Is The Whale based on a true story?

After the Oscar win, doubts arose about whether Darren Aronofsky’s film The whale It was based on a true story. The film was met with critical acclaim, especially its incredible lead performance by Brendan Fraser at the center, and had a fascinating story. The whale followed an introverted English teacher named Charlie (Fraser) who lived with severe obesity and was trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink) years after leaving his family for her gay lover. This guilt that Charlie felt about his decision triggered his binge eating and weight gain.

The whale generated controversy despite Fraser’s return, specifically surrounding criticism of dehumanizing fatphobia. Fraser applied digital and practical effects to his performance so he could play a 600-pound man. However, the wave of positivity surrounding Fraser’s Charlie has taken center stage even with these concernswith Fraser receiving a standing ovation after TIFF The whale screening. The ovation brought Fraser to tears, and he said he hoped the film would be “change some hearts and minds” and encourage viewers to become more compassionate. It also raised questions about its inspiration.

The Whale is Based on a Play, Not a True Story

The 2012 play is by Samuel D. Hunter

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 for The whale film, during the play’s original run at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater in Chicago. The film’s plot closely followed that of the play, although there were some advantages to the cinematic format about a theater that Hunter used, including staging scenes on a beach.

Aronofsky wanted to adapt The whale on screen after seeing the play during its original run and meeting its writer, observing NBC that he was especially touched by the line of dialogue, “people are incapable of caring.” What took so long for the film adaptation was his struggle to find someone who could embody Charlie’s humanity. He then came across a trailer for the Brazilian thriller Late night trip starring Fraser and knew he had found his perfect leading man.

The inspirations behind the whale

The story is about human connection

The whale kicked off Fraser’s comeback because of his empathetic performance as a complicated, vulnerable, overweight man. However, It’s not a play or film about obesity, but rather a human connection. This, and the pain, self-loathing, loneliness and guilt fostered without human connection, were Hunter’s inspiration for the play. Hunter, a 2007 graduate of the Iowa Playwrights Workshop, has previously written for television (Baskets), but this ended up being its first film adaptation.

According to Hunter, he drew parallels to his own real-life experience growing up in Moscow, Idaho, when his religious school expelled him after he came out as gay. After entering the public school system, a teacher suggested that he continue writing, so he read poetry and then read Our city and Angels in Americawhich made him fall in love with plays and theater. He started writing The whale after graduating from Julliard while teaching at Rutgers.

Hunter’s work teaching expository writing informed Charlie’s storywhile trying to connect with reluctant teenagers forced to take the course he taught. “It was exactly this struggle to connect with these kids that really gave rise to the play.” He had told his students in that class to do what Charlie did in The Whale: write about something honest and work together to turn it into an essay.

Hunter said he took his own advice and began writing the play as a more personal story. “I attended a religious school, which I had to leave when they discovered I was gay. This resulted in years of depression and self-medication with food,” said Hunter (via The University of Iowa). He admitted that it was difficult to bring this to writers’ groups because it made him vulnerable. However, it worked, won some awards and then Darren Aronofsky wanted to make it into a film.

“It’s a very rare, if not impossibly rare, experience for a screenwriter to have a world-class director preserve their script so faithfully and also be invited to be on set at all times.” .

Hunter said he was struck by the similarity between the film screening and the opening of a play. He said he was anxious, but knew what would happen. “Even though I don’t go to every performance of my plays, I still eagerly await the performance reports,“Hunter said.”With the film, I know exactly what people are getting, which is cool.“

Brendan Fraser won his first Oscar

Fraser won his best actor award

The Golden Globes awarded Austin Butler (Elvis) the Best Actor award over Brendan Fraser, but Fraser was still the Oscar favorite for The whale. True story or not, Fraser delivered an award-worthy performance and made a massive comebackmaking him someone who walked away from the ceremony with the first Oscar win of his career. Fraser’s prize win was not The Whale only Oscar recognition.

Although passed over for Best Picture and Best Director nominations, the film received another acting award when Hong Chau received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance as Charlie’s caretaker, Liz. The whale also deservedly won the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for his work in transforming Fraser into his poignant character.