Activity #1- Story Time

I'm going to be honest and say I really didn't think I was going to enjoy watching this movie. Or even like this movie. When I was nearer to the end, however, I found myself actually enjoying watching it. Why? Big Fish has such a cool storyline, it draws you in, and by the end I cared about the characters. I feel like there are a lot of different lessons to learn and things to take away after watching this movie. It just depends on who you are, what you learn. I learned that even though you might feel like you're strangers with someone and that you don't know them at all, they can still be very important to you. For example, in the movie, Will doesn't think he knows his father at all. In the end, we see the connection the two have when Will tells Edward the story of how he died. Also, even though they went for years without talking, Will drops everything to go to his family when his father is in danger of dying. In my life, I feel like my parents don't know me very well. That doesn't change that we both care about each other and are very important in each others lives. Even though you might feel like you don't know someone very well, in a weird way, you might actually know them. I also learned that the connection you have between parent and son/daughter is very important to maintain. 

The scene that stood out to me the most was when Edward was dying in the hospital and Will told him the story of how he dies. I think that's my favourite scene. I love how things come full circle, in that Will is the one who is telling stories to his dad. You can also see in this scene Will coming to an understanding with his dad. Another scene that stood out to me was at the very end, at Edward's funeral. It was interesting to see that all of Edward's stories had some element of truth to them, because all the people in his stories were there, just not as crazy as Edward had made them seem. Like that lady with two heads. She didn't really have two heads, but she did exist. I'm not exactly sure how much of those stories are true, and to what extent. Nevertheless, it's clear that there is a bit of truth in them, just stretched a lot.  

The moral lesson of this movie is that life is what you make of it. You can stay in the small town and you can give up on your dreams, but that isn't what you should do. Stay positive, no matter the situation. You have to make your own story. Your life is your life, and you have to chase your dreams. You have to make do with what you were given. The metaphor of the "Big Fish" is that Edward Bloom has always been a big fish in a small pond. He was always meant for bigger and better things than what was put in front of him. The story of the big fish that he tells frequently throughout the movie is that there is a giant fish in the small body of water in the small town he grew up in. This story is a metaphor for Edward Bloom. Understanding the story line is always good for getting into character. You can really put yourself into the scene and into the shoes of your character. You can also see how you should be reacting to scenes, or your characters mannerisms. It really helps to understand who you're playing. When you understand your character you can build upon it and add your own personal touches.