Saw BIG FISH for the second time today in two days. If any of you talk to Ray sometime, please mention this unforgettable movie to him. I'm sure he'll love it.

I'm sure you will all love it, too.

It's a great, wonderful movie.

And there's so much of Ray in it.

diego

Well, Mulder, I did talk to Ray today, but it was a short conversation and there wasn't a chance to mention the movie. I just read in a newspaper item citing Ray's enthusiasm about the Mars explorations, that Ray was at a book signing Saturday. (I'd been thinking of calling him for Valentine's Day, but ended up not; I guess I wouldn't have caught him home.) He confirmed he was in Santa Barbara. I wished him happy Presidents' Day anyway, and he joked that he "almost forgot who the damn president was." I said, "Don't worry, you weren't around quite THAT far back!"

He sounded his usual hearty, cheerful self, but the bad news is he says his hearing is now going! He had to have me repeat my name before he knew who it was. I do recall having to repeat once or twice while talking to him in person, but I thought his hearing was one of his better senses (possibly, though, because I'm so used to having to HOLLER around my own folks I have to remember to adopt a whole different tone around most other people!)

Yes, he said, his hearing had been going for six years. He also mentioned being "blind in one eye," which neither of us had said during our conversation in June, though it was plain enough. I remarked what a shame that was, as I thought, if he had any trouble reading, he could surely either listen to a recorded book, or have one read aloud to him. He said, no, "I don't like doing that. I just read in my own way, as much as I can. If I'm lucky, about four pages a day."

He asked about people mutually known to us, who I hadn't heard from in awhile either.

He then said his chauffeur was there to take him to an appointment with the hearing aid people who he hoped could fix him up. I said to "say hi to Patrick" and he very cheerily said he would.

(It does not look good for the possibility of seeing a movie for a person who doesn't either see or hear well--but, never say never!)

dandelion:

Thanks, dandelion, for that....

Yes, dandelion, I understand. I am aware of his, let's say, old-age health problems, but you know, one always has a bit of hope, and thinks, "Well, after all, he's still writing and reading and doing so many things, maybe he might watch a movie once in a while..." Fool's hope...? Thanks for your account of your conversation with Ray, it makes one feel close to him.

He's missing nothing by not seeng BIG FISH. Awful film. A really sweet little book, but a truly noxious movie.

Sad to hear Ray is so frail. I only got to meet him once, at the 1986 World SF Convention in Atlanta. He was hale and hearty then, striding about in shorts and sneakers and the very picture of robust health. I was so thrilled to meet him. I had just sent him a photograph of Ryerson Johnson, an old pulp writer and editor who had been among the first to buy a story by Bradbury, and Mr. Bradbury was happy to have received it. He had not seen Ryerson in decades and was glad to know he was doing well at that time.

Some differing opinions on Big Fish there. I have not seen the film yet. My sister rented the DVD but I was too busy to watch it with her. Did see some of the extras, with the director talking about how certain atmosphere and emotions can be conveyed in film which don't translate into words. Several of us here have remarked on how Ray's writing conveys atmosphere and emotions which have almost never successfully translated to film. Someday the twain must meet!

Well, I enjoyed the movie enough to buy it. My wife watched it for the first time with me about a week ago. We both enjoyed it. I like the blurring between "story-telling" and reality and that, in the end, the blurriness of the boundary isn't really false--it's the way life is. We are, in part, our stories of ourselves. Kind of like a mythology thing, I guess. Anyway, I enjoyed it and thought it had a lot of really solid scenes in it.

quote:

Originally posted by James Robert Smith:
He's missing nothing by not seeing BIG FISH. Awful film. A really sweet little book, but a truly noxious movie.

He's missing a lot! Terrific film - one of Tim Burton's best. Even better than the novel (a rare occurence). It's one of those few times that a fantasy film really has a perfect look of fantasy about it.

Probably third only to Burton's Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow.

I teach the book and then we view and compare the movie. Both are well received in Lit 12. The movie is actually quite creative. The conclusion does justice to the the book's major theme. A very moving final scene!

All, I'm so glad to hear that there are some Big Fish fans out there. I watched the movie with a buddy of mine who is into Tim Burton and Ray Bradbury. I love the film and parts of it seem very Bradbury to me. I think the most interesting concept in the film is the Swamp Witch and the possibility of looking into the witches eye to see your final moments on earth and how you die. Given the opportunity to know the means of my death, I'm not sure if I would want to look? Would knowing how I die give me freedom to live life more fully, happily, and productively? Or would knowing drive me insane and be a constant source of worry? Very interesting concept. So I wonder what anyone else's thoughts on that are?

Best Wishes.