美国国家公共电台 NPR--'The Whale' garners controversy for not casting an actor with obesity as the lead

'The Whale' garners¹ controversy² for not casting an actor with obesity³ as the lead

Transcript⁴

"The Whale," is a movie that tells the story of a 600-pound man estranged⁵ from his teenage daughter. The filmmakers have been criticized for not casting an obese⁶ actor in the role.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

There's already been some controversy about a film that opens today. It's called "The Whale." It's about Charlie, a man who left his wife and young daughter when he finally admitted he's gay. His boyfriend later died, and that sent Charlie into a tailspin of depression. His weight ballooned to 600 pounds. He's confined to his apartment. His every movement is labored⁷. He refuses care, except from an in-home nurse who's also his closest friend.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WHALE")

HONG CHAU: (As Liz) Charlie, your blood pressure is 238 over 134.

BRENDAN FRASER: (As Charlie) Sorry.

CHAU: (As Liz) Stop saying you're sorry. Go to the hospital. You have congestive heart failure. If you don't go to the hospital, you'll be dead by the weekend.

MART?NEZ: Brendan Fraser plays Charlie in a performance that's already rumored⁸ to be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination⁹. In what Charlie thinks are his final days, he tries to reconnect with the now-teenage daughter that he abandoned. Charlie appears to be someone who has chosen slow suicide. Fraser sees his character differently.

FRASER: This is a story about a man who wants to live, although he must die. He knows it. He's aware of it. He's not necessarily at peace with it, but his only salvation¹⁰ is to reconnect with her. And I think not that much else matters.

MART?NEZ: But if Charlie wants to live, why is he killing¹¹ himself?

FRASER: I don't know that he is killing himself. I think that he wants a sense of peace. He's deeply wounded by the loss of his loved one. He fell irrevocably head over heels, hopelessly in love with someone else while he was married. And Charlie tries to soothe¹² his grief with food. And he doesn't really succeed. He never eats for pleasure. And the tragic¹³ consequences of that are what we see played out, as he says to his daughter when she asks him, does this mean I'm going to get fat? And he says, no.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WHALE")

FRASER: (As Charlie) It doesn't. I was always big. I just - I let it get out of control.

And that's where and why he finds himself in the position he's in.

MART?NEZ: Brendan Fraser wears a fat suit for this role, and the camera sometimes lingers on his body. Some have called out director Darren Aronofsky for fat-shaming. Others wish he'd hired an actor who's closer to Charlie's body type. Here's Darren Aronofsky.

DARREN ARONOFSKY: I was completely surprised by any controversy. I think there's been this long, sad history of movies portraying¹⁴ people with obesity as punchlines, as jokes, as evil characters, and never as human beings. And the way the makeup¹⁵ was always portrayed¹⁶ was just cut from foam¹⁷ or pillows or just in no way trying to attempt to make a real human body. We pulled it off. So most, I think, of the criticism is based on just what people have done in the past. And I just encourage people to come see the movie.

FRASER: I just - I wanted to say that "The Whale" is one specific story about one specific person because not all people who struggle with obesity are going to struggle with it in the same way. Some of the experience that I was able to glean¹⁸ came from working with the Obesity Action Coalition¹⁹, who are a support and reference group, and the partnership²⁰ that we had with Dr. Rachel Goldman, an eating disorder²¹ specialist and psychiatrist²² who partnered with us to ensure that we had every best intention to approach the topic with as much sensitivity and empathy as possible. So it became almost a mandate²³ of mine that I took on to bring dignity to this man who would otherwise be overlooked.

MART?NEZ: You mentioned Charlie. He wants to reconnect with his daughter. He left her and her mom when she was just a kid. She's 17 now. So let's hear a little bit of that from the film.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WHALE")

FRASER: (As Charlie) When I left your mom, she did not want me around you. I hoped that she would change her mind eventually, but she...

SADIE SINK: (As Ellie) You could've just called me. All this time, you could have been a part of my life.

FRASER: (As Charlie) Ellie, look at me. Who would want me to be a part of their life?

MART?NEZ: So, Brendan, you know, I think a lot of people are going to see this and think, well, he's pointing at the way he looks. And I don't know necessarily if that's what I thought when I saw that. It doesn't matter to me, I think, that he's big. I think it's how he's led his life that he doesn't feel he's worth anyone's love or even anyone's presence.

FRASER: Well, weight stigma²⁴ poses direct and significant consequences for our emotional and physical health. So Charlie is someone who is entirely²⁵ self-aware. He has lived a full life. He's more than just who he is as he presents. He's a father. He's an educator and has no small capacity to love. He has the ability to see the good in others when they can't see that in themselves. And he can bring that out in them. And the tragic poetry of that is that he can't help himself in that same way.

MART?NEZ: Darren, one of one of the lines that I'll remember from Charlie is when he talks about...

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WHALE")

FRASER: (As Charlie) Do you ever get a feeling that people are incapable²⁶ of not caring? People are amazing.

MART?NEZ: Do you think that's true, that people are incapable of not caring, that they're amazing?

ARONOFSKY: Wow. You have to ask me personally? I think I do. I just - it's just interesting how much we run from that. I - like, the last few years have just been such a time of disconnection and cynicism. We are connected.

MART?NEZ: I think the movie coming out right now is kind of perfect because the life that Charlie is living, I think a lot of people led that life for the last three years...

ARONOFSKY: Yeah.

MART?NEZ: ...Just being away from people and not having those relationships...

ARONOFSKY: Yeah.

MART?NEZ: ...And maybe forgetting how to be a human being. Brendan, what about you? Are people incapable of not caring? Are people amazing?

FRASER: Personal view - I think that we all are incapable of not caring. It just depends on what you care about. And it's also the moniker of a man who has had a very complicated relationship with his loved ones. And in the little amount of time that he has left, I think it's his way of thanking them.

MART?NEZ: Brendan Fraser is the star of "The Whale." Darren Aronofsky directed the film. Brendan and Darren, thanks a lot.

ARONOFSKY: Thank you very much.

FRASER: Thank you. Be well.

1 garners   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The seeds rot the garners are laid desolate, the barns aredownthe grain is withered. 种子都在地里腐烂了，没有谷物好储藏；空谷仓都成了废墟。 来自互联网

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 estranged   

adj.疏远的，分离的

参考例句：

• He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
• The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

6 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

7 labored   

adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing. 我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。 来自辞典例句
• They have labored to complete the job. 他们努力完成这一工作。 来自辞典例句

8 rumored   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• It is rumored that he cheats on his wife. 据传他对他老婆不忠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rumored that the white officer had been a Swede. 传说那个白人军官是个瑞典人。 来自辞典例句

9 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

10 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

11 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

12 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

13 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

14 portraying   

v.画像( portray的现在分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The artist has succeeded in portraying my father to the life. 那位画家把我的父亲画得惟妙惟肖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ding Ling was good at portraying figures through careful and refined description of human psychology. 《莎菲女士的日记》是丁玲的成名作，曾引起强烈的社会反响。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

15 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

16 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

18 glean   

v.收集(消息、资料、情报等)

参考例句：

• The little information that we could glean about them was largely contradictory.我们能够收集到的有关它们的少量信息大部分是自相矛盾的。
• From what I was able to glean,it appears they don't intend to take any action yet.根据我所收集到的资料分析，他们看来还不打算采取任何行动。

19 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

20 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

21 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

22 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

23 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

24 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

25 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

26 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。