George Clooney Reveals One of His Favorite Film: “It’s a True Masterpiece”

George Clooney once revealed that one of his favorite films is Big Fish, calling it a “masterpiece” in an interview with Variety.

“I grew up in a family of storytellers, but Google has destroyed us, because you can fact-check everything… We’d always like the stories to be a little better than they were,” Clooney said, highlighting the film’s focus on storytelling.

Big Fish is a 2003 fantasy drama directed by Tim Burton and based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions. The story follows a son, Will, who struggles to separate fact from fiction in his father Edward’s life.

Edward is a masterful storyteller, and as the film unfolds, Will comes to realize that his father’s tales carry more truth than he first believed. The movie explores the magic of storytelling and how it can turn ordinary life into something larger than life.

The film features a strong cast including Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard, Steve Buscemi, and Danny DeVito. It also marks the acting debut of Miley Cyrus.

Screenwriter John August read Wallace’s manuscript before it was published and convinced Columbia Pictures to acquire the rights.

Originally, Steven Spielberg was set to direct, but he stepped away to work on Catch Me If You Can. Tim Burton and producer Richard D. Zanuck then took over, bringing McGregor and Finney on board.

Shot on location in Alabama, the movie features a series of whimsical, fairy tale-like scenes with a Southern Gothic style. Its theme of reconciliation between a dying father and his son had personal meaning for Burton, whose father had passed away in 2000.

Big Fish premiered on December 4, 2003, and received both limited and wide releases in December and January 2004. The film earned multiple award nominations, including seven BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and an Academy Award nomination for Danny Elfman’s score. A musical adaptation later debuted in Chicago in 2013.

Clooney’s admiration for the film highlights its lasting impact and the power of storytelling in cinema.

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