Big Fish
Big Fish was one of my favorite films of the semester by far. Films that interchange from present and past can either be perfectly done or sloppy. Big Fish did a fantastic job at flipping back and fourth between settings while still making sense. One technique they used to differ between the two time periods were the difference in color and clothing style. The present time was much more muted and day-to-day looking compared to the past. The past used bright colors to make the setting much more story like, almost as if it were a fantasy world. One could argue that all the stories the main character's father told were completely fiction and a figment of his imagination. He might have made all of these stories up because he is delusional, possibly envious of a more entertaining life, or the stories had true portions, will made up details to seem more interesting. No matter what the story was, the son (now grown up), was sick and tired of hearing it. He did not believe a thing his father said, and took offense to his "fantasy storytelling" because he felt that his father did not like his life with his son and felt the need to fabricate stories to make his life seem better.
Another option to consider is that the father thought he knew everything about himself and his life, but deep down had questions of "Who am I?". This lack of self awareness and esteem could contribute to his elaborate story telling, hoping that the more detail he puts on his life, the more he will become the person he thinks he is. I think it's very opening to question if we as every day people tend to subconsciously fabricate our lives to seem more relevant or significant. Sometimes we get so caught up in what we want our life to look like, that we begin to pretend that this is our lives, without truly living it.
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