Back in the day, Brendan Fraser was a well-known face all over the world. The actor who is best known for his role in “The Mummy” has also appeared in a number of other films that have achieved widespread recognition, such as “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “The George of the Jungle.” Even though the millennia passed, he continued to have success, as evidenced by the fact that he produced blockbuster movies one after the other. But eventually, he took a break, and it was a significant one. A break from acting that lasted well over a decade was taken by Brendan Fraser. However, the actor has recently made his comeback to the big screen with the release of The Whale, and it appears that the project is just as magnificently beautiful as its name.
The performance that Brendan Fraser gave in “The Whale” breathed new life into the actor’s career.
This year, at the beginning of September, Darren Aronofsky’s film The Whale was made available to the public. It was anticipated that this film would mark the beginning of Fraser’s triumphant comeback to the motion picture industry. And without a shadow of a doubt, it accomplished that very goal.
Several reviewers gave very positive responses to the motion picture. In order to portray a man who weighed 600 pounds for the role, Fraser had to wear a fat suit, and he received a lot of praise in particular for his performance in the suit. At the Venice Film Festival where it had its world premiere, it received a tearful standing ovation. The same thing happened at the Toronto Film Festival, and he ended up taking home the TIFF Tribute Award there as well.
Katie Rife rips apart the movie that Brendan Fraser made.
However, there was one person in particular who wasn’t pleased with the work that he had done. Katie Rife, who reviews movies for film critics, recommended that everyone, from those with thin frames to those with plus-size viewers, should refrain from watching the movie. The reason for this is the manner in which a person who is overweight is dealt with in the film.
I can’t recommend in good conscience that fat people watch The Whale. I can’t recommend that skinny people watch it either, since it reinforces the notion that fat people are objects of pity who have brought their suffering upon themselves through lack of coping skills. #TIFF22
— Katie Rife (@RifewithKatie) September 12, 2022
She tweeted, “I can’t recommend in good conscience that fat people watch ‘The Whale’. I can’t recommend that skinny people watch it either, since it reinforces the notion that fat people are objects of pity who have brought their suffering upon themselves through lack of coping skills.”
Even further, she issued a warning to those who suffer from eating disorders. She continued in the same vein as before:
“Massive red flags for EDs and fatphobia; the main character endures over an hour of the cruelest verbal abuse imaginable, and later tries to commit suicide by food. I have dealt with bulimia and binge eating disorder on and off for years, and found it incredibly triggering.”
Katie Rife asserts that The Whale lacked awareness regarding sensitive issues.
Katie Rife also asserted that the movie did not feature any characters who were overweight in any capacity. She described for us a moment from the movie in which the “protagonist is dying but refuses to go to the hospital even though he has money to pay the bills.”
Katie was very critical of the movie because of the amount of ignorance it encouraged. She wrote in a tweet, “The movie treats this as a combination of selflessness and suicidality, never considering the very obvious reason why a 650lb person would avoid doctors: IT’S CALLED MEDICAL FATPHOBIA YOU ABSOLUTE PR – – KS,”
She did mention that Brendan Fraser delivered a stellar performance in the film. However, that is not sufficient evidence to clear the filmmakers of their ignorance regarding obese people.
And those who believe that Brendan Fraser has completely nailed it in this role have not taken the criticism very well at all. They are not prepared to take in any information at this time.
I read that Brendan Fraizer worked closely with the Obesity Action Collision throughout the film. Not downplaying your dissatisfaction with the film, but there was some sort of oversight during the production.
— Kala⁷🥢😺🎸💜 (@FaintAphid) September 12, 2022
I haven't seen it yet, but my criticism is aimed more at people who hate this film because it's triggering to them. That sounds like something people need to work on. I don't think this movie is supposed to generalize obesity. It's a story about 1 specific man's life.
— Lindsey (@FilmGirl_24) September 13, 2022
The fact that Brendan Fraser has received a great deal of praise for his performance in The Whale is something that simply cannot be overlooked. His career has experienced the revitalization that it required at this point. Katie Rife, on the other hand, appears to be just one of those people who engage in unnecessary discussion in order to gain influence through that discussion.
