Editor's Note: The following are spoilers for The Whale. He asks her to make sure Ellie grows up to be a good person but she leaves without promising it. Fraser explains his interpretation of what the last exchange between Charlie and Ellie (Sadie Sink) means for both characters: "He's liberated.". Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, She tells him to go to the hospital and he says the money is for Ellie. Corsage Is an Intimate, Imaginative Portrait of an Empress, 12 Hospital Positions That Require Little Experience, Inside Tips From Past WGU Test-Takers: Passing Your Exam Made Easy, What You Need to Know About the University of Phoenix Settlement, Comparing California Institute of Technology and MIT, 10 Fun and Exciting Things to Do Near Illinois Institute of Technology. Whats New with RingCentral? The Whale ending explained As the narrative develops we discover that Charlie is gay and began to spiral into obesity after his former lover and student Alan died. Instead of being welcoming, his students are repulsed, leading him to throw his laptop against the fridge. The final moments of this play and this movie abandon realism a little bit, and its no longer about this guy in this apartment, he explained. After she threatens Thomas into smoking marijuana and takes his photo, he is upset and locks himself in Alans room. As written in Hunters script, the stage directions of that breath simply read, A sharp intake of breath. Maybe hes clinging to that essay because the final line, written by Ellie, confirms that he did. Mandalorian's return has already made big mistake, How to watch all Star Wars in chronological order, Never Have I Ever season 4 All you need to know, The Whale may end in a seemingly confusing way, but it's not, DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. She ends up telling Liz about the $120k he had been saving for Ellie who is upset as she thought he was broke. Liz, however, is not pleased by Thomas' visits and dissuades him from returning by revealing that she and Alan were adopted by the Church leader, and it was Alan's inability to reconcile his sexuality with his faith that contributed to his death. We see Charlie's life unfold: he orders takeaway pizza but never interacts with the delivery-person, only shouting through the door to him and leaving money in the mailbox. Its up to you to fill in the blank. Ellie demands to know why Charlie failed her assignment and accuses him of purposefully screwing her over. Charlie agrees. Thomas also wants to be redeemed by bringing Charlie back to religion and puts forth tremendous effort to do so. The last visual shows the sun shining, the tide rising and falling, and a younger, slimmer version of the lead. "You notice that she stands behind him. Hunter doesnt shy away from any of the issues the characters are dealing with but doesnt bury you in [them] either, said Martin Benson, who directed a 2013 staging at South Coast Repertory. general news Numerous stagings of The Whale accentuate the pressure-cooker effect by designing Charlies living room, where the entirety of the play unfolds, with an extra sense of claustrophobia or isolation. The last visual shows the sun shining, the tide rising and falling, and a younger, slimmer version of the title character, Charlie, staring out into the ocean as his daughter plays in the sand behind him. Hes dying, Liz replies. In the meantime, Ellie says she hates Charlie and leaves with the essay he wrote for her. The last visual shows the sun shining, the tide rising and falling, and a younger, slimmer version of the lead character, Charlie, staring out into the ocean as his daughter plays in the sand behind him. Within these confined spaces, the actors who played Charlie each wearing body suits weighing anywhere from 30 to 100 pounds charted his arc physically and emotionally. Turns out, the partner was none other than Charlie. Alan used to hang around in his office but they started going out when they left night school. For example, the 2014 Bay Area run raised the Marin Theatre Company stage by four feet and angled Charlies ceiling so that, from the audiences perspective, the character appeared to dominate the space in a way that intimidated the people who visited him, said director Jasson Minadakis. The cutting patterns and shot choices of the two scenes are very similar. 1,682, This story has been shared 1,588 times. He also has an estranged daughter, Ellie (Stranger Things' Sadie Sink) whose rebellious nature and indifference to school causes tension between her and her mother, Charlie's ex-wife Mary (The Walking Dead's Samantha Morton). As written in Hunters script, the stage directions of that breath simply read, A sharp intake of breath. The way its structured, this play is designed to slowly and repeatedly turn up the pressure until it almost cant be tolerated, said Davis McCallum, who directed a 2012 off-Broadway staging at Playwrights Horizons. Every night, it was a journey, and it wasnt easy to watch or to perform, recalled Tom Alan Robbins, who starred at the 2012 world premiere in Denver. Brendan Fraser gives a highly-praised performance as Charlie, a 600-pound man who. It becomes clear that Charlie is dying, and he begs Ellie to read the essay, which she does. Christmas TMT In reality, he is ashamed of his appearance as an obese, 600-pound man. Ellie says to call an ambulance, but Charlie replies, No. Ellie asks to speak to Charlie alone, and although Liz doesnt want to leave Charlie, she agrees. Liz informs Charlie that his blood pressure is at a dangerous level, and that he needs to go to the hospital, or he will very likely die of congestive heart failure by the end of the week. NAME On the TV side he enjoys Peaky Blinders, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Saturday Night Live, Only Murders in the Building and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. "For him to finally break through to her, humble himself before her, and let her know that he made a mistake and is sorry for it. 6,491, This story has been shared 5,514 times. Its a tear-jerking achievement, and with people finally checking it out, lets get The Whale ending explained. 1,922, This story has been shared 1,712 times. Europe COVID Is Bluescape available for Cloud, iPhone, iPad and Android? Thomas believes Alan died because he turned his back on God and gave into the flesh, aka homosexuality. 4 Feb 2023. Again, Charlie attempts to rise up and walk toward her. Charlie, in his grief, began binge-eating in response. Want more movie news? She finds out that he is not from New Life because they stopped doing door-to-door and she asks him about it. After a blow-out argument with the pastor, Thomas stole all of the churchs petty cash and left. ", "He's struggling this entire film to put a mirror up to his daughter to say, 'This is who you are,' and in those final moments, that mirror is this essay," Hunter explains. 'Mandalorian' Season 3 Release Time, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Star Drew Sidora Is Finally Getting Divorced From Ralph Pittman, 'RHOBH' Star Garcelle Beauvais Pledges That She and Erika Jayne Are "Trying to Be Open" in Season 13 After Nasty Feud, 'Sanditon' Season 3 Trailer Delivers All The Heybourne Feels, Meghan McCain Calls Out Former 'View' Coworker Joy Behar for Her "Evil" East Palestine Comments, Where Is Hoda Kotb? She also posts images of Charlie on Facebook. It was an essay Ellie wrote when she was younger and that Charlie tells her is a good, honest piece of writing. The Whale is based on a 2012 play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter. However, hes almost out of money and he cant go back because he will be disowned. Finally, one day he was found dead in the river. It also could be considered in a metaphorical way, mimicking how whales immerse themselves for so long underwater and then they finally come up to the surface, said Schultz, or a deep intake of breath before diving in somewhere theyve never gone before, said Shuler Hensley, who played Charlie in the New York run as well as a London staging in 2018. AMERICA 1,712, This story has been shared 1,685 times. After Charlie calms down, Thomas asks why Charlie asked him to read it. Instead, he attempts to reconnect with his daughter Ellie, who he left when she was just 8 years old when Charlie came out of the closet and began living with his new partner. On the last day of his life, Liz returns to Charlie to take care of him. Charlie tells Liz that he believe Ellie ratted. movie The Whale is a one-room play adapted for the big screen by Darren Aronofsky and stars Brendan Fraser in what is considered his comeback movie in Hollywood. Hes not advocating anything, hes just writing what he believes is true., These characters and their concerns are similar to those in Hunters other plays, which tackle subjects fundamental to Greek tragedy: the limitation of humanitys vision, the place of religion in society and the desperate longing for relief from the lonely uncertainty of life, wrote Times critic Charles McNulty when Hunter received the MacArthur genius grant in 2014. BA1 1UA. If we really want to address these issues, weve got to get serious, says Farid. With the church being his life, it got to him as Alan did not eat or sleep in his last few days. However, it is based on a play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter. Mary leaves in tears, and Charlie, also in tears, tells her that he has to believe hes done one good thing in his life, aka Ellie. The way its structured, this play is designed to slowly and repeatedly turn up the pressure until it almost cant be tolerated, said Davis McCallum, who directed an 2012 off-Broadway staging at Playwrights Horizons. continents and regions at long last THE WHALE trailer has arrived. . Major spoilers ahead. Meet Emily Swallow, Stream It or Skip It: 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 on Disney+, Where Pedro Pascal Is Still Daddy (But in a Helmet), 'The Last of Us Part I' Sale: Take 29% Off The Game That Inspired The Show, 'The Last of Us' Episode 7 Recap: Mallrats, Yes, Ellie Has Always Been Gay in 'The Last of Us', Who Plays Riley in 'The Last of Us'? I know many people who are big, happy, and healthy, but I wasnt, Hunter said in an interview for the films press notes. TOPCMB The Whale is based on a play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter, and Aronofsky's adaptation does a good job of reflecting the intimacy of a stage performance. MTPIX When it comes to the most anticipated movies of 2022, theres simply no way audiences can ignore The Whale. The intention is that, by the time Charlie shares that hes giving his life savings to Ellie, and endures great pain to stand up and walk toward her as she reads her Moby-Dick essay aloud to him, the audience would feel the overwhelming fulfillment Charlie gets during his final breath in the play. The Whale writer Samuel D Hunter has opened up about how he had no idea that the film's ending had changed from the play. He asks her to read it, and she realises that it is the essay on Moby Dick she had written back in 8th grade. Charlie and Ellie smile at each other. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. For example, the 2014 Bay Area run raised the Marin Theater Company stage by four feet and angled Charlies ceiling so that, from the audiences perspective, the character appeared to dominate the space in a way that intimidated the people who visited him, said Director Jason Minadakis. 2,918, This story has been shared 2,770 times. She cries as she wants him to go to the hospital when he cries in pain. In the end, Charlie goes downhill when the delivery man, Dan, who always asks Charlie how he's doing when he leaves his food at the door, sees his obese self. Liz is upset by Thomass presence and tells him to leave Charlie alone. Charlie and Mary talk about their life and marriage. Get the latest updates, reviews and unmissable series to watch and more! PUBLIC In his final webinar class, Charlie reveals he has been fired. Lyla Gill December 10, 2022. CMPNY What matters is that hes connected with Ellie, hes done the thing that hes been trying to do throughout this entire play, and that connection feels real and genuine. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1) The Last Of Us Episode 5 Recap & Review, 2) The Interest Of Love Episode 16 Recap, Review & Ending Explained, 6) Crash Course in Romance Episode 9 Recap & Review, 8) Magic Mikes Last Dance Ending Explained, 10) You Season 4 Episode 1 Recap & Review. The final moments of this play and this movie abandon realism a little bit, and its no longer about this guy in this apartment, he explained. The following contains spoilers from the movie The Whale, now playing in theaters. The last visual shows the sun . Then with a gasp, Charlie floats off the floor and into a bright white light. Reyna de Courcy and Shuler Hensley play daughter and father in The Whale at New Yorks Playwrights Horizons in 2012. Though Hunter didnt write the beach scene that follows Charlies onscreen ascension, he called it marvelous and shared an interpretation of what it might mean: If its a flashback to the last time Charlie went swimming in the ocean, close to when the family fell apart, what I see in that shot is a man staring down the abyss of self-actualization, contemplating the decision he has to make about the different avenues he can take. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here. The Whale Explained | Ending + Plot Details | Brendan Fraser The Nerd Doc 9.5K subscribers Subscribe 1.3K Save 77K views 2 months ago #TheWhale #BrendanFraser #EndingExplained Almost yours: 2. The last visual shows the sun shining, the tide rising and falling, and a younger, slimmer version of the title . All rights reserved. When Liz arrives and sees this (with Ellie's mom), she learns that Charlie convinced Ellie to spend time with him by offering the money. . Charlie, a gay man, left Ellie and her mom when Ellie was 8 because he fell in love with one of his (adult) students. Jennifer Christopher as Ellie and Matthew Arkin as Charlie in The Whale at Costa Mesas South Coast Repertory in 2013. 5 Reasons Why Webex is the #1 Choice for Businesses ? Likewise, the off-Broadway version strategically lit the space so that it felt as if his room were hovering in this dark void, said director McCallum; the Chicago staging positioned the proscenium like an island in the sea, which was really effective because theyre all alone on their own islands in some ways, with all these barriers to connection, said director Schultz. The lights snap to black. Many theater makers say that breath could very well be his last inhale, after which he is finally freed from the pains of his body, his loneliness, his grief. He asks her to read it, and she realises that it is the essay on Moby Dick she had written back in 8th grade. Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. 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Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from, Brendan Fraser's emotional performance will move you to tears in new trailer for, Golden Globes nominate Brendan Fraser after, Brendan Fraser tears up discussing his kids and, Brendan Fraser reveals why he turned down Disney's. The moviewhich is now available to purchase on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Videois a relentlessly uncomfortable and cruel two hours documenting the (spoiler alert!) It was important to set that up structurally, these two moments that reflect each otherwhere in one Charlie fails and in the other, he succeeds. Later, Liz visits while Ellie is there and Charlie reveals that he has plenty of money saved, and he promised it all to Ellie if she'd just keep visiting. 'The Whale' ending explained as Brendan Fraser breaks down that heartbreaking final scene between Charlie and Ellie. His goal is self-destructive, but you want the audience to understand what has driven him to do this, and that his redemption is in the relationship he tries to forge with his daughter. What We Know About Her Continued 'Today Show' Absence, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of 'Today' After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Drew Barrymore and Ross Mathews Disgusted After Guy Fieri Feeds Them Spray Cheese on 'The Drew Barrymore Show', 'Jeopardy!' Despite how cruel Ellie is to Charlie, he insists she is an amazing person. figure, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - Xbox cross-gen bundle (EU & UK), Anker PowerCore Essential 20,000 PD Power Bank, WWE WrestleMania 39 Match card and predictions, WWE Champions: Complete list of every title holder, Complete WWE and NXT pay-per-view schedule. Read on for an analysis of The Whale plot summary and ending explained, including what happens at the end of The Whale, and whether Charlie dies. Still, star Brendan Fraser has been nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award, alongside his co-star Hong Chau as Best Supporting Actor. The Whale 2022 Ending Explained Gulia Brothers 16.2K subscribers Subscribe 46 Share 6.8K views 4 months ago The Whale 2022 Review | Ending Explained Show more Show more Chat Replay is. Yes, the final scene sees Charlie pass away as a result of his unhealthy and dangerous habits, his heart finally giving out. The writer also finds the chapters which spend pages describing the whale boring and as an English teacher, Charlie finds the honesty refreshing. What matters is that hes connected with Ellie, hes done the thing that hes been trying to do throughout this entire play, and that connection feels real and genuine. "When she looks at it, she can't deny turning it in and getting a D, but then, here's her father, all these years later, being like, 'This is the best essay I've ever read.' Charlie, who is beginning to hyperventilate, tells Ellie that he didnt write the essayshe did. When Will 'Jesus Revolution' Movie Be Streaming? Alan was Lizs brother and was part of a New Life church that his father ran. When Liz visits him at the end of the week, his skin is pale and he continuously sweats. Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. There is Liz (Hong Chau), Charlies nurse friend who cares for him. Entertainment See Fraser explain the movie's ending in the video above. society And then it has this really cathartic release at the end of the piece a blackout, a sound effect, and a moment where the audience just lived in that silent darkness together.. As he nears her, a white light begins to engulf them and Charlie is lifted into the air until the light takes over completely; the final shot is the a younger Charlie on the beach with Ellie as a little girl, a memory. Charlie tells Liz that he believe Ellie ratted Thomas out because she wanted to help him, because, people are amazing. Ellie storms into the house, angry with Charlie because she failed her essay assignment. When asked about the ending, Hunter didnt clarify Charlies status because, he said, its not necessarily relevant. The film, surprisingly to some, missed out on Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay; The Whale's source material is a 2012 play of the same name. She goads him into taking to his feet, knowing well that he likely can't and that it would make him very uncomfortable to do that without even having the assistance of his walker but she takes it from him anyway and makes him prove himself, and he can't.". Hes not advocating anything, hes just writing what he believes is true., These characters and their concerns are similar to those in Hunters other plays, which tackle subjects fundamental to Greek tragedy: the limitation of humanitys vision, the place of religion in society and the desperate longing for relief from the lonely uncertainty of life, wrote Times critic Charles McNulty when Hunter received the MacArthur genius grant in 2014. Both the play and the movie The Whale center on Charlie (Brendan Fraser), a reclusive, morbidly obese instructor of online writing classes who has been eating himself to death since the passing of his lover, a casualty of religious homophobia. Ellie then ends up tracking down Thomas parents and sends them the audio recording. Brendan Fraser plays a reclusive English teacher suffering from compulsive eating disorder who attempts to reconnect with estranged teenage daughter. Charlie continues to insist that Ellie is amazing and that shes a great writer. (Get it? 1,025, This story has been shared 981 times. Audiences are now able to watch The Whale, the drama that is being billed as Brendan Fraser's career-defining performance. Did she write that she was glad family, perhaps? 4,515, This story has been shared 3,273 times. This includes eating more and more. Daren Aronofsky directed The Whale, which in addition to Fraser and Sink stars Hong Chau (The Menu), Ty Simpkins (Jurassic World) and Samantha Morton (The Serpent Queen). The movie version of "The Whale" ends with a breath, a bright light and a beach. She knows he can't look over his shoulder. As he attempts to nudge daughter Ellie toward a place of authentic self-expression, he too reveals himself to his students. Another visitor of Charlies is Thomas, a door-to-door missionary from an evangelical church called New Life. 981, This story has been shared 954 times. In the chokehold of loss, he began to binge eat and shut off, eventually having to enlist the help of a carer to look after him. Ellie is an exceptionally angry teenager and is exceedingly cruel to her father. To say The Whale is a difficult watch is the understatement of the century. When Alan did come back, he came with a partner which angered his father who kicked him out of the church. 10 Tuition Free Universities in the USA for International Students in 2022. EMRG A24. In the film, Fraser plays an English teacher named Charlie who suffers from severe obesity and is told that if his unhealthy ways are left unchecked it could ultimately kill him. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Which university gives most scholarship in USA? But he asks her to read the essay which she angrily does. Within these confined spaces, the actors who played Charlie each wearing body suits weighing anywhere from 30 to 100 pounds charted his arc physically and emotionally. All rights reserved. She tells him to go to the hospital and he says the money is for Ellie. The movie has made it clear throughout that Charlie only has about a week to live, and is careful to denote each day of the week.