The weight gain for Fraser's role in The Whale involved a mix of makeup, prosthetics, and CGI to make him almost unrecognizable. Despite accusations of fatphobia, Fraser's personal journey with body-shaming added a sympathetic tone to his portrayal of Charlie.

How did they make Charlie so fat in The Whale?

In the movie "The Whale", Brendan Fraser wore a fat suit to portray his character, Charlie. The suit was designed by Tony Gardner and his team at Alterian Inc. Fraser gained some weight for the role, but the majority of his appearance was achieved through the use of the fat suit and prosthetics.

What disorder does Charlie have in The Whale?

After Alan's death, Charlie's grief turned into depression and led him to develop a binge eating disorder. His unhealthy diet is a way for him to deal with negative emotions.

Why doesn t Charlie go to the hospital in The Whale?

Charlie refuses to go, citing the fact that he has no money and can't afford the hospital bills. He instead decides to spend his last week of life attempted to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

What is Liz to Charlie in The Whale?

His nurse and only friend, Liz, enables him by bringing him food, while contradictorily urging him to visit a hospital for congestive heart failure treatment, but Charlie insists he cannot afford medical care. Charlie is also visited by Thomas, a missionary for the New Life Church who wants to save him.

Watch Brendan Fraser's TRANSFORMATION for The Whale

Why can't Charlie see his daughter in The Whale?

When Charlie's ex-wife Mary showed up to talk to him about their daughter, Ellie's dark and cruel side appeared again. Mary (Samantha Morton) and Charlie divorced when Charlie left them for a student named Alan. Mary severed Charlie's contact with Ellie and wanted to raise her on her own which didn't work out well.

Was Liz an enabler in The Whale?

Liz – She is a nurse. Hodgins called her Charlie's "enabler" because she feeds him junk food despite his enormous weight and her own pleading with him to get better medical care. Ellie – Charlie and Mary's daughter.

Was Alan anorexic in The Whale?

In the years since, Charlie is completely estranged from Ellie (Sadie Sink), and Alan died by suicide after a period of sleep deprivation and anorexia.

Why is Ellie so mean in The Whale?

Having grown angry at the world due to him abandoning her and her mother for his late boyfriend Alan, she acts hostile and abusive to anyone she comes close to and wants absolutely nothing to do with Charlie, who makes efforts to try and reconnect with her.

What was the point of The Whale movie?

The Whale tackles themes of redemption, being oneself, and dealing with grief. Brendan Fraser showcased that and ultimately won an Oscar for his performance as Charlie. The Whale ending brought the powerful and intense drama to a conclusion that requires some more analysis.

Why is The Whale hard to watch?

The Whale is difficult to watch, not because of Charlie's size but because it feels as if he is treated as a grotesque, something to be disgusted by, a monster with a heart of gold.

Why did Charlie float at the end of The Whale?

As Ellie concludes her reading, Charlie begins to float before being engulfed in white light - indicating his death and passing over to the afterlife.

Is the movie The Whale fatphobic?

Why is The Whale being accused of fatphobia? Some of the film's critics believe it perpetuates tired tropes of fat people as suffering, chronically depressed and binge eating.

Is The Whale based on a true story?

The Whale is not a true story but is based on a 2012 play by Samuel D. Hunter, who also wrote the film. Dale Calandra played the original Charlie in a similar transformation to Fraser's for The Whale movie, during the play's original run at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater in Chicago.

What did the ending of The Whale mean?

“So in that final moment, whatever flaws he had, whatever mistakes he made and in whatever ways he couldn't love himself enough, he lived a life redeemed, because he gave everything to save his daughter.” Whether Charlie dies at the end of “The Whale” is up for debate.

Did Brendan Fraser use prosthetics in The Whale?

Throughout the movie, Fraser's prosthetics added between 50 to 300 pounds of extra weight, so it was a physically intense role. Vanity Fair reports that staff was on-hand to help Fraser move around set. “I learned quickly that it takes an incredibly strong person inside that body to be that person,” he said.

What is the message in The Whale?

Religious trauma leading to suicide, love, loss, secrets, regret, redemption, and binge eating disorder are themes in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale. Throughout the movie, Charlie inflicted more pain and trauma on his body with every episode of binge eating. He eats to numb his pain but also sadly to harm himself.

Why did Charlie eat so much in The Whale?

Charlie eats to sadly harm himself. He is the manifestation of trauma. That what he puts into his body for all that harm that he has endured all his life, he's been derided. It's manifest on who he is as a human being, that's a lot of pain for this man.

What is the metaphor of The Whale?

The white whale is a metaphor for the destructive force of nature. Although nature is an anonymous force which takes no sides and simply follows its own natural course, Ahab seems to see nature as something that has power over him, which is something that he cannot accept.

What is the criticism of the movie The Whale?

After its premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival — where Fraser was moved to tears during the six-minute ovation that followed the screening — the film was criticized for its portrayal of people affected by obesity and was accused of perpetuating anti-fat stereotypes.

Was Ellie evil in The Whale?

At one point, Ellie's mother even calls her “evil.” Ellie seems to be the cruel foil to Charlie's kind demeanour, despite his failures as a parent.

What is the trigger warning in The Whale?

TRIGGER WARNING: The script for this film contains extensive fatphobia. Backstories involve homophobic abuse, particularly from religious organizations. The film's cynical take on religion may be upsetting to a churchgoing audience.

What is the moral in the film The Whale?

He considered it the most honest piece of work he had ever read. Charlie implored his students to write something honest. The Whale may have had a metaphoric meaning, referring to Charlie's size, but this movie was not about his size; it was about honesty and being redeemed for mistakes.

How does Charlie have a daughter in The Whale?

Around 20 or so years ago, Charlie met and fell in love with a woman named Mary. The two started dating and eventually had a daughter named Ellie. At some point they were also married.

Who is the pizza guy in The Whale?

Sathya Sridharan: Dan the Pizza Man

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