In “La ballena” (titled in Spanish), Brendan Fraser brings to life an obese man (for whom he had to carry a 300-pound prosthesis) trying to reconnect with his daughter after a terminal diagnosis.
His tape has earned him so many standing ovations (one of which brought him to the verge of tears), that he has put his name on the list of Oscar nominees in 2023.
What not everyone may know is that the story is inspired by real events.
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‘The Whale’, a movie starring Brendan Fraser, is inspired by true events
The film is an adaptation of the play of the same name, written by Samuel D. Hunter, which premiered in 2012. He was responsible for adapting the story for the big screen, making sure it stayed true to his creation.
In an interview with People in December 2022, The Whale screenwriter stated that the film is not “directly autobiographical” but that “there are pieces of me in several of the characters.” In addition, he was inspired by various personal experiences to write the story:
Speaking to Movie Maker that same month, the writer further discussed how his life story as a young gay man in a religious community shaped the plot.
As a teenager, Samuel D. Hunter confessed his sexual orientation to one of his friends, which “eventually” went public and got him into “big trouble” involving his parents and the administration of his religious school.
In the end he was transferred to another school and, although he thought everything was over, he “still had things to work out”. That’s when Samuel D. Hunter started doing activities to excel.
However, this became untenable when college came.
Fortunately for the screenwriter, he found “support networks and therapy” that helped him out of this situation, but the plot comes from the idea of ”what if this was the story of someone who couldn’t find the exit ramp that I found and stayed in my country;
Another detail of ‘The Whale’ that connects to the real life of Samuel D. Hunter is where it is located.
Although never explicitly stated, the film’s screenwriter explained that Nurse Hong’s uniform indicates that she is from the Gritman Medical Center, which is the hospital in the Moscow, Idaho town where she grew up. Likewise, a bag hanging on Charlie’s doorstep is from a local bookstore.
Tell us, did you have any idea that ‘The Whale’ was inspired by the life of its screenwriter? Have you already seen the movie starring Brendan Fraser?
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Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
