’ based on a true story
Well, ‘The Whale’ is “not” based on a true story, but it takes inspiration from a play of the same name that took place in 2012. Created by Samuel D. Hunter, the play saw a 600-pound man named Charlie surrounded by screens and food containers whose life has become miserable because of an eating disorder. As he inches closer to his death, his friend, Liz, an atheist church, does everything to make him realize that he needs to visit a hospital where he can be saved and start a new phase of his life. However, the only thing on his mind is to have a better relationship with his estranged daughter Ellie who is bitter and doesn’t even want to see his face.
One day, his daughter shows up at his door and wants to talk to him about his English essays. Charlie finally finds some motivation in his life and starts helping his daughter even though she hates him and talks bitterly. But he doesn’t get frustrated by that because he knows this is the only chance for redemption and he doesn’t want to lose this opportunity.
The two-hour play turned out to be a huge hit and won several accolades during its run, including Lucille Lortel Award for Best Play. Dale Calandra played the role of Charlie in the play while Leah Kerpel portrayed Ellie.
‘The Whale’ received rave reviews from critics and became one of the most well-reviewed theatre productions in recent years. According to ‘A Curtain Up’, the play is clearly a work “that should be on any serious theatergoer's not to be missed list.” Meanwhile, Vulture, The Hollywood Reporter, and other media outlets also gave the play positive reviews. On the other hand, Theatre in Chicago gave the play four stars. Publications such as Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times praised the play and said it “is a remarkably eloquent exploration of the way the need for honesty overwhelms us when we sense that our time is short.”
Even though Aronofsky wanted to adapt the play when it was originally released, he was not able to find an actor who could play Charlie’s role with precision and Fraser was the best choice for him.
‘The Whale’ will release worldwide in the upcoming months before the Academy Awards and viewers will get to know the harrowing story behind the movie and Fraser’s remarkable acting.
The movie currently holds a rating of 8.1 on IMDb and 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is 91%.
