Big Fish
2003 · 125 min · Director: Tim Burton
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
United Press International journalist Will Bloom and his French freelance photojournalist wife Josephine Bloom, who is pregnant with their first child, leave their Paris base to return to Will's hometown of Ashton, Alabama on the news that his father, Edward Bloom, stricken with cancer, will soon die, he being taken off chemotherapy treatment. Although connected indirectly through Will's mother/Edward's wife, Sandra Bloom, Will has been estranged from his father for three years since his and Josephine's wedding. Will's issue with his father is the fanciful tales Edward has told of his life all his life, not only to Will but the whole world. As a child when Edward was largely absent as a traveling salesman, Will believed those stories, but now realizes that he does not know his father, who, as he continues to tell these stories, he will never get to know unless Edward comes clean with the truth before he dies. On the brink of his own family life beginning, Will does not want to be the kind of father Edward has been to him. One of those stories from Edward's childhood - that he saw his own death in the glass eye of a witch - led to him embracing life since he would not have to fear death knowing when and how it would eventually come. The question is whether Will will be able to reconcile Edward's stories against his real life, either directly from Edward before he dies and/or from other sources, and thus allow Will to come to a new understanding of himself and his life, past, present and future.
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Emotional fingerprint
Big Fish (2003) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Empathy 30%, Sadness 25%, Awe 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Empathy, Sadness, Awe. Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Adventure. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Empathy, Sadness and Awe. Its IMDb rating of 7.9/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 74/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Love
- Sadness
- Curiosity
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Love
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Love | Sadness | Curiosity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Curiosity | 53 % | 10 % | 18 % | 52 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 9′ | Curiosity | 54 % | 15 % | 25 % | 48 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 16′ | Sadness | 51 % | 19 % | 26 % | 40 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 22′ | Curiosity | 51 % | 14 % | 18 % | 43 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 28′ | Curiosity | 53 % | 11 % | 10 % | 48 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 34′ | Humor | 53 % | 13 % | 11 % | 44 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 41′ | Tension | 53 % | 13 % | 16 % | 41 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 47′ | Curiosity | 54 % | 21 % | 13 % | 45 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Love | 56 % | 40 % | 9 % | 45 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 59′ | Love | 60 % | 53 % | 14 % | 38 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 66′ | Love | 63 % | 49 % | 26 % | 29 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 72′ | Sadness | 63 % | 33 % | 43 % | 28 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Sadness | 61 % | 21 % | 46 % | 31 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 84′ | Humor | 59 % | 28 % | 41 % | 36 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 91′ | Love | 56 % | 36 % | 40 % | 43 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 97′ | Curiosity | 57 % | 41 % | 43 % | 40 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 103′ | Love | 64 % | 51 % | 51 % | 35 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 109′ | Sadness | 71 % | 60 % | 63 % | 33 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 116′ | Sadness | 75 % | 65 % | 68 % | 24 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 122′ | Love | 72 % | 65 % | 63 % | 17 % |
Cinderella
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
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Premise onlyAfterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
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Cast
Ping
Jing
Ed Bloom (age 10)
Jenny (age 8)
Will Bloom (age 6-8)
Details
- Directed by
- Tim Burton
- Written by
- John August, Daniel Wallace
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2003
- Runtime
- 125 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Empathy
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
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