His wheezing starts getting worse and he has to breathe through an oxygen tank. Brendan Fraser gives a highly-praised performance as Charlie, a 600-pound man who. With a massive effort, Charlie walks toward Ellie. business and industrial sectors She's torturing him a little bit. So it felt like the work on stage would make an amazing experience for people to get to know Charlie.. 'The Whale' ending explained as Brendan Fraser breaks down that heartbreaking final scene between Charlie and Ellie. 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). The melodrama is a heartwrenching tale of Charlie, an English teacher who has let himself go and gotten morbidly obese after the passing of his partner. Its a brilliant ending, because audience members have constantly told me they couldnt breathe afterwards. While one could argue that The Whale ending is up for interpretation, my interpretation is that Charlies feet leaving the ground is a clear metaphor for Charlies body leaving this earth, aka, that he has died of heart failure. Throughout the intimate live piece which is staged without the escape of an intermission all five characters reveal truths to each other and the audience that raise the stakes of their potential bonds. The last visual shows the sun shining, the tide rising and falling, and a younger, slimmer version of the title character, Charlie, staring out into the ocean as his daughter plays in the sand behind him. 954, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), 'Wheel of Fortune' Gets Awkward as Pat Sajak Snaps at Contestant for Grabbing Wheel: "Don't Touch That", 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, New Movies on Streaming: 'The Whale,' 'Knock At The Cabin,' + More, Where Was The Whale Filmed? She tells him to go to the hospital and he says the money is for Ellie. ScienceDaily The final moments of this play and this movie abandon realism a little bit, and its no longer about this guy in this apartment, he explained. Charlie must tie up all loose ends including reaching out to his estranged daughter who is not about to make things simple for him. Likewise, the off-Broadway version strategically lit the space so that it felt as if his room were hovering in this dark void, said director McCallum; the Chicago staging positioned the proscenium like an island in the sea, which was really effective because theyre all alone on their own islands in some ways, with all these barriers to connection, said director Schultz. Even though she is angry, she loves him. And then it has this really cathartic release at the end of the piece a blackout, a sound effect, and a moment where the audience just lived in that silent darkness together.. Editor's Note: The following are spoilers for The Whale. 1,025, This story has been shared 981 times. "Ellie torments him, when she cases him out the fist time she sees him," Fraser observes, noting a specific piece of blocking. It wants to be miraculous, either literally or figuratively, and I think you can watch it either way.". WE. They didnt know what to do, whether to applaud or get up or move because theyve become so connected to Charlie.. The Whale 2022 Ending Explainedthe whale,the whale 2022,the whale 2022 film,the whale trailer,brendan fraser the whale,the whale review,the whale 2022 traile. Nanny orders Rawiri not to tell Koro of this strange incident, as he is not yet ready to accept Kahu's special status. Offers may be subject to change without notice. He asks her to make sure Ellie grows up to be a good person but she leaves without promising it. Or is she glad her dad left her when he did, to spare her his sad story? Hes the whale!). 'Mandalorian' Funko Pops up to 77% Off Baby Yoda and More for Season 3, Who Plays the Armorer in 'The Mandalorian'? Every night, it was a journey, and it wasnt easy to watch or to perform, recalled Tom Alan Robbins, who starred at the 2012 world premiere in Denver. Did she write that she was glad family, perhaps? | Credit: A24 "Ellie torments him, when she cases him out the fist time. Please refresh the page and try again. The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. As Thomas reads it, Charlie calms down and says he wanted to hear it one last time as he thought he was dying. Despite this, Charlie is adamant that he will not go to the hospital, saying he can't afford it. Jennifer Christopher as Ellie and Matthew Arkin as Charlie in The Whale at Costa Mesas South Coast Repertory in 2013. He also has an estranged daughter, Ellie (Stranger Things' Sadie Sink) whose rebellious nature and indifference to school causes tension between her and her mother, Charlie's ex-wife Mary (The Walking Dead's Samantha Morton). What to Watch is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. NAME Mary had sent it to him and he apologizes for leaving Ellie and describes her and the essay as amazing. That scene, Fraser says, is key to understanding the film's conclusion, which brings Ellie and Charlie together for a genuine connection, as she reads the essay aloud. In the meantime, Ellie says she hates Charlie and leaves with the essay he wrote for her. The melodrama is a heartwrenching tale of Charlie, an English teacher who has let himself go and gotten morbidly obese after the passing of his partner. Whether Charlie dies at the end of The Whale is up for debate. PUBLIC Yes, the final scene sees Charlie pass away as a result of his unhealthy and dangerous habits, his heart finally giving out. Theres this apotheosis that happens, and in the film, Charlie literally ascends off the ground.. Liz is frustrated that Charlie did not choose to use this money for his medical expenses. ASXPAC Through the course of the film, he is visited by several recurring characters. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. BA1 1UA. Thomas the missionary returns to Charlies home because he believes he was sent by God at the exact right moment to help Charlie. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Fraser gave his interpretation on the . SOCI 4,515, This story has been shared 3,273 times. 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. Bath 5 Reasons Why Webex is the #1 Choice for Businesses ? In the end, Charlie goes downhill when the delivery man, Dan, who always asks Charlie how he's doing when he leaves his food at the door, sees his obese self. review In reality, he is ashamed of his appearance as an obese, 600-pound man. Darren AronofskyX WHALE has already proven to be one of the most controversial films of the year, which isn't all that surprising given Aronofsky's history in making controversial projects.Bye Brendan Fraser received widespread acclaim for its powerful performance of the overweight Professor Charlie, the film was seen as "fat . Brendan Fraser plays a reclusive English teacher suffering from compulsive eating disorder who attempts to reconnect with estranged teenage daughter. Mary leaves, and Thomas arrives to reveal that he's going home; Ellie sent his confession to his youth group, but they accepted his apology. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1) The Last Of Us Episode 5 Recap & Review, 2) The Interest Of Love Episode 16 Recap, Review & Ending Explained, 6) Crash Course in Romance Episode 9 Recap & Review, 8) Magic Mikes Last Dance Ending Explained, 10) You Season 4 Episode 1 Recap & Review. Without waiting to hear Charlies reasoning, she leaves. Are Perfect Match's Joey and Kariselle together? They did not see each other after she turned 8 as Mary got full custody after Charlie had an extramarital affair. AMERICA The finale kicks off with a bittersweet triumph for Arisu and the gang. The last visual shows the sun shining, the tide rising and falling, and a younger, slimmer version of the lead character, Charlie, staring out into the ocean as his daughter plays in the sand behind him. 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. The film's conclusion, however, might be more difficult for some viewers to read, so we asked Fraser and screenwriter Samuel D. Hunter to break down what the final scene means for Charlie's journey. 1,682, This story has been shared 1,588 times. As he is told he is dying, Charlie reaches out to Ellie who shows up and is constantly rude to him. Hes just been saving all of it to give to Ellie. Ellie is the angry teen daughter of Charlie with his ex-wife Mary who makes her classmates cry, is sarcastic and is bad at school. Every night, it was a journey, and it wasnt easy to watch or to perform, recalled Tom Alan Robbins, who starred in the 2012 world premiere in Denver. "Ellie torments him, when she cases him out the fist time. 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). Alan used to hang around in his office but they started going out when they left night school. Get the latest updates, reviews and unmissable series to watch and more! 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. That's where things get fantastical, as Fraser calls the final sequence an act of "contrition" for Charlie, in which he's "liberated" after finally breaking through her defensive armor, reaffirming to Ellie that he sees her for the person she is and always was. In the film, Fraser plays an English teacher named Charlie who suffers from severe obesity and is told that if his unhealthy ways are left unchecked it could ultimately kill him. 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. Fans Fuming Over Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings' Hosting Schedules: "I Want Ken Full-Time". A24. He says he wants to save at least one person and thought it could be Charlie. And then it has this really cathartic release at the end of the piece a blackout, a sound effect, and a moment where the audience just lived in that silent darkness together.. Hes diagnosed with congestive heart failure and he decides to be his true self with no regrets, saying and doing things with no shame or hesitation. When Will 'Jesus Revolution' Movie Be Streaming? Not only that, but its the latest film from acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky, who previously helmed Black Swan, The Wrestler, Requiem For A Dream, and more. Liz informs Charlie that his blood pressure is at a dangerous level, and that he needs to go to the hospital, or he will very likely die of congestive heart failure by the end of the week. In a fit of rage, he took the petty cash of $2,400 from the church and left. Brendan Fraser stars in the film adaptation of The Whale.. He says while he did something wrong, it brought him to Charlie and that he can save him as he pulls out Alans Bible that he had found in his room. She cries as she wants him to go to the hospital when he cries in pain. As he starts opening up to her, she secretly takes an audio recording of him. Comparing BlueJeans Virtual Meeting to Pexip. During one of her visits, Ellie drugs Charlie and while he's asleep Thomas arrives, and the two bond over a joint. Charlie knows that if he shows himself to anybody outside, they will treat him badly. But if you've already seen The Whale and want to get some clarity on what happened in that ending, we've got you covered. 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. "It's important because it's a Herculean effort that he makes to even get to his feet," Fraser says. Throughout the intimate live piece which is staged without the escape of an intermission all five characters reveal truths to each other and the audience that raise the stakes of their potential bonds. This is slightly different from how the stage version of The Whale ends, with a hard cut to black. I had a lot of unprocessed emotions from attending a fundamentalist Christian school where my sexuality came to bear in an ugly way, and that emerged in an unhealthy relationship with food. Dan is clearly disgusted by Charlie. It cuts to the flashback at the beach with Ellie which was peaceful memory for Charlie hinting that it is the last memory he saw before he died. Is Bluescape available for Cloud, iPhone, iPad and Android? Although he hasnt reached out to his daughter in many years, he finally decides to try and reconnect with her in her teenage years, although she doesnt wish to have any relationship with her father. ", Screenwriter Hunter calls the run-up a "hero journey where he gets the elixir. Fraser explains his interpretation of what the last exchange between Charlie and Ellie (Sadie Sink) means for both characters: "He's liberated.". For example, the 2014 Bay Area run raised the Marin Theatre 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 Jasson Minadakis. Stream It Or Skip It: Tonight Youre Sleeping With Me on Netflix, a Dull, Passionless Polish Rom-Dram, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Disconnect: The Wedding Planner' on Netflix, A Nollywood Rom-Com, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Sunday Affair' on Netflix, a Lukewarm Nollywood Love-Triangle Drama, Stream It or Skip It: 'Welcome to Valentine' on Hallmark, Where a CEO-In-Waiting Makes the Mistake of Driving a Classic Car through a Small Town, Where Was A Man Called Otto Filmed? The Whale is now playing exclusively in movie theaters. Their unified assault on the King of Spades has . The Whale ending explained: On the last day of his life, Liz returns to Charlie to take care of him. However, hes able to share a peaceful moment with his daughter before he attempts to stand up and dies. The students react in shock and disgust. Liz returns and reconciles with Charlie, spending time with him as he nears his seemingly inevitable death. As the narrative develops we discover that Charlie is gay and began to spiral into obesity after his former lover and student Alan died. Charlie doesnt think much of it but then he sees Ellies post about him being fat that Mary had left open on his laptop. movie But he asks her to read the essay which she angrily does. Hes able to share a peaceful moment with his daughter before he attempts to reconnect with estranged teenage daughter years. They will treat him badly kicks off with a hard cut to black and dies This is slightly from! 1,588 times they left night school all of it but then he sees Ellies post about him being fat Mary. Disorder who attempts to stand up and dies hear it one last time he. 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