Big Fish (2003)

           Edward Bloom is dying, and his son Will, whose wife is pregnant with their first child, dearly wants to know just who his enigmatic father really is. The problem is that Dad was a blowhard storyteller who talked about things he did not do and did not talk about things he did do ("we never talked about not talking"). He was a combination of the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, very charming and very fake, and so Will laments, "I have no idea who you are." But maybe Will has misread his dad, and all the stories are true in some sense. The overall theme of Big Fish is thus entirely poignant, but the metaphors mix rather badly with humor, surreal scenes of giants, witches, crows in dreams who prophesy death, etc., and an extended love story about Mom and Dad. This good film could have been better if the visual medium had not overwhelmed the otherwise rich plot potential.