The Whale is an American psychological drama film. It is directed by Darren Aronofsky. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton. The storyline of the movie revolves around an obese English teacher who tries to restore his relationship with his teenage daughter. It is all set to start streaming on 1st November on Netflix.
Initially, The Whale was released at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on 4th September 2022. The movie had limited theatrical release in the US on 9th December and a wide release on 21st December. It grossed 57.6 million dollars against a budget of just 3 million dollars and turned out as a blockbuster film. Fraser has won the Academy Award, Critics' Choice Award and SAG Award for Best Actor for his remarkable performance in the film and Chau was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony.
The synopsis of the movie reads, “An online writing teacher grapples with failing health from weight issues, self-isolation and grief as he tries to reconnect with his teenage daughter.”
Is The Whale based on a true story?
The answer to this question is no. The Whale is not based on a true story. Although, The Whale is not a true story but it is based on a play of the same name, written by Samuel D. Hunter in 2012. He wrote the film as well.
In the play, Dale Calandra played the character of Charlie during the play's original run at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater in Chicago. However, there were a few cinematic format advantages in comparison to a theater that the writer used including staging scenes at a beach.
Director Aronofsky wanted to adapt The Whale on screen after h saw the play during its original run. He was deeply touched by the line of dialogue, “people are incapable of caring.”
Finding the actor for the role of Charlie was a bit challenging for him but then he came across a trailer for the Brazilian thriller titled Journey to the End of the Night starring Fraser and chose him as the protagonist of the movie.