From the director of Requiem for a Dream and mother! comes The Whale. This psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky, adapted by Aronofsky and Samuel D. Hunter, and based on his 2012 play of the same play. The film tells the the story of a reclusive English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.
In early January 2021, it was announced that A24 had obtained global distribution rights to Hunter's play, with Aronofsky as director and Brendan Fraser attached to star. Aronofsky said that it took him ten years to cast this film. Casting the main role of Charlie was a huge challenge until he saw a trailer for the Brazilian film Journey to the End of the Night (2006) starring Brendan Fraser, where it "clicked" for the director who would later cast Fraser as lead. James Corden was at one point set to star with Tom Ford directing, but Ford left due to creative differences. George Clooney also briefly considered directing, but ultimately declined. By early March, adie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early April. Filming took place in the Hudson Valley and Newburgh, New York, which stood in for Moscow, Idaho. Hunter grew up in Moscow. The film was shot on the Sony CineAlta Venice camera with Angenieux Optimo Prime Lenses in the 1.33 : 1 aspect ratio. This would mark the film as Aronofsky's first digitally shot film. For the titular role, Fraser spent four hours each day being fitted with prosthetics that weighed up to 300 pounds. He also worked with a dance instructor for months before filming to determine how his character would move with the excess weight, and consulted with the Obesity Action Coalition.
Known for his leading roles in blockbusters, comedies, and dramatic films, American-Canadian actor, Brendan James Fraser, made his film debut in Dogfight (1991). In 1992, Fraser had his breakthrough with the comedy Encino Man and the drama School Ties. He gained further prominence for his starring role in George of the Jungle (1997) and emerged a star playing Rick O'Connell in The Mummy trilogy (1999–2008). He took on dramatic roles in Gods and Monsters (1998), The Quiet American (2002), and Crash (2004), and further fantasy roles in Bedazzled (2000) and Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008). From the late 2000s to mid 2010s, Fraser's film work slowed due to various misfortunes. Firstly, The physical demands of the stunts and maneuvers Fraser performed in his action and comedy roles eventually required him to undergo several surgeries over a period of seven years, including a partial knee replacement, a laminectomy, and vocal cord surgery. Then, in December 2007, Fraser's publicist announced that Fraser and his wife Afton Smith had decided to divorce. Fraser was ordered to pay a monthly alimony sum of $50,000 for a period of ten years or until remarriage of Smith, whichever occurred first, in addition to the $25,000 monthly payment for child support. In early 2011, Fraser petitioned the courts for a reduction of his alimony payments, asserting that he was unable to meet the annual obligation of $600,000; he did not contest the child support payments. In late 2011, Smith accused Fraser of fraud by hiding financial assets and not disclosing film contracts for Extraordinary Measures (2010) and Furry Vengeance (2010). In 2014, the court ruled against Fraser's request for a reduction in alimony and against Smith's allegation of fraud. Finally, in 2018, Fraser said that he had been sexually assaulted by Philip Berk, the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the nonprofit organization that votes for the Golden Globe Awards, at a luncheon in 2003. The alleged assault, his subsequent divorce, his health problems, and the death of his mother launched Fraser into a depression. Several publications and social media users interpreted that Fraser was blacklisted from Hollywood because of his accusation against Berk, which Berk denies. He branched into television with roles in the History miniseries Texas Rising (2015), the Showtime drama The Affair (2016–2017), the FX series Trust (2018), and the HBO Max-DC Universe series Doom Patrol (2019–present). Fraser's film career was revitalized by appearances in major films such as No Sudden Move (2021) and The Whale (2022); the latter film gained him a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
The film stars Fraser, Sink, Chau, Simpkins, and Morton. The battered dignity of Fraser's performance is so touching that by the time he makes his big statement of faith to his fans even the toughest and most cynical of viewers will find their eyes going moist. But this is, of course, Fraser's moment. As the increasingly desperate and bewildered Charlie he is large and small, frightening and sympathetic as he struggles to find redemption in a world that he's leaving behind. It's unfathomable to imagine the film without Fraser. It's one of those rare cinematic experiences where an actor and a role come together in perfect harmony. A story of personal redemption and while it certainly does echo Fraser's own life, it wouldn't be fair to say he is playing himself. Sure, Fraser's performance must have been informed by his own past, but that is different, as well as peculiarly powerful.
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