Oscar-nominated for Best Actor (Brendan Fraser), Best Supporting Actress (Hong Chau), Best Hair & Makeup
The critical hosannas for THE WHALE—and, on particular Brendan Fraser’s gargantuan performance, perhaps the Best Actor Oscar frontrunner—have been…well…large!: “Brendan Fraser is on the march to Oscar. That's how astonishing his acting is in 'The Whale.' Check out his milestone performance in theaters, where his role as a morbidly obese recluse has earned him standing ovations at film festivals from Venice to New York. Fraser, scoring a comeback after making his name in body-beautiful roles in 'George of the Jungle' and 'The Mummy' franchise, has won near universal praise….As expertly directed by Darren Aronofsky ('Black Swan') and written by Samuel D. Hunter from his play of the same name, 'The Whale' never turns away from Charlie's humanity, not even when he seems to be eating himself to death by gorging on pizza, fried chicken and candy bars….In the essay Charlie loves the most, the writer claims that Melville used all the boring descriptions of whales 'to save us from his own sad stories, just for a little while.' And just for a little while – the two hours it takes for 'The Whale' to run a direct path to your heart – Fraser shows us what it means to truly care about people. 'You're amazing,' Charlie tells the daughter who finally sees past his body to find his pain. Fraser is absolutely extraordinary in a tour de force performance that ranges from subtle to shattering and makes 'The Whale' more than essential viewing – it's some kind of miracle”—Peter Travers, People.
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