The Big White
While a guest in 2010 on the "WTF with Mark Maron" podcast, Robin Williams said that it was being isolated and cold on the Alaska set of this movie that contributed to his return to drinking after twenty years of sobriety.,The envelope from West Federal Trust with the pre-approved credit card offer has misspelled Platinum as "Platnium".,Minister: Why is God, who is a loving God, capable of such things? When someone is taken from us at such a young age, we often ask ourselves why.
Margaret Barnell: Bullshit.,Featured in The Big White: An Adventure in Filmmaking (2005),Last Stop: This Town
Written by Mark Oliver Everett & Michael Simpson
Performed by Eels (as Eels)
Courtesy of DreamWorks Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises,The obvious other movie that comes to mind when watching 'The Big White' is the Coen Brothers's 'Fargo' (you know, the kidnapping/ransom of the spouse, the money, Winnipeg etc). However, it's the comedy that makes the difference. In 'Fargo' the humour is more subtle and disguised as drama while in 'The Big White' the dialogues and situations are more obviously funny and that's what gives it its own charm. Another difference is that 'Fargo' is a black comedy while this one is more of a dark comedy that's not exactly black. Mark Mylod directs a splendid ensemble cast and tells the story at an initially slow but eventually steady pace. The actors are great. Robin Williams as the down-on-his-luck travel agent trying to make some quick bucks is wonderful. Holly Hunter is hilarious as the wife suffering from fake Tourettes syndrome (more likely a form of Munchausen's syndrome). She brilliantly balances humour and pathos. Both she and Williams share a good chemistry as do Giovanni Ribisi and Allison Lohman. Ribisi naturally fits the part while Lohman has a small role but makes the best of what she has and shines. Tim Blake Nelson and Earl Brown are quite funny too and Woody Harrelson, though initially loud, manages to give a more controlled performance in the latter reel. It's a dark comedy, so the humour is obviously dark but this is a fun film and I really liked it. The songs are very nice too especially 'I Want To Protect You' by Mark Everett. The cinematography is marvelous in the beginning but slowly settles for OK as the story moves towards the end. It's a pity that the film didn't even get a proper theatrical release and remains underrated and unseen by many. I'm glad I caught it and it's definitely worth watching for those who like dark comedy. What's not to like? There's violence, romance, suspense, humour and it's a clever story.,