However, this was always one-sided, and in the end, he refused to give up on his daughter and tried to give her the one thing she asked for the first time she appeared in the movie. This all led to The Whale ending where Charlie finally seemed to die and pass on to the other side.
Over the course of The Whale, we learn that Charlie ended his marriage to his wife Mary as he was hiding his homosexuality until he fell in love with a man named Alan. This resulted in Charlie losing contact with his daughter Ellie, which he has always felt guilty about.
At the end of "The Whale," Charlie makes a triumphant march to his daughter as she reads to him from the essay that he loves so much. Despite being on his deathbed (or perhaps death couch is more accurate), he manages to achieve a physical feat that he was unable to do days earlier.
We learn that Liz's brother, Alan, was Charlie's romantic partner, as well as a member of the New Life church. Liz blames New Life for her brother's extreme unhappiness—because he was told his sexuality went against the will of God—which eventually led to Alan jumping off a bridge and killing himself.
The Whale's ending is devastating as it sees the end of Charlie's life. He tried reconnecting with his daughter Ellie, but it was always one-sided. Ellie was cruel to Charlie throughout the movie, but there is hope she could finally see in herself what Charlie did all those years.
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.
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.
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.
"The way the play ends is, Ellie has the last line of the essay: 'It made me feel glad for my…' And she's cut off by the stage direction – 'a sharp intake of breath'. 'Charlie looks up, and has a sharp intake of breath. End of play. ' I actually didn't know about the beach scenes until I saw a rough cut.
What Is Happening to Charlie in the Film's Final Moments? Charlie is dying at the very end and refuses to go to the hospital. As he bonds with Ellie, he attempts to stand. Between the effort of moving and his overall mental state, Charlie dies and ascends into an idealized version of heaven.
Overcome with guilt for being gay, Alan committed suicide by jumping off a bridge, which led to Charlie's binge eating and depression, as well as Liz's hatred for the church.
Charlie believes that Ellie thought that the food dish was drawing the bird away from its family, so she broke the dish to send the bird back home. This fills him with emotion because he sees it as proof that Ellie is a good person.
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.
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.
Emphasizing whole, nutrient-rich foods over processed options, Fraser's approach underscores the adage "you are what you eat." His diet focused on lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, facilitating not just weight loss but improved overall health.
Ellie's found another family, Dina and JJ, but there's no replacement for Joel. Even if it means losing her new family – and Dina makes it clear when Ellie leaves the farm that seeking out Abby again will mean the end of their relationship – Ellie has "to finish it." To her, there's no other option for closure.
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.
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.
Did the actor gain weight for the movie 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.
Ellie was cruel to Charlie throughout the movie, but there is hope she could finally see in herself what Charlie did all those years. The Whale tackles themes of redemption, being oneself, and dealing with grief.
No – the film is not based on a true story and is almost completely a work of fiction, even if writer Samuel D Hunter has said that certain aspects of the plot are semi-autobiographical.
The Whale is a wonderful surprise masterpiece! Brendan Fraser has proved he still has it. It's a beautiful performance that's long overdue for him. A film that will make you cry and love Brendan.
