So in that final moment, whatever flaws he had, whatever mistakes he made and in whatever ways he couldnt love himself enough, he lived a life redeemed, because he gave everything to save his daughter.. The love and connection that Charlie gives Ellie is a gift, and hopefully she will remain true to her voice and herself in a way that he gave up on, said Hal Brooks, who directed the Denver premiere. The Whale was filmed in New York State, primarily at a studio in Newburgh, New York, which is a city in New York's Hudson Valley region. His father wanted him to leave when he found out he was a stoner. The lights snap to black. Many theater makers say that breath could very well be his last inhale, after which he is finally freed from the pains of his body, his loneliness, his grief. Even though she is angry, she loves him. You want that last second to be a combination of incredible pain and incredible triumph because, however briefly it is that they connect, its still an achievement for him., Ellie says terrible, devastating things to Charlie throughout the whole thing, but he loves her so much that it doesnt even hurt him, said Matthew Arkin, who played Charlie at South Coast Repertory. On the last day of his life, Liz returns to Charlie to take care of him. The essayist also feels for Ahab because he thinks his life will be better if he kills the whale, but it will never help him and Charlie relates to both characters. Mary comes with Liz when she hears about Ellie hanging out with Charlie and is shocked to see his appearance. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. After an incident where he refuses to go to the hospital as he is broke, his only friend and nurse, Liz announces that he will die soon, maybe even in the same week. Within these confined spaces, the actors who played Charlie each wearing body suits weighing anywhere from 30 to 100 pounds charted his arc physically and emotionally. They spend a few days getting to know each other, though Ellie rarely pulls back on her anger toward him and even gives him Ambien to knock him out. While his life has not physically ended in that moment, I think that he knows he doesn't need to live any longer, which is why he takes off his breather, he's got her reading the essay, and he does take to his feet like three Olympic dead-lifters, takes his baby steps to his baby, and in that beautiful two-shot, a great white light appears, and they look skyward. The following contains spoilers from the movie The Whale, now playing in theaters. The Whale trailer cr. I just need Charlie to know that Ellie was grateful for his love. If the serene seaside scene confused you, youre not alone: That final flashback was a surprise to playwright and screenwriter Samuel D. Hunter, as director Darren Aronofsky tacked it on without discussing it with him. Turns out, the partner was none other than Charlie. Your email address will not be published. PUBLIC She's torturing him a little bit. Fraser explains his interpretation of what the last exchange between Charlie and Ellie (Sadie Sink) means for both characters: "He's liberated.". (Get it? EASIA Choosing to stay or leave, both paths are complicated and tragic in their own ways, but ultimately, I think Charlie took the more hopeful route, and chose to look for the salvation one can find through human connection., Your email address will not be published. The movie itself isn't particularly oblique, nor is the ending that ambiguous despite its artistic license. Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Reactive strip developed to quickly and easily detect and quantify allergens in foods, Pictures of the week: Thousands of penguins, the winter solstice and Christmas wild swimmers. During one of her visits, Ellie drugs Charlie and while he's asleep Thomas arrives, and the two bond over a joint. The movie version of "The Whale" ends with a breath, a bright light and a beach. That night, Charlie recites the essay by heart which describes Moby Dick, the whale as a poor big animal. final week of a 600-pound man, who has isolated himself from the world, and is now facing imminent death due to health issues caused by his weight. It also could be considered in a metaphorical way, mimicking how whales immerse themselves for so long underwater and then they finally come up to the surface, said Schultz, or a deep intake of breath before diving in somewhere theyve never gone before, said Shuler Hensley, who played Charlie in the New York run as well as a London staging in 2018. Have something to tell us about this article? Ellie secretly records his confession. Audiences are now able to watch The Whale, the drama that is being billed as Brendan Fraser 's career-defining performance. There was a problem. The movie sees Fraser play an English teacher named Charlie who is suffering from severe obesity and is told if his unhealthy ways go unchecked it could ultimately kill him. As the narrative develops we discover that Charlie is gay and began to spiral into obesity after his former lover and student Alan died. 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MLB Thomas visits one last time and shows Charlie a Bible passage highlighted in Alans old Bible. Throughout The Whale, Charlie is visited by his estranged and troubled daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink) and his frustrated ex-wife, Mary (Samantha Morton), both of whom Charlie abandoned when he ended his marriage and came out as gay; Liz (Hong Chau), a conflicted caregiver who is also the sibling of Charlies late lover; and Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a fundamentalist missionary who is far from home. But Thomas left because he didnt like how his church worked, simply handing out pamphlets. The film, surprisingly to some, missed out on Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay; The Whale's source material is a 2012 play of the same name. 'Yellowstone' Return Date Info, When Does The Next New Episode of 'Yellowstone' Air on Paramount Network? Adapted from Samuel D. Hunter's play, "The Whale" is the story of an English teacher who is suffering from an eating disorder and other unresolved issues in his life. When Liz arrives and sees this (with Ellie's mom), she learns that Charlie convinced Ellie to spend time with him by offering the money. YouTube/A24 Over the course of The Whale, we learn that Charlie ended his. The following contains spoilers from the movie The Whale, now playing in theaters. The Whale Ending Explained#thewhale #thewhalea24 #a24Indiegogo Linkhttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/minced-meatMake sure to like this video, subscribe to o. Charlie and Mary talk about their life and marriage. . Brendan Fraser stars in the film adaptation of The Whale.. The Whale A24 'The Whale' ending explained as Brendan Fraser breaks down that heartbreaking final scene between Charlie and Ellie. The movie version of The Whale ends with a breath, a bright light and a beach. Hes not advocating anything, hes just writing what he believes is true., These characters and their concerns are similar to those in Hunters other plays, which tackle subjects fundamental to Greek tragedy: the limitation of humanitys vision, the place of religion in society and the desperate longing for relief from the lonely uncertainty of life, wrote Times critic Charles McNulty when Hunter received the MacArthur genius grant in 2014. By Kyle Buchanan. He also offers to pay her to spend time with himall the money he has, which is over $100,000. In an interview with Digital Spy, the writer talked . As written in Hunters script, the stage directions of that breath simply read, A sharp intake of breath. He asks her to make sure Ellie grows up to be a good person but she leaves without promising it. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Read on for an analysis of The Whale plot summary and ending explained, including what happens at the end of The Whale, and whether Charlie dies. In reality, he is ashamed of his appearance as an obese, 600-pound man. Fans Fuming Over Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings' Hosting Schedules: "I Want Ken Full-Time". The last visual shows the sun shining, the tide rising and falling, and a younger, slimmer version of the lead. So when some of them finally do, its gorgeous and almost magical.. His ex-wife Mary (played by Samantha Mortin) doesnt want him to see Ellie either, but he perseveres and maintains hes sorry about being such an absent and neglectful father. At that moment, a New Life missionary, Thomas comes knocking and Charlie begs him to read the essay for him. Everything You Need to Know About Credit Scores and Personal Loans, Plus500 Tutorial: A Step by Step Guide to Get Started, A Closer Look at SolarWinds IT Management Software and Observability, 10 Reasons Why Project Management Software is Essential for Every Business, The 6 Best Asset Management Software of 2022, Comparing ConnectWise Automate and ConnectWise Manage. The last visual shows the sun . Instead of being welcoming, his students are repulsed, leading him to throw his laptop against the fridge. The film slowly builds to a key moment for the father-daughter pair, after Charlie spends most of the movie defending Ellie's sporadic outbursts and prickly, wounded disposition particularly to his longtime caregiver and friend, Liz (Hong Chau). After Liz coaxes Charlie back to consciousness, she finds out that Charlie, despite his protests about hospital bills, does, in fact, have money. She's cross, she's angry for the sadness she feels, and that's how this 17-year-old brilliant kid comports herself. 4 Feb 2023. The moviewhich is now available to purchase on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Videois a relentlessly uncomfortable and cruel two hours documenting the (spoiler alert!) The intention is that, by the time Charlie shares that hes giving his life savings to Ellie, and endures great pain to stand up and walk toward her as she reads her Moby Dick essay aloud to him, the audience would feel the overwhelming fulfillment Charlie gets during his final breath in the play. companies They didnt know what to do, whether to applaud or get up or move because theyve become so connected to Charlie.. As written in Hunters script, the stage directions of that breath simply read, A sharp intake of breath. As we delve into how it ends, be forewarned: spoilers for The Whale follow. Charlie reveals he used the essay Ellie wrote when she was eight about Moby-Dick. Maybe hes clinging to that essay because the final line, written by Ellie, confirms that he did. A24 YouTube The Whale ending explained. Another visitor of Charlies is Thomas, a door-to-door missionary from an evangelical church called New Life. Instead, he attempts to reconnect with his daughter Ellie, who he left when she was just 8 years old when Charlie came out of the closet and began living with his new partner. What matters is that hes connected with Ellie, hes done the thing that hes been trying to do throughout this entire play, and that connection feels real and genuine. But the endings overall effect echoes the final moment of its source material, which actors and directors whove staged the popular play consider to be a release that, when performed, feels communal and generally satisfying for the audience in the room. When we first see Charlie, he gets some kind of attack while he is jerking off to porn. As for whether Hunter feels Charlie is actually walking in the final shot, he says it's open for interpretation. 4,515, This story has been shared 3,273 times. Adam Magill, left, and Nicholas Pelczar in The Whale at the Bay Areas Marin Theatre Company in 2014. Thomas also wants to be redeemed by bringing Charlie back to religion and puts forth tremendous effort to do so. Ellie, too, returns just as Charlie faces his final hours, to rebuke him for changing the essay he promised he'd write for her. When asked about the ending, Hunter didnt clarify Charlies status because, he said, its not necessarily relevant. The character is an amalgamation of Hunters past lives: as a closeted gay kid attending a fundamentalist Christian school in rural Idaho, a depressed adult who silently self-medicated with food, and an expository writing instructor for college freshmen (the pieces heartbreakingly honest line I think I need to accept that my life isnt going to be very exciting is an actual submission from one of Hunters students). The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. It is later revealed that the essay was written by his daughter, Ellie. Still, Ellie remains skeptical of Charlie during most of the film's running time. The Whale is based on a play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter, and Aronofsky's adaptation does a good job of reflecting the intimacy of a stage performance. Numerous stagings of The Whale accentuate the pressure-cooker effect by designing Charlies living room, where the entirety of the play unfolds, with an extra sense of claustrophobia or isolation. Charlie tells Liz that he believe Ellie ratted Thomas out because she wanted to help him, because, people are amazing. Ellie storms into the house, angry with Charlie because she failed her essay assignment. Liz returns and reconciles with Charlie, spending time with him as he nears his seemingly inevitable death. All rights reserved. Hunter doesnt shy away from any of the issues the characters are dealing with but doesnt bury you in [them] either, said Martin Benson, who directed a 2013 staging at South Coast Repertory. 2023 TheReviewGeek. says the actress. The next day, Liz confirms that Charlie's time is almost up. Thomas reveals he ran away from home after stealing money from his youth group; Ellie secretly records the confession. For example, the 2014 Bay Area run raised the Marin Theater Company stage by four feet and angled Charlies ceiling so that, from the audiences perspective, the character appeared to dominate the space in a way that intimidated the people who visited him, said Director Jason Minadakis. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Fraser gave his interpretation on the . Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. He confesses to Ellie that he is almost out of money, but is too afraid to go home. A24. The Whale opens in US theaters everywhere on Wednesday, December 21st 2022. ASXPAC The Interest Of Love Episode 16 Recap, Review & Ending Explained, Crash Course in Romance Episode 9 Recap & Review. When I started writing The Whale, I think it all just came pouring out of me.. Please refresh the page and try again. Within these confined spaces, the actors who played Charlie each wearing body suits weighing anywhere from 30 to 100 pounds charted his arc physically and emotionally. As the narrative develops we discover that Charlie is gay and began to spiral into obesity after his former lover and student Alan died. Brendan Fraser stars in the film adaptation of "The Whale.". There is Liz (Hong Chau), Charlies nurse friend who cares for him. How the Government Can Help You Market Your Idea with a Loan, Top 10 Inventor Loans + Financing Tips Expert Guide. Brendan Fraser stars in the film adaptation of The Whale.. With the church being his life, it got to him as Alan did not eat or sleep in his last few days. WE. He tells his students to throw away their thesis and write him something honest. Maybe he was thinking about what would happen if he stayed in that marriage: Ellie would have grown up with a closeted father, [his lover] Alan would have been miserable and, as Liz points out, would have probably died way before he did when he was with Charlie, Hunter continued. The full essay is never read in the movie and always cuts off before that final line. Because the movie is so bleak, I choose to interpret it as Ellie feeling grateful for both her mother and her father, who love her. ", "He's struggling this entire film to put a mirror up to his daughter to say, 'This is who you are,' and in those final moments, that mirror is this essay," Hunter explains. Its revealed that Ellie has demons of her own and has been bullying people online. China 2023 ArticulateToday. Hes just been saving all of it to give to Ellie. Pouring out of money, but is too afraid to go home his. Nicholas Pelczar in the final shot, he stands and walks towards her ( which was. 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