Big Fish

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Big Fish

PG-13

2004

2h 5m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

214 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

When Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) becomes ill, his son, William (Billy Crudup), travels to be with him. William has a strained relationship with Edward because his father has always told exaggerated stories about his life, and William thinks he's never really told the truth. Even on his deathbed, Edward recounts fantastical anecdotes. When William, who is a journalist, starts to investigate his father's tales, he begins to understand the man and his penchant for storytelling.

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Critics Consensus

A charming father-and-son tale filled with typical Tim Burton flourishes, Big Fish is an impressive catch.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Mar 12, 2018

When it catches fire, this great-looking movie offers hilarious diversions. And as father and son struggle toward a hard-won reconciliation, Big Fish reveals its beating heart.

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Will Self

London Evening Standard

Jan 9, 2018

Big Fish really belongs to Albert Finney, who proves that when it comes to large performances there is no one who can quite match a British Shakespearean with good camera sense.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 22, 2010

4/5

Delightful, sad father-son story for teens and up.

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

Jul 12, 2025

With its unabashed love of Wilderian small-town Americana — and the signature Burton macabre elements lurking beneath it — Big Fish ranks among the best of Tim Burton’s filmography.

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Paul Klein

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

Jul 4, 2024

4/5

That melancholy mutes much of it so as the film goes to an idyllic town, a bank robbery, dances, and a circus, it never actually turns into something like Batman Returns or Beetlejuice

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Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Sep 20, 2021

4.5/5

Tim Burton's lone outstanding, heartfelt film of the last two decades may not seem like a natural fit with his horror-tinged oeuvre. But in some ways it's his most intimate, personal movie.

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Yasir H

@Yasir_Hasan 16 hrs ago

It’s a very good movie The main actors were great The dialogue was good Paul Thomas Andetson did a good joob

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Alfredo P

@RT03403867 3 days ago

This is one incredible movie that would reflect the lives to all father and sons. Big Fish has so much going on from the father's past life that has so much emotion and excitement. Just hearing the stories (whether anyone can or can't believe it) really shows that anyone can have a creative side that makes these kinds of feelings happen.

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Alana M

@AlanaM 4 days ago

A love letter to fathers, sons, tall tales, and the beautiful stories we tell to make sense of this crazy ride called life. Tim Burton builds a world where imagination has no borders and every stranger has a story worth hearing. Beneath the giants, witches, and impossible adventures is a deeply human tale about love, regret, and the things we leave behind. A reminder that life isn't measured by the facts, but by the magic we bring to the people we love. By the end, you're left wishing you had one more story to hear from your old man.

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Luuxxx T

@alyyxxx Nov 5, 2026

I absolutely adore this film and would highly recommend watching this, with such a bittersweet ending to boot

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K W

@KraigwithaK Oct 14, 2026

Maybe the stories we tell are just another way of saying I love you. And maybe growing up is learning that the truth was never in the details, but in the way someone made the world feel a little bigger, a little stranger, and a little more magical. Some fathers leave behind legends. The lucky ones leave behind wonder.

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Ron J

@RT47696882 Sep 23, 2026

Big Fish is a love letter to fathers, sons, stories, and the space between fact and memory. Edward Bloom turns a life into myth, while his son searches for the man behind the tales. The result is funny, tender, and full of wonder. Its heart comes from the simple truth that stories can reveal what facts cannot. By the end, the tall tales feel less like inventions and more like gifts. Big Fish leaves you with tears, a smile, and a deeper love for the people who shape our stories.

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Tim Burton

Director

Ewan McGregor

Young Edward Bloom

Albert Finney

Edward Bloom

Billy Crudup

Will Bloom

Jessica Lange

Sandra Bloom

Helena Bonham Carter

Jenny

Big Fish: Official Clip - Gigantificationism

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Big Fish: Official Clip - Leaving Spectre

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Big Fish: Official Clip - The Story of My Life

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Big Fish: Official Clip - Always Been a Fool

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Big Fish: Official Clip - Field of Daffodils

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Big Fish: Official Clip - Giant Ambition

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Big Fish: Official Clip - The Witch's Eye

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Big Fish: Official Clip - Time Stands Still

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Synopsis

When Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) becomes ill, his son, William (Billy Crudup), travels to be with him. William has a strained relationship with Edward because his father has always told exaggerated stories about his life, and William thinks he's never really told the truth. Even on his deathbed, Edward recounts fantastical anecdotes. When William, who is a journalist, starts to investigate his father's tales, he begins to understand the man and his penchant for storytelling.

Director: Tim Burton
Producer: Richard D. Zanuck, Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
Screenwriter: John August
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Zanuck Company, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Jinks/Cohen Company
Rating: PG-13 (Some Nudity|Fight|Suggestive Reference)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 9, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $66.3M
Runtime: 2h 5m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo

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