THE WHALE

Brendan Fraser, in a triumphant return to the screen, plays an obese and reclusive English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. Directed by Darren Aronofsky with a script by playwright Samuel D. Hunter, the film is an honest, moving character study with more than a little optimism at its core. When it debuted at the Venice Film Festival, the film and its star received a six-minute standing ovation that brought Fraser to tears. Subsequent audiences, including those at FilmColumbia 2022, where it also screened, have been similarly touched by the actor's performance.