“The Whale”: A touching film about guilt
Written By Abby Chadwick. Photo courtesy of Katelyn Myrick.
“The Whale” is a deeply emotional film following the life of Charlie (Brendan Fraser), a middle-aged English teacher who struggles with obesity, so much that it has caused him to fall on the brink of death. The audience follows Charlie through a week of his life, which is possibly the last week of his life, as his health is rapidly declining. The film centers around him grieving the death of his partner while also trying to reconnect with his daughter (Sadie Sink), mainly because he might not have much time left to do so.
“The Whale” attracted controversial reactions for its portrayal of obesity, but I personally think the film had less to do with the theme of obesity and more with the subject of guilt. Charlie holds this immense guilt after the death of his partner, on top of the guilt he has for not playing a more consistent role in his daughter’s life. This causes him to close himself off from the world because as much as he cares for those around him, he can’t find the strength to believe that he deserves to be cared for as well. In addition, each one of the characters in this very limited cast harnesses their own versions of guilt. For example, Thomas, a missionary who happens to knock on Charlie’s door, is secretly carrying the weight of religious guilt, leading him to come back to visit Charlie with the hope of “saving” him. Liz, Charlie’s friend and caretaker, lives every day knowing that as much as she may try, she will never be able to “save” Charlie from himself. However, while these characters hold onto their guilt within themselves, Charlie’s guilt is shown through his physical appearance.
Ty Simpkins, who plays Thomas in the film, described “The Whale” as a movie that moves people, so much so that it moved a majority of the Lucas Theatre to tears. In addition to exploring Charlie’s struggles with his weight, the film brought to life the message that while you may never be able to “save” someone else, it doesn’t mean that you’ll ever stop caring.
Abby Chadwick is District’s Chief Social Media Strategist and an interior design major at SCAD. She has been involved with District since her freshman year, with this year being her third as an editor. Apart from her role at District, Abby can be seen around SCAD walking to and from Clark Hall and enjoying the Savannah coffee scene. (Her go to is an espresso tonic, if you were wondering!)
