OVERLAY REPORT

The main character of the 2003 film *Big Fish*, directed by Tim Burton, is **Edward Bloom**. He is portrayed as a young man by **Ewan McGregor** and as an elderly man on his deathbed by **Albert Finney**. Edward Bloom is a charismatic storyteller and traveling salesman who has spent his life spinning "tall tales" about his past—stories involving giants, witches, and mythical towns. The film’s emotional core centers on his estranged son, Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), who struggles to reconcile the legendary figure in his father's stories with the real man he feels he never truly knew. ### Most Memorable Lines Edward Bloom’s dialogue is defined by his whimsical philosophy on life, love, and the power of myth. Below are his most iconic lines and the specific context in which they appear: #### 1. The Metaphor of the Uncatchable Fish > *"There are some fish that cannot be caught. It's not that they are faster or stronger than other fish, they're just touched by something extra."* * **Context:** This is the opening line of the film, delivered via voiceover. It establishes the central metaphor of the movie: the "Big Fish" represents Edward himself—a man whose spirit and stories are too large for the small pond of reality. #### 2. The Nature of Love and Time > *"They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up."* * **Context:** This line is spoken during one of the film’s most famous sequences at the Calloway Circus. When Young Edward sees Sandra Templeton (Alison Lohman) for the first time, the entire world literally freezes. He walks through the suspended crowd and popcorn to reach her, only for time to snap back into motion, causing her to vanish into the crowd. #### 3. On Loneliness and "Evil" > *"It was that night I discovered that most things you consider evil or wicked are simply lonely and lacking in the social niceties."* * **Context:** Edward says this after encountering Karl the Giant, a massive man who has been terrorizing the town of Ashton by eating livestock. Instead of fighting him, Edward talks to him and realizes Karl isn't a monster; he's just too big for his surroundings. This line reflects Edward’s optimistic and empathetic worldview. #### 4. The Famous Proposal > *"You don't know me, but my name is Edward Bloom and I love you."* * **Context:** After spending years working for the circus without pay just to learn one piece of information about Sandra every month, Edward finally tracks her down at Auburn University. Despite her being engaged to his childhood rival, he introduces himself with this bold, earnest declaration. #### 5. On Being a "Reasonable Man" > *"There comes a point where a reasonable man will swallow his pride and admit that he's made a terrible mistake. The truth is... I was never a reasonable man."* * **Context:** Edward says this while reflecting on the lengths he went to for his dreams and his wife. It serves as a defense of his life choices—choosing the fantastic and the extraordinary over the safe and logical path. #### 6. The "Big Fish" Philosophy > *"The biggest fish in the river gets that way by never being caught."* * **Context:** Spoken as a piece of wisdom to his son, this line encapsulates Edward’s desire to remain an enigma. To Edward, being "caught" means being understood in purely literal, mundane terms, which he views as a kind of spiritual death. #### 7. Late-Life Reflection > *"Truth is... I've always been a fool."* * **Context:** Spoken by the elder Edward (Albert Finney) toward the end of his life. It is a rare moment of vulnerability where he acknowledges that his pursuit of grand destiny and romanticized truth might have seemed foolish to others, yet it was the only way he knew how to live.