Ever since the 2023 Oscars Ceremony awarded Brendan Fraser a historic Best Actor win, Darren Aronofsky’s play-to-screen adaptation of “The Whale” has generated social media buzz. Premiering at the 79th Venice International Film Festival and finishing its box office run at $54.4 million, according to IMDb, Aronofsky’s 23rd film was met with critical acclaim, especially for its acting.

Despite the frenzy of media attention surrounding the performers, however, the movie has been met with some backlash, notably for its rocky transition from stage to film, its controversial use of a fatsuit and the overall lack of development in many of its poignant moments. While “The Whale” is visually beautiful and brings much-needed attention to topics such as fatphobia and the disconnect between teenagers and adults, it was originally intended for theatrical production and would have been most successful had it remained on stage.

With two performing Oscar nominations and one win, “The Whale” was a promising awards season underdog among other high-budget films because of the film’s unparalleled acting. The most notable member of its cast is, undoubtedly, the standout Fraser, returning to Hollywood after a decades-long hiatus. Starring as Charlie, a 600-pound man with a gentle heart, his depiction of the quiet, yet kind-spirited recluse took his audience and the Academy Awards by storm. A review by The Rolling Stone hails his performance as “the best work of his career” and praises him for the emotional depth and empathy he harbors toward his character. Hong Chau, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Liz, also shines in her role.

Lukewarm reviews from critics, however, prove that the actors bear the brunt of the film’s weight. This is unsurprising, considering that its screenplay is a carbon copy of the original stage production. The play, which takes place solely in Charlie’s living room and adjoined kitchen, is completely mimicked on-screen. The Rolling Stone noted that the “plot points and dialogue have not weathered the translation from stage to screen,” with nearly every scene being uncannily similar to the theater production. At one point, a character enters Charlie’s apartment, makes a dramatic declaration and leaves, only to repeat these steps again minutes later. Effectively, the supporting cast only exists to act as vessels for Charlie’s character progression, much like “satellites … there to orbit around [him],” the Rolling Stone described.

The film also generated controversy because of its use of a 300-pound fatsuit, which won the makeup and hairstyling team an Oscar. Some argue that the utilization of prosthetics to portray an obese character is dehumanizing, acting as a slap in the face to actors who fit the weight criteria but were overlooked for casting. In a series of tweets, author Aubrey Gordon reflected on the many scenes in which Charlie is portrayed sadly sulking around his apartment, struggling to shower and choking on his food as “staggeringly anti-fat,” commenting on the scathingly insulting nature of the film attempting to “[humanize] a very fat person” by “watch[ing] them [be] humiliated, terrified, ashamed, and killed off.” Her words ring true; countless scenes include Charlie being portrayed as almost a zoo animal for no thematic reason other than to emphasize how overweight he is, with deep, cliché strings playing as he treads to the kitchen or labors to pick up an extra-large pizza off the porch. While it is up to those with lived experience to accurately evaluate the film’s depiction of grappling with obesity, it is impossible to deny the pointlessness of many scenes intended to be poignant that only exist to garner audience pity and fall emotionally flat.

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The film’s premise spawned from writer and teacher Samuel D. Hunter’s lived experience with reclusiveness and attempting to connect with his students, much like Charlie. While the play is striking in a gripping, poetic way, its on-screen debut detracts in every aspect except Fraser’s deeply tangible portrayal of Charlie. As critics have asserted, his performance is the backbone of the film, as its overall message lies with his humanization. Behind the walls of his apartment and layers of caked-on makeup and prosthetics, he, too, is a man worthy of love and kindness.