Big Fish (2003): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Big Fish is a 2003 adventure drama directed by Tim Burton, starring Billy Crudup, Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor. It is based on Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. It runs 2 hours 5 minutes and earned $123.2 million worldwide on a $70 million budget. It earned 16 award nominations, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the BAFTA 2004. Critics gave it 58 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.0/10. Stream it on Tubi TV and YouTube Free, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 5m (125 min)
- Director
- Tim Burton
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Columbia Pictures
- Budget
- $70M
- Based on
- Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Big Fish About?
The premise of Big Fish without spoilers, adapted from Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A young man seeks to reconcile with his dying father by piecing together the elaborate and fantastical stories he has told throughout his life. As he listens, he discovers a rich tapestry of extraordinary adventures, encounters with mythical creatures, and heartfelt relationships, blurring the line between truth and imagination. Ultimately, he must decide how much of his father’s stories are real and what they truly reveal about the man himself.
Big Fish Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- father son relationship
- storytelling
- father son estrangement
- fish
- death of father
- flashback
- growing up
- multiple narrators
- journey
- surrealism
- texas
- small town
+38 more Show fewer
- tall tale
- legend
- based on novel
- traveling salesman
- witch
- dog saved from a fire
- house fire
- circus wagon
- stroke
- river
- robbery
- wedding ring
- beast
- water
- underwater scene
- slow motion scene
- husband wife relationship
- voice over narration
- twin
- older man younger man relationship
- daffodil
- siamese twins
- mermaid
- cat
- flower
- swimming pool
- romantic rivalry
- loss of father
- leech
- family feud
- crow
- childbirth
- basketball
- embarrassment
- spider
- poet
- storyteller
- bee
Where to Watch Big Fish
Stream it on Tubi TV and YouTube Free, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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YouTube Free 
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Big Fish Cast
Billy Crudup leads the cast, with Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor. Directed by Tim Burton.
-
Director Tim Burton
Big Fish Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Big Fish 58 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.0/10.
-
IMDb 8.0 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 58 Metascore
User score 8.1
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 78% User score
See on TMDB
Big Fish Plot Summary
What happens in Big Fish from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
At Will Bloom’s (Billy Crudup) wedding celebration, his father Edward, portrayed by Albert Finney as Old Edward and Ewan McGregor as Young Edward, shares a fantastical tale about the day Will was born, claiming he once hooked an enormous catfish using his wedding ring as bait. Will, having heard these extravagant stories throughout his life, is skeptical and ultimately distances himself from his father. However, three years later, with Edward diagnosed with cancer, Will and his pregnant French wife, Joséphine (Marion Cotillard), return to their roots in Alabama to spend precious moments with Edward.
Full summary
The whole story of Big Fish, scene by scene
Big Fish Box Office & Budget
Big Fish grossed $123.2 million worldwide on a $70 million budget, 1.8 times what it cost. $66.8 million came from the US and Canada and $56.4 million (46%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$123.2M
1.8× its budget
- US & Canada
- $66.8M
- International
- $56.4M
- Budget
- $70M
Big Fish Awards & Nominations
Big Fish earned 16 award nominations, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the BAFTA 2004. The 16 nominations come from 3 ceremonies, the most at the BAFTA 2004.
16 nominations3 ceremonies
-
BAFTA 2004 7 nominations- Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Albert Finney
- Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay – John August
- Nominated Best Direction – Tim Burton
- Nominated Best Film
- Nominated Best Makeup and Hair
-
Critics' Choice 2004 5 nominations- Nominated Best Composer – Danny Elfman
- Nominated Best Director – Tim Burton
- Nominated Best Picture
- Nominated Best Song
- Nominated Best Writer – John August
-
Golden Globes 2004 4 nominations- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
- Nominated Best Original Score – Motion Picture – Danny Elfman
- Nominated Best Original Song – Motion Picture – Eddie Vedder
- Nominated Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy (Actor) – Albert Finney
Big Fish Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 2 trailers.
- Trailer Big Fish (2003) Original Trailer [FHD]
How Well Do You Know Big Fish?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What unusual item does Old Edward claim to have used as bait for the giant catfish?
Cars in Big Fish
28 cars on screen, including the 1966 Dodge Charger and the American LaFrance 700.
-
1966 Dodge Charger Main role -
American LaFrance 700 Minor role -
1980 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Minor role -
2002 Ford Taurus Minor role
Big Fish Also Known As
37 alternative titles, including “Peixe Grande” and “大智若魚”.
- Also known as
-
- Peixe Grande
- 大智若魚
- 大智若鱼
- Big Fish - An adventure as big as life itself
- El gran pez
- Golyama riba
- Apíthanes istoríes
- Krupnaya ryba
- Krupna riba
- Velyka ryba
- Big Fish - Der Zauber, der ein Leben zur Legende macht
- 빅 피쉬
+25 more Show fewer
- Big Fish - Le storie di una vita incredibile
- O Grande Peixe
- Büyük Balık
- 大鱼
- Nagy Hal
- Крупная рыба
- Крупна риба
- Velká ryba
- Big Fish: Απίθανες ιστορίες
- Veľká ryba
- Велика риба
- סיפורי דגים
- Peixe Grande e Suas Histórias Maravilhosas
- Big Fish : La légende du gros poisson
- ビッグ・フィッシュ
- Peștele cel mare
- Duża ryba
- Голяма риба
- Lielā zivs
- 大魚奇緣
- Suur kala
- Mano gyvenimo zuvis
- Velika riba, დიდი თევზი
- Cá Lớn
- จินตนาการรัก ลิขิตชีวิต
Seen Big Fish?
Movies Like Big Fish
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Big Fish & Begonia, A Boat in the Garden and All the Little Animals.
Big Fish FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and the book behind it of Big Fish, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Big Fish?
Big Fish runs 2 hours 5 minutes (125 minutes).
When was Big Fish released?
Big Fish was released on December 10, 2003.
Who directed Big Fish?
Big Fish was directed by Tim Burton.
More films by Tim Burton Who is in the cast of Big Fish?
Big Fish stars Billy Crudup, Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor.
Where can I watch Big Fish?
In the US, Big Fish is streaming on Tubi TV and YouTube Free and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Big Fish make at the box office?
Big Fish grossed $123.2 million worldwide ($66.8 million domestic, $56.4 million international) on a budget of $70 million.
How is Big Fish rated?
Big Fish has 8.0/10 on IMDb, 58 on Metacritic and 78% on TMDB.
Is Big Fish based on a book?
Yes. Big Fish is adapted from Big Fish by Daniel Wallace.
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