Samuel D. Hunter, the author of The Whale, has some unvarnished opinions on the Brendan Fraser casting issue even though the actor is receiving a lot of praise for his performance. Darren Aronofsky’s psychological drama, which is based on Hunter’s play of the same name, follows Charlie, a 600-pound reclusive English professor who tries to get back in touch with his teenage daughter after having abandoned her and her mother for his gay lover, whose passing caused him to gain dangerous amounts of weight. Fraser’s portrayal of Charlie in The Whale has received much praise, but one part of the performance has caused considerable controversy among reviewers and viewers.
Samuel D. Hunter of The Whale addressed the Brendan Fraser casting debate in a recent interview with People about the global distribution of the movie. Although the playwright and movie co-writer acknowledged other forms of cinema’s “quite horrible” depictions of fat, she justified the film’s use of prosthetics in light of the plot’s intended development. Check out what Hunter said below:
One, I think the history of obesity, in regard to cinema, is pretty terrible. These kinds of prosthetics have been used very inaccurately and to deride people or make fun of them. Whereas what we’re doing is just trying to delve into the deep complex humanity of this very beautiful and complicated human being. And I also just think that with this kind of stuff… With plays, people don’t usually read a one sentence synopsis and then judge it based off of that. But I think that people just do that more often with film. So yeah, I mean, I understand that people will have whatever reaction they’re going to have, but I just have to have faith in the story that I’m telling, which I think is grounded in empathy and love.
Unpacking Brendan Fraser’s Whale Casting Controversy
Fraser’s use of prosthetics and a fat suit to portray the actor as a 600-pound obese guy is largely to blame for the casting controversy surrounding The Whale. Many have remarked that the employment of such effects is a step back in the improvement in how plus-sized persons are portrayed in the film, and many have also agreed that Aronofsky would have done better to cast a genuine fat person in part. On the other hand, others have justified Fraser’s casting in The Whale, adopting a similar strategy to Hunter’s argument by admitting the purpose of the narrative and its use of prosthetics, which takes a more sympathetic approach to such a character.
Could the controversy surrounding The Whale influence its Oscar chances?
The main concern for viewers is whether Oscar’s chances of The Whale will be impacted by the controversy surrounding its casting. Aronofsky’s adaptation of Hunter’s play wouldn’t be the first movie to enter the venerable awards ceremony with some controversy surrounding it; in 2019, Green Book received harsh criticism for its portrayal of a white hero as saving jazz pianist Don Shirley, but it would shock everyone by winning the Best Picture, Oscar. Many felt that Bohemian Rhapsody’s portrayal of Freddie Mercury’s sexuality actually demonized the LGBTQ+ community. Others noted that the film’s numerous historical inaccuracies made it a lackluster take on Queen’s history. The year before, there was some controversy over the film’s numerous Oscar nominations for Bohemian Rhapsody.
Will Smith made headlines this year for attacking Chris Rock on the Oscars stage when a joke was made about his wife. Despite resigning from the Academy and being barred from the celebration for ten years, his work in the slave drama Emancipation is getting plenty of Oscars hype. Given that there is always some controversy surrounding the Oscars, it is difficult to imagine that Fraser’s casting in The Whale would negatively impact either his or the movie’s prospects of winning an Oscar. The Whale is currently playing in cinemas in broad release for those anxious to see what is being heralded as Fraser’s comeback role.