The Whale is a powerhouse of a film that has become notable for giving Brendan Fraser the opportunity to revive his career with a performance that is being called one of the greatest of the year. This defining moment in his storied career brought with it an incredible script that contains some excellent quotes.
About a father trying to reconnect with his daughter, The Whale co-stars Sadie Sink and Ty Simpkins, The Whale is an intriguing effort that may not win many awards through the season but has definitely been an effective vehicle for a deep and meaningful performance from Fraser.
7 "Who Would Want Me To Be A Part Of Their Life?"
This quote comes from Charlie, Fraser’s character, as he argues with his daughter about whether it is right for him to try and be a parent to her after having been estranged for so long. The quote speaks as to the same things his reclusiveness and appearance speak to. Despite being kindly-hearted, Charlie has completely given up on his life and himself.
Charlie sees a lot of beauty in people, and in the world, but he has lost so much faith in himself that he honestly doesn’t understand how anybody could want him to be even a piece of their life. He wants to show his daughter her brilliance and how she shines, but is simultaneously, ironically, incapable of seeing his own kindness and the other qualities that make him amazing.
6 "People Are Amazing"
Charlie says this after asking a question, the question was do you ever believe people are incapable of not caring? It’s an interesting question, which he poses because other people in his life see the world as a desolate, cold place, and believe people generally to be bad at their center, selfish and uncaring.
Charlie, in spite of the rough hand he has been dealt by life and the less-than-ideal way in which he handled many parts of his own life, believes that people are essentially good, and this is the one ideal he constantly strives to pass on to his daughter through the film.
5 "I’m Worried She’s Forgotten What An Amazing Person She Is"
One of the most central quotes to what the film strives to be as a whole, and what really drives Charlie throughout it. When Liz questions Charlie about why he wants to see Ellie now so badly, he gives this answer. It makes complete sense that after becoming a recluse, only the loss of hope in his daughter could prompt Charlie to try and reconnect to share some of the hope in humanity he has
.
Even though Charlie has no hope of redemption for himself, there is hope in him that Ellie’s life can be better than he was. This is what remains so inspirational about Charlie and the film, the idea that our children can do better than us and have better lives. It is a common theme in films throughout history but was exceptionally well shown in this one.
4 "You Say You’re Sorry One More Time"
Although it isn’t a serious threat, when Liz gets fed up with how common Charlie apologizes and threatens him with a knife, Charlie doesn’t even care. He merely responds that it wouldn’t do anything anyway because his vital organs are beneath at least two feet worth of fat.
This light-hearted moment from Charlie about his weight gain is a tension reliever in the film, but it is also a reminder that he can see some of the light-heartedness about himself and his position despite genuinely despairing at the thought of what remains of his life.
3 "It Doesn’t Look Like She Has Any Friends"
It is difficult for Charlie to ever really hear anything negative about Ellie. When he does, it prompts him into action like nothing else can anymore. The only way to bring Charlie even slightly back from the darkness his life has become is to find out that Ellie, the only thing he ever did that he views as being right, isn’t having the life he wants for her.
There are few things more than triggering this deep-seated paternal instinct that could shock a man who has so completely given up on life into action this way, but The Whale perfectly encapsulates how a father, even an estranged one, will still go far for a child.
2 "Because That’s All I Want To Know About"
One of the moments that Ellie begins to realize in The Whale these very things about Charlie, about the depths to which he still and always has cared for her, is when she asks if he often talks to her mother and he tells her that he only talks to her about Ellie because it’s all he cares about.
Ellie, hearing this quote from Charlie, is one of the turning moments in the film. As Ellie begins to realize that there is more to Charlie than meets the eye, which is a key theme and moment for everyone watching as well.
1 "I Need To Know That I Have Done One Thing Right With My Life!"
Possibly the most important monologue and the most pivotal moment in the film comes with this line at its end. Charlie prompted again to speak about why he wants to reconnect with Ellie now and fix things while he still has time, speaks about needing to know that she is going to have a good life.
More than that, more than flourishing herself, Charlie seems to want to try and instill in her the knowledge that people can be good and that everyone should try to be good to others and to the world around them. His fervor in this monologue and this quote in particular shows that his relationship with Ellie and restoring it in some form is about a feeling of salvation for himself as he approaches the end of his own life.