Answer:
Big Fish is a semi-autobiographical story about a larger-than-life character named Edward Bloom that is based on a brief novel by Daniel Wallace. It is presented in an episodic style andeel of a collection of tales that might be passed down from one generation to the next. Wallace was influenced by Greek mythology and Joyce's Ulysses, and his choice to simplify the stories almost as if they were being delivered for a juvenile audience improves the book. There are metaphorical allusions to well-known historical stories, such as Edward entering the Underworld and coming upon a dog like Cerberus, who is the path's guardian. Edward's son William believes that his father's impending death will allow him to hear his deeper feelings, but ultimately the man is nothing more than the sum of his tales and a tremendous mystery.
Edward Bloom is a novel that speaks to the fundamental drive for success that all people have. William, Edward's son, struggles to reconcile his relationship with his father and the legendary figure in the story. The setting of the novel is a Birmingham from a simpler period when people knew one another and stood up for one another. Edward Bloom is made much more legendary and massive by Tim Burton, and is portrayed by two different actors. Albert Finney plays the character of the senior Edward, and Billy Crudup portrays William as a young man who is alternatingly enraged and in love with his father.
Many more excellent actors also play supporting roles. Alison Lohman, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito, Robert Guillaume, and Steve Buscemi star in Big Fish, a Burton movie that honors those who live on the periphery of society. It is bright, optimistic, and emotional, even though it investigates the characters that civilization typically shuns. There are significant deviations from the novel's plot, but none of the growth feels arbitrary or odd, fitting the narrative of a man whose life was significant.