Here's the thing I find particularly annoying about any "fatphobia" claims surrounding The Whale: It's mostly thin or what society would consider average-bodied people claiming that it "gawks" or otherwise views the body of the 600lb main character through a negative lens. Focusing just on the way the film shoots Charlie, there is great emphasis on his size because that is the embodiment of his self-destruction. The same way a drug addict self-destructs with substances and an alcoholic with booze or an anorexic with the reverse of this particular ED, it is a film about a man who is in great emotional pain and is self-destructing by overeating and refusing help. The characters around him are also how we get to know Charlie and each one serves to provide context for how things have gotten this far (to the point where we know he is going to die early on bc of his refusal to get the help he needs). And by providing this context and engaging with him, he becomes more and more sympathetic and human. The bingeing scenes are shot in a frenzy bc that is the experience of bingeing and the act is self-destructive, plain and simple. It was heartbreaking to watch as someone who has struggled with a binge eating disorder and who still struggles with food addiction. So, if you leave this film thinking that it "gawks" at Charlie's fatness, it is in fact your own projection of how you view morbidly obese people with a lack of humanity or respect. Much of the discourse seems to be about the use of a fat suit. But there seems to be no concern for the fact that this character is not simply fat--he is morbidly obese to the point of life-threatening. 600lbs is not a livable or healthy weight for anyone and there are no actors that can play this role at this weight safely, and therefore the use of prosthetics and effects is required. This isn't a Shallow Hal or Fat Like Me situation. This isn't a 200-, 300-, or even 400-lb character being vilified for simply existing as a fat person. This is a character that is at a point of weight gain that is unsustainable and directly detrimental to his ability to continue on. He is largely immobile through the film and the issues he deals with are issues people who struggle with this extreme weight deal with every day (heart issues, pain in legs, trouble walking, etc.). At no point does the film ever cosign the negative comments other characters make about his weight. His daughter, who much of the vitriol comes from, is very obviously antagonistic and unlikable, and it is clear that this comes from a place of pain at their shared past. And when his closest friend and caretaker says harsh words, it is clear that it is also from a place of personal pain for the fear of losing him. The film does not suggest that these things are okay to say to someone of this size--only that these are things that hurt people say to hurt those who are hurting them. If you replace Charlie's ED and fatness with any other addiction and corresponding physical deterioration, you can see how the criticism of "fatphobia" is misplaced. To claim this film is fatphobic is to expose your own fatphobia.
