Criticism of the Criticism of The Whale.

A glum ocean, a dying vessel, isolation, severed connections, an estranged calf, and one obnoxiously positive whale.

I recommend listening to Amore Mio Aiutami by Piero Piccioni while reading this, as I did the same while writing the bulk of it. youtube.com/watch?v=ohKN47N6VAg

It was the day of the Oscars, and while I’ve never watched the show in its entirety, this year I had the urge to go online and see the winners of the awards usually published by the Guardian or BBC or some other news site. 

Everything everywhere all at once was winning a lot of awards, my liking for Angela Bassett went down the drain as I saw her childish and unjustified reaction to Jamie Lee Curtis’s win, Naatu Naatu’s win for Best Original Song shocked me as I really thought Rihanna’s ‘Lift me Up’ would be receiving it, and Ke Huy Quan’s win + heartfelt and emotional acceptance speech brought up feelings of sheer happiness and empathy I hadn’t felt in a while.

Overall, despite the lack of knowledge and experience that I have regarding the Oscars, I got the feeling that this year was a…… good one. From my little perception, it seemed to have returned to really appreciating the business and the art of film over all the other things people have come to value. Now, I don’t know much about the Oscars and their history both good and troubled, but I know how easy it is for the influence of a crowd or influence from people of powerful stature to sway and corrupt what is originally wholesomely intended events in order to satisfy the wants of greedy humans and things like popularity contests. As well as intentional snubs usually motivated by clouded ethics. Personally, one trend that specifically disappoints me is how they’ve made a habit of turning a blind eye to acknowledge and award accolades to remarkable horror movies, however, that’s a conversation for another day. But truthfully from an outsider’s gut feel, I felt this was an Oscar’s for redemption. Next year may go to the dogs again, but alas there was 2023.

One thing that stood out to me on the night was Brendan Fraser’s win for best actor in The Whale. The Whale was a movie I had been wanting to see although didn’t know much about. Something about it drew me…I knew I wanted to watch it when I heard the name and read the Wikipedia summary. I blame my magnetism towards depressing things. 

I had heard of Brendan Fraser’s name previously but didn’t know much about him except for the fact that he was in The Mummy. I had become quite interested in who he was, and for the next couple of days after the Oscars, I began looking up clips of him on youtube from both his films and interviews. 

A couple of weeks after his win I caught influenza for the 3rd time in my lifetime. I was bed and sofa ridden for a week, and it was probably the worst experience I’ve had with the flu out of 3. They say sleep is the most important thing when it comes to curing the flu, but how the f*ck am I supposed to sleep when the flu itself is preventing me from being able to use my nose and breathe? And I refuse to breathe out of my mouth because it gives you a receding chin. (Not if you do it temporarily but I still don’t let myself do it.) Do not fret dear reader there is a reason I’ve brought this up. That reason being, during that week I had heaps of time and little to no brain capacity so I watched both George of the Jungle and The Mummy. Both were good films that I did enjoy. They showcase a personable Brendan Fraser that you can’t help but love and as an actor with good promise. But that brilliant actor that I recognize from The Whale wasn’t there in those movies nor in the career he had going in the 90’s and early 2000s. He was without a doubt a good actor but those movies had not utilized him to the extent of his acting ability. Not that that was a bad thing, because they are little gems in cinema that I would not have wanted to see played by another actor in any other way. What I am getting at though is how I think it can be definitively said that the Brendan of the time was only capable of such roles. 

He probably had to be blacklisted by Hollywood, had to go through that groping by former president, Philip Berk of the Hollywood foreign press, go through a grueling and taxing divorce, face repercussions of physical harm from movie roles where he pushed himself too far, and have that overall decade long dry spell to have given as much of an amazing performance and have this Brenaissance as people are calling it. 

I questioned myself on whether I wanted to list his troubles as I didn’t want to rehash the pain of his past as it isn’t that relative to what I’m speaking on now, but it also dawned how it may not be clear to everyone what exactly it was that made him seemingly disappear as it wasn’t only Hollywood who blacklisted him. The whole world just kind of forgot about Brendan Fraser, leaving him as a figure of the 90s. It hurts to write those words because he is just the sort of person that you wish no harm would ever come to. 

When in a situation with a person who carries a soul-shattering history(not to discredit probably 98% of the population on earth who this also applies), learning to embrace grace and gratitude for how events of the past have changed you is very important. But also know, you don’t have to be dealt sh*t cards to be deserving of praise and respect or to be able to play a perfect execution of a character like Charlie(The Whale) and have your Brenaissance.

Coming Across Miss Lindy’s Article

Amalie: (Searches up The Whale, her eyes shift across the screen to a news article)

‘The Whale is not a masterpiece - it’s a joyless, harmful fantasy of fat squalor’

I had only read two paragraphs into this article when I had objections rapidly rolling up in my head that began leaking out of my mouth that I had to put my words down somewhere. I verbalize my thoughts out loud a lot and I won’t hide from the fact that I often speak to myself; In a manner as if someone else were there. And when I say things that I would like to remember I write them in my notes app. I’d like to include those initial notes. Mind you, it is something that I would most definitely reword if I had to turn it into something presentable and perhaps 1% of it doesn’t quite hold to how I would respond at the current present so just… brace yourself. I give you my pure response that day, brashness and all. 

theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/10/lindy-west-on-the-whale

“It doesn’t have to be fun, or funny, or deep, it’s a story. And the deepness is for the individual to create and see for themselves. This movie isn’t even about fat people, if you think it was then you clearly missed the point or refused to pay attention. You know, I think you probably went into watching this movie with already closing your mind off to what its purpose is despite convincing yourself you’re finally giving it a shot. You already decided it wasn’t funny and that it was a mockery plus a reflection of how society views fat people as individuals. You didn’t see it as it is. You’re blinded by your sensitivity and close-mindedness. 

It’s through storytelling, about characters of life from all mediums that we learn a little more, how to be a little more creative, and perceptive of the world we live in. We become a little more understanding, and a little more enlightened. And we carry these stories. We share them, we enjoy and relish in them. Because they are beautiful if you are brave enough to see the beauty. 

It’s moving. And stories have the power to humble us. It’s pretty amazing that they can do that. While their effect is probably just a placebo based on what millions of years of humanity has taught us to be meaningful, I like to believe the people who want the truth and learn to not tolerate and cut out biased views and false ideologies far outweigh the ones who do. 

If not hope, what do we have?

In a world where everything is man-made, we can return to nature, and what is truly real. Our emotions for others, our connections, our bonds. Our care for people outside of ourselves, and outside of what we have convinced ourselves to think is best. 

This topic goes deep. And the more I talk about it, the more it unravels, and the more it ravels again. You can’t define this, you just need to grow yourself as a person, become better each day, have a little passion, and devotion, and apply it to contexts of daily life when they face you. You don’t need to chase the fight. You just need to show you can be there to defend it when it comes to you. 

We can gain this ability through storytelling like the whale. It wasn’t made to offend you, it wasn’t targeted at you. It’s just a story. 

Don’t lash out at society for things that shouldn’t offend you because you’re falling apart.

I can say this and I haven’t even watched the damn movie. Yet. But I am waiting in excitement for the day that I do. Whether I gain nothing or everything. 

Oh my god, you are so insecure. I understand people have different body types. Every person's body is different. For some, it is incredibly hard for them to lose weight and for some, it is near impossible to gain weight. Some people have wider hips, love handles, big rib cages, and it is all perfect because it belongs to you, each beautiful individual. I love it all. I’m sorry you’ve had a bad experience with people that made you feel you weren’t ok, but that’s not the whole world. You should learn and know that. And there is a line where that fatness crosses into obesity; Which is a medical condition that affects your health, your actions, your thoughts, your life, and then ultimately your family and the people around you. Obesity is a symptom of something deeper that perplexes and stirs with the dark emotions you hold within you. And nobody is there to define how people become obese, or that people that are obese are one way. Nobody thinks that. Let me rephrase, nobody worthwhile thinks that. I’ve had my own issues with my body. I used to over-exercise every day, sometimes at 1:00 in the morning because I thought I was fat. I hated my body and the way I looked. I was chasing a body type that I would never have. I became quite agile, and my legs looked nice in jeans but my head hurt all the time, and I was living on autopilot. Looking back at my body, I really wasn’t fat. I weigh more now than I did then, but I don’t have that harsh complex and intense, VERY intense cruelty towards my body. I couldn’t tell you what it feels like to be so scared when you feel you’ve gained weight and you’re in that mindset. It is crippling. It’s so scary, you’re head just rushes as you feel the butterflies invade as you’re falling out of the sky with the weight of the entire world on you. It’s terrifying. Like your stomach is being ripped, and you must instantly at that moment drop everything you’re doing and do hardcore cardio. Jumping up and down, imagining the fat is falling off with each high knee, and run you take. You stay in this flustered state until you feel thin again, which usually comes the next day or the day after that. And you don’t know how hard it is to refuse food from everyone. Decorating cookies with your friends, and not eating a single one. Grabbing snacks out of the pantry, chewing them up for the flavor, and spitting them in the garbage can. Eating a peach for breakfast, two cooked egg whites for lunch, apples with peanut butter as a snack, and zucchini noodles for dinner.

I still don’t fully love my body, but I am getting used to it. I am still a teenager and I still have yet to grow to what you could call my “full potential”, speaking form and physical wise. 

I wasn’t in the same situation as exemplified in The Whale, but I did have moments of weakness in binge eat’s followed by guilt(my concept of binge eating wasn’t even a binge), followed by overexercise that got so hard to the point I had an inconsistent period that would be lost for 2-3 months at a time, and for the first time ever I hives break out on my body that got worse when I slept. And this happened because there was something in me that I hadn’t faced and wasn’t figuring out. But I also don’t blame myself because I was very young, and I think it was a part of the stages of me growing up. So I don’t know what it’s like to be an adult and still go through a stage like this, but I am very fortunate to have good people around me. And live in my own bubble world, take school for an example where the people around me are mainly very smart human beings capable of individual thought and treat others kindly. (They have their own kinds of drama within their own closer groups but that’s also part of their growing process, but the most important part is that to people outside of that closer group, the majority are very kind. Some are still a little annoying and have a sheep mentality but that’s by the by) I was very stuck and very lost, and very focused on a linear view that didn’t consider things that actually mattered. Because I didn’t know any better as a 13-year-old. I am 17 now, and I’ve come a long way in what feels like a short period of time. Yet, I can look back and laugh, still feel a little of the hurt, and know that there’s still more to come. 

But back to YOU. I don’t want you to take this in the wrong way, but there is a point where being fat isn’t ok. There is a point where you aren’t just thick-bodied but you are neglecting your wellbeing. And you can try to justify that by putting the label body positivity on it. And you can try blaming the world for how they marginalize, generalize, and misunderstood you for being fat, but in reality, you are doing that to yourself. Get your head out of the sand, and hold yourself accountable. Question yourself. Not based on things other people do that hurt your feelings, but on things that sell you short as a growing human being. In other words, question the things that stunt your growth and that stop you from taking care of yourself. Taking care of yourself is often misunderstood, and sometimes it means being harsh on yourself. Enforcing a tough love mindset on yourself, but not skimping or forgetting to remember the love part. Or in your case, not forgetting the tough part. I wish you luck, genuinely, in your growth and I hope you seriously consider my words even though you will definitely never read this. 

Open your mind a little, and explore things different from you; it’s scary but it will change you for the better. Or just ignore what I say and call me a bigot, you could always do that. :)”

Review Time

At this point, you may ponder, “You can criticize Lindy all you want, but you haven't even seen the film yourself. It just seems very dishonorable of you.” I agree. How can I criticize without seeing the film for myself? I wouldn’t trust anything I had to say either. 

So I watched it. 

Also am I the only one that reads comments like the one I’ve just written in a Valley girl accent? Only me? Yes? No? 

On a gloomy Saturday, instead of going to prom, I want to go sit in a giant dark room full of people I don’t know. Basically, the same thing as what going to prom would be for me, but with the addition of watching an hour and 57-minute long video about a dying morbidly obese guy.

I was jittery with excitement during the upcoming days when I could finally taxi up to Toho Cinemas in Roppongi to watch The Whale with my mommy. The rain was complementary to the day; It poured oceans outside the glass walls of the theater I have been to over a hundred times. It was sort of like I had entered the ocean to see a Whale. That was a poor effort at a metaphor. 

We get one large bucket of popcorn, no caramel because I don’t really like it. I remind my mom that she is not allowed to eat the popcorn during the trailers because of how repeatedly in history I noticed it will always be more than halfway gone by the time the movie starts. My mom gets a Coke, and I get oolong tea. I also get a cinnamon churro which influences my mom to get one as well so we’re matching. I know it may sound wild but the churro at Toho Cinemas is a staple for me at movies. Who would’ve thought, a movie theater in Tokyo sells genuinely fantastic churros.

I brought out my Jinbesan note paper, and a blue pencil with a dolphin eraser tip before the theater got dark where I wouldn’t be able to find them and dig them out of my bag. 

I swear on Toho Cinema's churros, the Jinbesan notebook was a complete coincidence and was the closest notepad I could find. I did not purposely try to keep an ocean theme. The same thing goes for the blue dolphin pencil. If you don’t know, Jinbesan is a Japanese character of a whale shark.

(The lights go out)

(Amalie straightens her posture, pencil in hand. She is ready to write blindly, but tries to remind herself to just watch the film as well)

Note 1:

Beautiful music

He keeps his camera off (He is an English teacher, who teaches an online college course)

Masturbation

Rain

The sweat on his back sort of looks like a whale's tail

Blood pressure 238/134

Note 2:

He’s so kind

Went to partner's room and smelled the air (His boyfriend died of suicide, reason for his weight gain)

“Who would want me to be a part of their life?”

Note 3:

Poor Liz

His money is only for Ellie(estranged daughter he left at 8, attempting to reconnect), who doesn’t even like him

Positivity

Can’t laugh without nearly dying

Note 4:

Mary(ex-wife) talks about how Ellie’s evil

She kept her from him because she was scared he would think she was a bad mother 

Note 5:

Tell’s him he’s gonna die

He doesn’t think he’s worth nothing

Note 6:

“There’s stuff in the fridge for sandwiches”

“But I’m only making you a small one. And I’m only using turkey. No mayo.”

“You’re perfect Ellie”

She’s so reckless (Ellie)

Note 7:

“Think about the truth of your argument”

“Write what you really think”

It’s like he’s talking to me

Note 8:

Redemption

Light (At the beginning of the film it was only rainy outside, towards the end the sun was shining)

I hear sniffles in the audience. 

(This is big for a Japanese audience. If I was in a foreign country, people would be audibly balling and screaming their lungs out. Sniffles is the Japanese equivalent. That’s really all the evidence you need to know if a film was effective or not. Show it to a Japanese audience.)

Before my own review, while not necessarily fun to read or fitting in with the flow of a good creative nonfiction piece, I need to reiterate I only offer a review. I will not be detailing every scene of the film, just an evaluation of the validity of the controversy that has arisen around this movie. I do ask that you watch The Whale yourself, whenever it comes to the screens of Netflix or Apple TV. If you hate it, you may question who I am as a person, and completely ghost me if you’d like. I know in myself that I like this film. And I’m ready to defend it.

A common thread throughout the movie, Charlie encourages his students to write something honest. So that’s what I’m gonna do.

WHY THE WHALE IS MISUNDERSTOOD

rogerebert.com/reviews/the-whale-movie-review-2022

I read a Roger Ebert review of The Whale. Of course, it is not written by Ebert himself as he’s dead, this was instead written by Christy Lemire who has been writing for Ebert’s site since 2013. She gave the film a whopping 1.5 stars and a review that had points I agree with but an overall conclusion(that I feel all critics in opposition share) that is based on what I think is an overcomplicated, ill-considered, and imprecise view influenced by 21st-century PC culture. 

It’s also funny how every single article I found in opposition to The Whale was written by critics whom you could consider overweight. Around 90% of the critics fit into the category of being overweight. Isn’t that a coincidence? It does raise the question of potential bias.

“In theory, we are meant to pity him or at least find sympathy for his physical and psychological plight by the film's conclusion. But in reality, the overall vibe is one of morbid fascination for this mountain of a man. Here he is, knocking over an end table as he struggles to get up from the couch; there he is, cramming candy bars in his mouth as he Googles "congestive heart failure." We can tsk-tsk all we like between our mouthfuls of popcorn and Junior Mints while watching Fraser's Charlie gobble greasy fried chicken straight from the bucket or inhale a giant meatball sub with such alacrity that he nearly chokes to death. The message "The Whale" sends us home with seems to be: Thank God that's not us.”- Christy Lemire, from Roger Ebert's site

I completely understand what she is saying. But when I watched the film, I did not get a sense of “Thank god that’s not me”. 

I find a mark of a good film is, you are left thinking about it till long after the movie ends. And it prompts opportunities for other deep thought. That is how in my experience The Whale affected me. Not once did I genuinely think during the movie, thank god that’s not me. I was sorry for him and the other humans who have a reality similar to this and learned of the importance for humankind to appreciate the ones who love you and keep them close. Additionally how maintaining human connection and relationships is something we brush off in moments of short-lived temptation. And how when life throws you down different roads, this is not a pass to forget and neglect those who are important to you. You must make an effort in your relationships and remember who’s truly there for you. It made me analyze who I could be neglecting in my life. 

It is a depressing film. But the reality is things are not happy all the time. And people who say there are no insights to be gained from this film with “bad vibes”, are looking very one-dimensionally 

Another point of controversy for a lot of people was the complaint that Brendan Fraser himself is not an obese person, and that no fat people had gone into the making of this movie. 

What a weak argument, let me shatter it.

The Whale actually worked with the OAC (Obesity Action Coalition)to raise awareness for the cause and sort of warrant that the role of Charlie would be realistic, respectful, and accurate as there are people that live with obesity. 

”A psychologist specializing in obesity care suggested A24 producers reach out to OAC, and they did. Before the film was shot, a core group of OAC volunteers affected by obesity spoke with Director Darren Aronofsky and lead actor Brendan Fraser about the realities of living with severe obesity. We shared the significant physical, emotional, and social impacts of obesity, and we see that insight reflected in many of Charlie’s (Brendan Fraser) movements, actions, and emotions throughout the film. We also shared our concerns with the inaccurate and disrespectful ways media usually portrays people of size and the resulting harm to people with obesity.

In addition, OAC has continued to engage with A24, briefing them on weight bias and advising on media around the movie to ensure that all messages, images, and language used are respectful and not stigmatizing.”

There is also something to say about how every single person I’ve seen criticize the Whale, also make sure to make a point to say “But Brendan Fraser is innocent though”. That is an actual quote from an actual tweet.

You criticize the movie for being fatphobic, and that the use of fat suits shouldn’t be allowed because fat people's identities are not thin people’s costumes. Then no matter who the actor is, wouldn't it be your moral responsibility to hold them accountable for things you consider incorrect? You’re flaking out and making exceptions to your own belief here. 

Brendan Fraser is an actor. That is the job. You play something you are not to portray a story. Why does this have to be explained? And in this case, this story happened to star a very fat man, but he was not made to be the butt of a joke but another human being with a sad life that extended far beyond being overweight.

Obesity is not an exclusive experience for a certain group of people. It can happen to any human regardless of race, or situation, and it doesn’t take a fat person to understand or be able to portray it in an informed manner. The writer Samuel D. Hunter himself grew up as an overweight gay kid. It is possible for a human being to understand the experiences of another. You don’t have to be fat to portray a character like Charlie in the whale.

And let’s face it, if this movie wasn’t made, you’d be complaining that Hollywood is fatphobic because they don’t make movies about or with fat people as leads. 

This movie actually excelled in humanizing fat people to those who may not do so. From what this film did, the next time a lot more people see a fat person they will think twice about extending a little more empathy towards this person, and think about what they may have gone through. You’ll see them as a person, who is more than just fat. Isn’t that the goal?  What would be ideal when it comes to the judgment and stigma of fat people? What are you fighting for?

To wrap this up,

Is The Whale a compelling story?

Yes

Was I interested?

Yes

Did I leave the theater feeling something?

Yes

Do the ethical concerns people have arisen have real cause for concern?

Not a f*cking chance. 🖕

(FIN)