BIG FISH (PG) Presented in Glorious 35mm

Big Fish at Revival House Perth

Tim Burton's most heartfelt and mature film is a shimmering fairy tale about fathers, sons, and the stories we tell to make sense of our lives. This 2003 gem strips away Burton's usual Gothic darkness to reveal something even more powerful underneath—a meditation on myth, memory, and the line between truth and legend.

Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney play Edward Bloom at different ages, a traveling salesman whose life story is filled with impossible tall tales—giants, witches, circus ringmasters, Siamese twin lounge singers, and a town where everyone goes barefoot. His son Will (Billy Cruder) has spent his life rolling his eyes at these stories, convinced his dying father has never told him the truth about anything. As Edward's health fails, Will must decide whether understanding his father means accepting the man or accepting the myth.

Burton brings extraordinary visual imagination to Edward's stories while keeping the present-day scenes grounded and real. The result is a film that operates on two levels simultaneously—whimsical adventure and emotional reckoning. Danny Elfman's score is his most restrained and beautiful work for Burton, while the supporting cast (including Jessica Lange, Marion Cotillard, Danny DeVito, and Helena Bonham Carter) creates a gallery of unforgettable characters.

This is Burton's most personal film, asking whether the stories we tell about ourselves matter more than the facts. It's about how fathers and sons struggle to understand each other, and how sometimes love means accepting someone on their own terms.

Bring tissues. Seriously.

Present in authentic 35mm film for the true cinematic experience!

When: Saturday, November 22nd at 7:40 PM
Where: Revival House Perth
Rating: PG - Mild themes

Burton's most beautiful film—a fairy tale about truth, lies, and the stories that make us who we are.