The Whale is a 2022 American drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Samuel D. Hunter, based on his 2012 play of the same name. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton. The plot follows a reclusive, morbidly obese English professor who tries to restore his relationship with his teenage daughter.
The Whale premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2022. It had a limited theatrical release in the US on December 9, before a wide release on December 21 by A24, grossing $54.9 million against a budget of $3 million. The film received a polarized response; though critics lauded the acting, particularly Fraser, Chau and Sink, the film's portrayal of obesity-related struggles drew criticism. For his performance, Fraser won the Academy Award, Critics' Choice Award and SAG Award for Best Actor, while the film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Chau was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Plot
Charlie, a recluse living with morbid obesity, teaches online English writing courses to college students, but keeps his webcam off, ashamed of his physical appearance. His nurse and only friend, Liz, repeatedly urges him to visit a hospital for congestive heart failure treatment, but Charlie insists he cannot afford medical care. Charlie is also visited by Thomas, a missionary for the New Life Church who wants to save him. He orders pizza almost every night, following an established routine with delivery driver Dan, who drops off the pizza and collects cash payment from the mailbox without the two ever interacting face-to-face.
Charlie hopes to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter Ellie, whom he abandoned eight years ago when leaving his wife Mary to be with his lover Alan. He reveals that he has been saving money for years and offers Ellie the entire $120,000 in his bank account if she spends time with him without her mother's knowledge. Ellie agrees on the condition that he completes all her homework for her, though he also requests that she write in a notebook he gives her.
As Charlie's health worsens, Liz brings him a wheelchair so he can remain mobile. Thomas' visits disgruntle Liz, who chastises him. She reveals she is the adopted daughter of New Life's head pastor and that Alan was her brother; his religious guilt drove him to suicide, leading a grief-stricken Charlie to start uncontrollably binge-eating. Despite Liz's objections, Thomas still believes his mission is to help Charlie.
One day, Ellie places crushed Ambien into Charlie's food, knocking him out. Thomas arrives, and the two smoke marijuana, whereupon Thomas confesses to stealing his youth group's money and running away from home because he felt dissatisfied. Ellie secretly records their conversation.
Out of concern, Liz takes Mary to visit. When Liz learns about the amount Charlie has saved for Ellie, she storms out, furious over being lied to about why he avoided medical treatment. Mary and Charlie argue over his decision to leave his family for Alan. Charlie admits he hopes Ellie will prove he did "one thing right with his life". Later that night, while delivering pizza, Dan sees Charlie for the first time and silently runs off in shock. As a result, Charlie has a severe binge-eating episode and sends a profanity-laden email to his students, telling them to disregard the classwork and just write back "something honest".
Thomas visits Charlie one last time to inform him that he is moving back home after Ellie sent his confession to his former youth group and family, who have forgiven him and implored him to return. He attempts to preach to Charlie, but Charlie chastises him when he attributes Alan's death to his sexual orientation.
During his next class, Charlie tells his students he is being fired after the email he sent, and reads some of their submissions. To reciprocate their honesty, he switches on his webcam for the first time, and the students have mixed reactions. Charlie calmly proclaims that academics do not matter, but the honest things his students wrote do, before abruptly ending the class by tossing his laptop against the fridge, destroying it.
Liz returns and comforts Charlie as his health rapidly declines. Ellie arrives to furiously confront him over an essay he agreed to rewrite for her; Charlie had instead replaced it with an essay about Moby-Dick she wrote in eighth grade, as he considers it the most honest essay he has ever read. Ellie initially rebukes him as he attempts to reconcile one final time, though she reads the paper aloud at Charlie's insistence.