In The Whale, Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is an online writing teacher facing down his own mortality, when a series of surprise visitors makes him reconsider his life choices. From director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), this highly anticipated comeback was less of a celebration and more a fatphobic disappointment.
The Whale
Darren Aronofsky (director), Samuel D. Hunter (writer), Matthew Libatique (cinematography), Andrew Weisblum (editor)
Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton (cast)
September 11, 2022 (TIFF)
Content warning: suicidal ideation, fatphobia, eating disorders
After the glowing reviews The Whale received at the Venice International Film Festival, I knew I would have to find a way to watch the film at TIFF 2022. I kept hearing fellow journalists planning to come early for the press and industry screening of the film so I knew I’d have to plan accordingly. The showing was at 9 am, and by 7:45 am, the queue was so long, we were standing out in the rain.
Honestly, I wish I hadn’t bothered. Because this film made me angry. The Whale is made by and for thin people, with little consideration for how fat people might feel watching it. Though touted as a compassionate portrayal of a fat character, I couldn’t find an ounce of that compassion on screen. Charlie is unceasingly kind and positive with everyone in his life but himself. So much so that he’s more than willing to die without help if it will benefit someone else. Of course, considering the way the medical community treats fat people, that’s hardly a surprise. No mention is ever made about how medical professionals regard fat people, by the way.
Charlie gets some empathy from his friend Liz (Hong Chau), a nurse, who initially pushes Charlie to seek help before realizing that all he really needs from her is her support. From all the people we meet in Charlie’s life, Liz is probably the only one who has some semblance of growth and the tiniest amount of compassion, but even that is primarily self-motivated. She’s seen a loved one die before and doesn’t want to go through it again. Understandable but that emotion doesn’t really centre Charlie much, does it?
Then we have Ellie (Sadie Sink), Charlie’s estranged daughter who randomly returns to his life. Ellie is awful. And not just angry-teenager awful. She’s cruel, vindictive, and borderline homicidal, as far as I’m concerned. I still don’t understand the character and what arc she is meant to have because she is just horrid. Yet Charlie thinks she’s a good person. He keeps saying it but nothing in The Whale is evidence of that fact. The things Ellie says to and about Charlie are beyond the pale, yet Charlie thinks she’s amazing?
Finally, we have Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a young evangelist hell-bent on saving Charlie. Aside from filling up space and time in The Whale, Thomas doesn’t add much to the equation. He keeps talking about the end times and God believing in Charlie but what precisely does he want Charlie to do? Recite the Bible? Convert to Christianity? And then what? There is a diegetic connection between Thomas’ church and Charlie but I don’t see the story changing much had Thomas not been in it.
The Whale is based on Samuel D. Hunter’s play of the same name (Hunter also penned the screenplay) and the film often fails to rise beyond the constraints of the stage. It’s almost entirely shot within Charlie’s apartment, which is fine, but there are way too many moments when characters just stop and stand after a fight. That’s how plays work but in a film? It looks unnatural and it took me out of the movie. If you’re a fan of the expansiveness and creativity of Black Swan, you will be disappointed. This is definitely not Aronofsky’s best work.
I haven’t even addressed the title of the film. It’s supposed to be a callback to Charlie’s love of Moby Dick. But what are we, stupid? Every fat person knows it’s actually called The Whale because Charlie is fat. I’m pretty sure every fat person has been called a whale since humanity first discovered whales. Let’s not pussyfoot around the title. It’s a glaring insult and you’ll know it if you have a fat body. Hell, you’ll know it if your body doesn’t conform to arbitrary sizing standards.
But you know what, I tried to look past the name, especially in the first 15 minutes of The Whale, which seemed to be understanding of Charlie’s medical predicament. And then they ruined it by having Charlie devour a bucket of fried chicken. Because that’s what fat people do, right? I… I’m so tired of this shit, y’all.
The binge eating runs throughout The Whale. Charlie gorges on food and even more so when he’s feeling emotionally unstable, but is not highlighted as an eating disorder. I want to think that the film is saying, look, being shamed and hated doesn’t actually have the desired effect so many concern trolls think it will. Hate doesn’t suddenly give you added impetus to ‘be better,’ aka to become thin. No, it makes you hate yourself and it makes you want to die. Is it any wonder Charlie is on the trajectory he’s on?
But ‘man becomes fat because he is sad and eats too much’ is not the only way weight gain works! While Brendan Fraser isn’t the typical size for a leading man, he isn’t anywhere near the size of the main character. It was obvious to me that not a single fat person was involved in the making of this film because this film thinks one incident can trigger you to start eating too much and that’s all it takes to get fat.
Charlie’s weight and life are a spectacle for thin people to gawk at and be grossed out by. It’s an excuse for non-fats to applaud themselves for not ‘letting themselves go.’ But that’s also not how fat works! The Whale is nothing but stereotypical notions about fat people that are held by thin people. And they’re legitimized in the film by Charlie verbally hating on himself. Because the incessant verbal abuse of his hellspawn Ellie clearly wasn’t enough.
Much was made of the standing ovation Brendan Fraser received at the Venice International Film Festival for his performance in The Whale. Look, I’m as happy for Fraser’s resurgence as anyone else. But not for this film. He’s an actor in a fat suit, a role that could have gone to an actual large fat person but nope, once again Hollywood went down the fat suit route. Again. I am so tired!
Fraser’s acting is fine but it’s nowhere near as resonantly emotional and relatable as his recent roles, like his Robotman in Doom Patrol. Why does Charlie have such unwavering belief in people and his awful daughter? That doesn’t come through from the performance, and definitely not the script. Fraser does a solid job with the overwrought emotions but if this is the role that people remember him for in 30 years, I’m going to be pissed.
Among the rest of the cast, Chau is the strongest but she also has the most impactful emotional scenes. Simpkins is believable as the earnest god-fearing missionary. Sink really has very little to do aside from say awful things and be mean. Not exactly challenging the actor’s depth of range there.
Different groups of people are going to react differently to The Whale. But only one group—fat people—are going to come away from this film feeling like complete shit. On the other hand, the non-fats at my screening were applauding the film. I. Am. So. Tired.
My only relief is that I’m not alone in my feelings. I had the good fortune to meet fellow fat journalists who had watched The Whale and we commiserated on the awful experience of watching the film and how terrible it made us feel.
The Whale is a fatphobic film that dives into every awful trope associated with fat people. It’s designed to make straight-sized folks feel better about themselves. From the title to the fat suit, this film revels in its hatred of fat people. Do yourself a favour: avoid this film at all costs.
