The fabled "Brenaissance", otherwise known as the glorious comeback of beloved actor Brendan Fraser, has really been ramping up in the past few years. While Fraser's return to the spotlight hit a minor speed bump with the historic and shocking cancelation of Batgirl, where he was initially set to join the Dark Knight's coterie of supervillains as Firefly, he still has enjoyed a wealth of successful roles in his comeback. He's still present in the world of DC as Robot Man in the cult favorite Doom Patrol (2019-2022) and had a starring role in the Steven Soderbergh heist drama No Sudden Move (2021). It was also announced earlier this year that Fraser would be joining the already star-studded cast of Martin Scorsese's next film, Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
All those projects are exciting, but in the past few months, there has been one movie in particular that has been the talk of the industry. That movie is The Whale, based on the award-winning stage play of the same name and directed by Academy Award-Nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan). Fraser will take on the lead role of Charlie; a six-hundred-pound suicidal English teacher who's trying to reconnect with his daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink), before he effectively eats himself to death.
The movie made headlines at the 95th Annual Academy Awards taking home two Oscars. Though despite its success, it's been a more difficult movie to find compared to some of the other major contenders. Here's our guide to how you can watch the hard-hitting drama.
Editor's Note: This piece was last updated on March 13, 2023.
Is The Whale Still in Theaters?
Unfortunately, The Whale is no longer in wide release, but it is still playing in select theaters.
You can check out the film's official website to see if there:
Is The Whale on Streaming?
The Whale is now available to purchase on your platform of choice. You can check out the links below to find The Whale on-demand:
Watch the Trailer for The Whale
We finally got our first good, albeit brief, look at The Whale with the release of the first public trailer on November 8, 2022. Being only a minute-long, it is a teaser in every sense of the word, shining a particular spotlight on Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, and Hong Chau.
What Oscars Did The Whale Win?
Brendan Fraser completed his comeback on Sunday, March 12, 2023, when he took home the Oscar for Best Actor over the presumed front-runner Austin Butler for his performance as Elvis.
The film also won Best Makeup & Hairstyling beating out films like The Batman and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The film was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Hong Chau's performance but was beaten by Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
What Is the Plot of The Whale?
The official plot synopsis for 'The Whale' reads as follows:
From Darren Aronofsky comes The Whale , the story of a reclusive English teacher living with severe obesity who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption. Starring Brendan Fraser and based on the acclaimed play by Samuel D. Hunter.
Original play creator Samuel D. Hunter being involved is a good indication that the feature adaptation of The Whale will be quite faithful to the original. Without giving too much away for those who would like to experience the film without knowing too much about the overall storyline, the play features a surprising amount of levity and humor despite obviously taking its topic and subject seriously. That seems to be the case for the film version as well, and other characters besides Charlie and his daughter Ellie, such as Charlie's pessimistic nurse Liz (Hong Chau) and an optimistic Mormon missionary named Elder Thomas (Ty Simpkins).
Other Films Based on Plays You Can Watch Right Now
Fences (2016): Directed by and starring Denzel Washington, Fences is an adaptation of the play from prolific playwright August Wilson. It follows the life of Troy Maxson (Washington); a hard-working but flawed working-class family man whose trying to be a strong husband to his wife, Rose (Viola Davis), and a strong father figure to his son, Cory (Jovan Adepo). That's his goal, but his execution winds up driving a wedge in his family as a whole, further estranging himself from people he will see in his home every single day.
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951): An classic in every sense of the word, A Streetcar Named Desire features two powerhouse performances from masters of their craft. Blanche (Vivien Leigh) is an aging southern belle who moves to New Orleans and in with her sister, Stella (Kim Hunter), and her physically abusive brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando). Leigh and Brando have remarkable chemistry with one another, with Blanche's desire to be young and beautiful pairing extremely well with Stanley's unapologetically vile bravado.
The Boys in the Band (2020): Like The Whale, The Boys in the Band tackles life as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and the challenges one faces for being a part of that community. It follows a group of friends celebrating a birthday party in their cramped apartment, only for it to quickly become an exercise in remembering the past and the painful memories that exist therein. Consisting of a strong ensemble cast including Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Matt Bomer (Doom Patrol), Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon), and more, it successfully displays the pros and cons of being a gay man in America.
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