BIG FISH
The film Big Fish, directed by Tim Burton, is based on Daniel Wallace’s novel Big Fish: A Novel
of Mythic Proportions. Both the novel and the film explore the power of stories and the use of
language to hide and reveal, distance ourselves from others, and to inspire people to greatness.
Both examine the fine line between fact and fiction, objective truth and subjective truth.
After viewing the film, answer the following questions. Your typed, double spaced answers are
due Wednesday, Feb. 6 (Orange) or Thursday, Feb. 7 (Black). Please be prepared to discuss the
film and ways of knowing in class on that day.
1. What does the film say about the tension between reality and imagination? Can we go
too far with our “storytelling” and lose touch with the truth? How can we say things
through stories that we couldn’t otherwise communicate?
2. Which is the “truth”: Edward’s stories or the world that lies (no pun!) outside Edward’s
stories? In his quest for knowledge and understanding, what truths does Will learn about
Edward?
3. Examine some of Edward’s stories, what do they teach about Edward himself and life in
general? Can we ever “know” the “truth” if we rely on the stories of others for
knowledge?
BIG FISH
The film Big Fish, directed by Tim Burton, is based on Daniel Wallace’s novel Big Fish: A Novel
of Mythic Proportions. Both the novel and the film explore the power of stories and the use of
language to hide and reveal, distance ourselves from others, and to inspire people to greatness.
Both examine the fine line between fact and fiction, objective truth and subjective truth.
After viewing the film, answer the following questions. Your typed, double spaced answers are
due Wednesday, Feb. 6 (Orange) or Thursday, Feb. 7 (Black). Please be prepared to discuss the
film and ways of knowing in class on that day.
1. What does the film say about the tension between reality and imagination? Can we go
too far with our “storytelling” and lose touch with the truth? How can we say things
through stories that we couldn’t otherwise communicate?
2. Which is the “truth”: Edward’s stories or the world that lies (no pun!) outside Edward’s
stories? In his quest for knowledge and understanding, what “truths” does Will learn
about Edward?
3. Examine some of Edward’s stories, what do they teach about Edward himself and life in
general? Can we ever “know” the “truth” if we rely on the stories of others for
knowledge?