Gigantic Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
When it comes to family and relationships, there are no small surprises
Mattress salesman Brian Weathersby (Dano) finds his plan to adopt a Chinese baby augmented by the arrival of a young woman, Happy (Deschanel), who comes into his workplaces, falls asleep on one of the beds, and starts to affect his life upon waking up.
| Paul Dano | Brian Weathersby |
| Zooey Deschanel | Harriet 'Happy' Lolly |
| Edward Asner | Mr. Weathersby |
| Jane Alexander | Mrs. Weathersby |
| John Goodman | Al Lolly |
| Sean Dugan | Gary Wynkoop |
| Brian Avers | Larry Arbogast |
| Louis Ozawa Changchien | Matsubara |
| Zach Galifianakis | Homeless Guy |
| Frank Harts | Kenyatta Folds |
| Tatsuo Ichikawa | Nagata |
| Ilana Levine | Ducky Saltinstall |
| Susan Misner | Melanie Lolly |
| Kenji | Kanagae |
| Clarke Peters | Roger Stovall |
| Matt Aselton |
6.30 out of 10 (854 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Too much left unanswered
posted on 11 Jul 2009Gigantic has a few funny moments and good performances by John Goodman, Ed Asner and Zooey Deschanel is attractive and has the requisite quirkiness, but I also found the main character Brian to be incredibly dull and the weak link in this film.I'm also never impressed by the use of the "f-word" or for that matter the use of the "n-word" (even when it's said by a black person) when it feels that it's only being used for a cheap shock laugh.There are also too many questions left unanswered in this film. What was the stalker all about? What does the title of the film mean? But, most of all, the main character, Brian, wanted to adopt a Chinese baby since he was eight? Why? Perhaps, we may assume there was some male maternal instinct at work here. But why Chinese???
Quite Worth Your Time
posted on 05 Jul 2009I greatly enjoyed this film at the Toronto International Film Festival... my favorite of over 20 films/debuts seen over the week. (The Wrestler my second favorite) The film does not explain every single detail of the story, allowing the viewer to fill in some of the unknowns with their own ideas of origins and what the untold really means to the major characters. Even the title of the film has to be examined for meaning. This may bother some people, but I found it to be very refreshing and thought that the writing and acting outstanding.I think that Matt Asleton did a great job directing and co-writing the work... which in some ways reminded me of a David Gordon Green effort (a compliment in my book).I hope that others might enjoy the film as much as I did.Thank you.Randall Dobson
Quirky. And mostly interesting. But mostly one quirkiness after another, woven into a pleasant story.
posted on 21 Jun 2009What would you think if I told you the young man down the street is single and is trying to adopt a baby girl from China? And if I further assured you that he has wanted to do this since he was a young boy? You might well think he has a few screws loose. But that is exactly the role Paul Dano plays as Brian Weathersby, bed salesman. He has been working on this task diligently for some time and we sense he is getting close. His world is rocked when he meets Zooey Deschanel as Harriet 'Happy' Lolly, who comes into the store to pay for the $14,000 bed that her dad tried out the day before. By chance (or script) one of the delivery men is unavailable so Brian offers to help deliver the bed. Soon he and Happy are seeing more and more of each other, and neither of them is quite sure how the adoption of a baby girl from China might affect that.As he often does, John Goodman steals all of his scenes as Al Lolly, quirky rich father of Happy. Al observes, and says what he wants, when he wants. When he introduces Brian to his dinner date, he refers to him as "the guy who is sleeping with my daughter."Every scene is quirky in its own right. Dano and Deschanel pull it off well because, well, they are both good actors and they are both quirky. See the movie, see where all this leads them, you will like it if you like quirky movies.
Huh?
posted on 19 Jun 2009Huh! That's what I am about to say about this film... that's what it left me asking. What just happened here?? So it's this guy who is single, 28, totally boring and wants to adopt a Chinese baby... first of all, it is not realistic at all. The guy who wrote, clearly, hasn't read anything about how Chinese adoptions work which for those of us who are actually trying to do just that, it is insulting to say the least. "I made the list" he proclaims and he will travel to Hong Kong (!? seriously!?) to the baby who he refers to as "it" throughout the film. There is no referral, nothing about this situation is realistic! The writer "imagines" how it is like and he has a go at it without any research at all on the subject. Then the guy gets handed a one year old out the blue and wham, he is a dad. Lots of gaps there, half the characters are not even developed, there is this weird hobo guy who shoots and beats up the star but then it turns out it was an imaginary character (then who the heck shot him and you are even showing the bullet which the star pulls out of his leg on his own!! seriously?!)Boring film that didn't really make any sense at all. Asner and Goodman were the only good performances. This film simply does make any sense! There is no beginning no middle and no end, no explanations... and Dalon is like a statue.. he is not acting... he has no facial expressions!!! No emotion, no nothing!! Even his speech pattern is slow and boring... Don't waste your time and money on this... go see a real film!
Fresh and entertaining
posted on 20 Apr 2009Caught a screening of this film and really enjoyed it. It has a very interesting and inventive plot as well as incredibly smart and witty writing. Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel's chemistry is undeniable. A movie like this is so refreshing to see, especially in this era of remakes and repeats. I highly recommend this movie and hope to see more success from Matt Aselton. I hope you like it as much as I did!Thanks!Lindsey
Chinese water torture
posted on 10 Apr 2009The dictionary defines 'Gigantic' as 'Giant-like in size or stature.' So this film's title is presumably ironic - if any one movie could be described as an Anti-epic, it's Gigantic, the kind of mumbling, lank-haired, achingly self-conscious indie rom-com that gives mumbling, lank-haired, achingly self-conscious indie rom-coms a bad name.Gigantic is like prima facie evidence for non-believers: 'this is why indie films suck. Nothing makes sense. The plots are in-jokes. The in-jokes lack punchlines. The romantic leads are repellent oddballs who speak in stilted voices.' Here, they come in the executive producer-friendly shape of Zooey Deschanel - truly, the Katy Perry of Indiewood, and Bud Cort-alike Paul Dano, the pale and interesting girl's poster boy of choice. They're kooky! And altogether ooky.Did we mention that the title was ironic? A little shuffling weed of a movie Gigantic may be, but it does deal in giant-sized subjects: first love; starting a family; being forcibly chucked in at the deep end of maturity. Stuff which, in accordance with indie practice, is subject to the usual arch detachments. But by obtusely refusing to even paddle in the emotional or dramatic depths, Gigantic renders itself utterly insipid and almost totally pointless. Irony is a sweet poison. It must be handled with care.Paul Dano is Brian, a cow-eyed shoe-gazer from a family of high achievers. He flogs high-end mattresses from a New York warehouse showroom resembling the gritty unit HQ from 'The Wire' - so much so, there's even Clarke Peters (The Wire's Lester Freamon) flopping out in the corner. Has the Curse Of The Wire struck again? After Dominic West in 'Hannibal Rising', short-lister for Worst Film of 2007, and Idris Elba in 'Obsessed', contender for Worst Film of the Decade, the evidence is mounting up.Into this nest of slackers drops John Goodman's larger-than-life exec Al Lolly, who is looking for a quality mattress to fix his chronic back problem. Al sends his Bambi-eyed virginal daughter Harriet (Zooey Deschanel) along afterwards to settle up. Brian gets it on with Harry - or 'Happy' (yeah it's ironic). Brian reveals he's been trying to adopt a Chinese baby since he was 8-years-old. Happy gets cold feet and bails out - the most realistic move she's made so far, given that this is a virgin who potters round her dad's house in a modified bunny girl outfit, answers the door in a dressing gown that barely covers her assets, and strong-arms this Mogadon-magnet into the back seat of her daddy's car with the artless phrase "Do you have any interest in having sex with me?" after five minutes of meeting. Can a certain two-foot high Deus ex Machina reunite them? And will Brian ever shrug off that psychotic Gilliam-esquire hobo who's been stalking and knocking the jenny out of him for no good reason from the start? "This has been going on for a long time" groans Brian, following another beating from that clearly imaginary, ferociously metaphorical homeless guy. Viewers may feel like blurting out the same in the face of a movie so tiresomely quirky and exasperatingly aloof that at a modest 98 minutes feels three times the length. Gigantic wants to be a Sundance movie so badly it hurts. Unfortunately, the absence of silly bourgeois trifles like heart, charm, or even wit, prevents its elevation to the status of a 'Secretary', 'Juno' or 'Little Miss Sunshine.' The latter's Dano, one of the most fearless young actors working today (let alone 'There Will Be Blood', check out 2001's 'L.I.E.' for some early, brilliant promise) is essentially muzzled here, as Deschanel competes for the distinction of most catatonic cat.When Jane Alexander, playing Brian's mum, finally shows up at the end to talk some sense into Happy, it's like a jet of cool, cleansing water blasting away all that obfuscating mud. Yet almost it spite of itself, the film does articulate certain contemporary truths: in Gigantic world, sex is snatched at by adults with the psychological makeup of children; while parents are leading infinitely more fascinating lives than their offspring. The great Ed Asner and John Goodman, playing Brian and Happy's dads respectively, tear up the screen every time they appear, whether hunting for magic mushroom or hawking up their own brain tumours by willpower alone. They're not remotely realistic either, but at least they're better value than the leads, numbed by life. Those two review stars are for Asner and Goodman - one each. But it's two more stars than the film deserves.Want a fantastic, unselfconsciously quirky indie rom-com about emotionally blunted, poor little rich kids finally facing up to life? Try 'Harold And Maude.' Gigantic needs overhauling from the direction down.
pointless
posted on 29 Mar 2009Whoever wrote a good comment about this movie must be just as retarded as the director himself. This movie comes with nothing: No story, no emotions, no dramaturgy, no acting, no humor, no taste, no solution, no point. Around ninety minutes packed with mistakes in movie making.I am watching movies more or less consciousness since 35 years, saw all the classics, saw Russian Movies, European stuff, in different languages and so forth. Gigantic simply cracks me up how someone found the nerves to make a movie about some weirdo who dreams since his childhood to adopt a Chinese baby. Is this some kind of pet for him? Get a Siamese cat then, this is just sick on all levels. Not to forget this disgusting scene of the collective penis massage under Japanese mini-tents. Was the director among the clients, like Hitchcock always appeared in his movies?! Oh, and his parents, hearing the F-word from such an elegant Lady reflects too the downfall of the US society. Sickness and decadency everywhere. If that's the message of this movie, I then got it I guess.
The Rich Depression
posted on 06 Jan 2009This film brings me into the meanderings of an affluent New York social sail. A place where the cinematiques are well alligned, and the wind blows straight up your nose. If only slick-worries were that of selling fourteen-thousand dollar Swedish beds, and adopting withdrawn Chinese daughters; Brian(Paul Dano) falls into a cloud-like spontaneous sexing of Harriet(Zooey Deschanel), after he's confronted in the 'straight up' sense.I enjoyed the films' great screen-scapes and script. Every cast member acts well. I was left with an appreciation for the artistic value, and a hate, for the social caste which this movie represents. I guess i'm just jealous.
The unexpected and the unexplained in our lives
posted on 17 Nov 2008This is an hour and a half of reality. If you are looking for some movie to make you forget about the gray life and all of its happenings, don't watch Gigantic. If you want to see how normal people react in extraordinary situations, without any imaginative and "hoolywoodistic" improvements, go ahead and watch. Very few people understand the poetry of Gigantic. Even fewer understand why the movie is called this way. And the explanation is almost obvious: because what's happening to Brian is gigantic and what's happening to Happy is even more gigantic.Brian and Happy don't react extraordinary, cinematographically, in front of these gigantic situations, but they do what all of us would have probably done. This is why Gigantic is a good movie. Some have criticized the fact that Gigantic was put in romantic comedies genre. I have to disagree. Just because it doesn't have a cinematographic touch, it doesn't mean Gigantic is not funny or romantic. It's true, the jokes are Britishlike. But the romance is sparkling. Brian and Happy are obviously in love from the first time they meet. And they share some pretty moments together. The homeless guy represents the unexplained in our lives. He lives only in Brian's head, or maybe he doesn't. Just like all the things we can't explain. Gigantic is not a beautiful movie. But it definitely is a good movie.
Quirky and different
posted on 07 Nov 2008Gigantic is a different movie and this factored with some great direction and strong performances made the movie quite interesting. Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel made quite an unassuming yet refreshing pair. But it's Ed Asner and John Goodman who actually work their magic and steal the show. The film however disappoints in various levels mostly in all the side stories - for one thing although I couldn't believe I was seeing Galfianakis again this year, I couldn't quite make out of what to do with the homeless man every time he appeared. They could have done away with the character completely and the film would have been so much better. Similar such scenes exist throughout which are probably meant to convey some meaning probably but serve more of a distraction. Nonetheless the movie was absorbing and the direction was sleek. 6/10.
A fine bed
posted on 16 Oct 2008Greetings again from the darkness. I thrive on indie films and am always anxious when a first time director manages to break through the politics and red tape and gain distribution for his/her pet project. The debut from Matt Aselton is far from perfect, but certainly provides high expectations for his next film.Blessed with a terrific cast including Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood), indie favorite Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman, and veterans Ed Asner and Jane Alexander; Aselton creates some odd characters that somehow connect not only to each other, but also to the viewing audience.The film does sometimes suffer from the mistake of many first time filmmakers ... inclusion of scenes that have always been in the mind of the writer/director, but just don't quite fit in the context of the film. The brutal attacks/images by the homeless guy (played by comedian Zach Galifianakis) and the massage parlor scene are two that jump to mind.On the other hand, and more importantly, there are a few scenes that are remarkable and really provide hope for Aselton's next film: When Zooey first awakens from her nap in the store, she and Dano have an exchange that sets the stage for their relationship; the family dinner without Zooey; John Goodman on his kitchen floor and at the doctor; Jane Alexander on the balcony with Zooey proves what an effective and elegant actress Ms. Alexander remains as she is the first one to connect with Zooey on an adult level. These all result from the creative mind an eye of Mr. Aselton and have set the bar high for his next outing.
I Love This Movie!
posted on 20 Sep 2008I love GIGANTIC, it's a dramedy that will win your heart. From the acting to the story, from the cast to every line that that they say, it's smartass yet funny, it's blunt yet gentle, this is Indie movie at its best. Writer/Director Matt Aselton has… come up with unique, memorable characters though as weird and messed up as they are, you wouldn't mind being part of the family.The writing is what fascinates me about this movie. Matt Aselton and fellow scribe Adam Nagata have a great sense of humor, the comedy injected into this drama hits every target dead on. If you're not laughing at some of the scenes, then there's definitely something wrong with you, I'm just going to throw it out there. It's got some random acts that happen for no reason and they just crack me up That said, GIGANTIC also has rich characters that stem from America's individuality and the freedom to choose whatever it is that you want to be and that in itself can bring so much pressure on one person. It is a love story but it's not too lovy dubby that you'll hate it, and it's not trying too hard to be your average chick flick either because the complication, anxiety, and fear that ensues when the two main characters start to have feeling for each other are the kinds that we can relate to, the kinds that we, the audience, had experienced before at one point or another. I believe in greatness in simplicity and GIGANTIC is exactly that.Paul Dano who floored me in Little Miss Sunshine, I also thought he should've been nominated for There Will Be Blood, plays the character Brian in GIGANTIC and Paul proves to us again that he's a young but powerful force to be reckon with. There's a certain calmness to his performance but he can also deliver a certain commanding stubbornness and he does it just as good as any experienced actor out there which makes him capable of sharing screen time with veterans like John Goodman and Ed Asner and not drowning in their shadows. The cute Zooey who somehow has the ability to put your guard down when you're at her presence, plays the quirky Happy who's not sure what she wants to do with her life, causing her to be unsure either about letting Paul Dano be a part of her life. What a fantastic cast. John Godman and the legendary Ed Asner both play supportive fathers but each of them had a their own way of showing it. The great Jane Alexander has one particular excellent scene with Zooey, a self-realization scene that basically touches the whole point of the story, it was brief but surprisingly heartfelt. By the way, there's a special appearance by a Chinese baby that will absolutely get even the manliest guys to say 'Aww!'This is not a movie about dysfunctional family but the family's not perfect either. I think it's a feel good movie aimed to let the audience know that you can still pursuit your plans and fall in love at the same time. Letting someone in doesn't mean you have to disregard those who already care about you and it's never too late to make thing right. GIGANTIC may be Matt Aselton's first feature film but it's good enough to make me a fan and I'm looking forward to his upcoming projects.--Rama's SCREEN--
Quirky Is As Quirky Does
posted on 18 Sep 2008'Gigantic' is the debut film from writer/director,Mark Aselton (a name to look out for in the future). It concerns a mattress salesman (played by Paul Dano,from 'There Will Be Blood','Little Miss Sunshine',and others)who receives an odd customer (John Goodman),who's daughter (Zooey Deschanel)falls asleep on one of the beds in the show room. An odd relationship develops between the two. There are some other elements that makes this for a flawed,but funny (and fun)evening at the cinema (a psychotic homeless man stalks our protagonist,an adoption of an Asian baby looms in the background,as well as a hunt for wild mushrooms on (ironically) sacred mushrooms for good measure ,too). Other familiar faces turn up in this film as well,for good turn (Ed Asner,Jane Alexander,etc.). A film that is worth seeking out. Rated 'R'by the MPAA,this film contains salty language,sexual situations,drug usage & some violence. Leave the little ones home.
This is definitely one viewing worth making
posted on 10 Sep 2008Refreshing for a first time director, Matt Aselton has managed to bring a new dimension to the acting repertoire of his leads, Zooey Deschanel, Paul Dano, and veteran, John Goodman.Deschanel in particular shines brightly in Gigantic, as a privileged, underachieving heiress who is facing up to becoming a woman – evidenced in the empathy her character, 'Happy', somehow manages to elicit.Gigantic certainly plays against gender expectations, as Deschanel's love interest, Dano, looks to fix a situation in order to mend himself, indeed, this is a chick flick that should also appeal to guys; funny, rude, touching, violent, gentle, brutal, kindly, inconsiderate.Once you overcome the gimmick of the unique premise – mattress salesman who wants to adopt a Chinese baby – this really becomes an enjoyable watch, peppered with cool, sharp dialog and seasoned with warm, elevated charm. It is a movie in which the viewer is invited to contemplate how inner turmoil can be overcome if one doesn't give up on what one wants.Shot in 35mm, it is also a beautiful thing to behold, and with a soundtrack (scored by Roddy Bottum) that includes Animal Collective, there is much about Gigantic which stays with the viewer long after its conclusion – not least the movie's Fight Club character: as Zach Galifianakis portrays a brutal representation of disconnection.
Decent, though not great indie
posted on 08 Aug 2009Gigantic is the story of mattress salesman Brian (Paul Dano). One day, a man named Al (John Goodman) comes into his store looking for a bed. The beds are very expensive, so Al sends his daughter, Harriet, A.K.A. Happy (Zooey Deschanel) to inspect the bed and the price. Brian and Happy fall in love. That's the plot of the indie Gigantic. Dano and Deschanel are both fantastic here, and the film has an interesting and fun spark to it. In fact, the whole cast is good here, except, dare I say, the very funny Zach Galifianakis in a wordless role as a homeless man who keeps mugging Brian. Besides Galifianakis, the other big complaint I have with the film is the film features a subplot involving Brian adopting a Chinese baby. This plot feels way too scripted. Gigantic isn't an amazing work of art, or even a great film, but I had a good time with it. It's a film with plenty of flaws to spare, but that said, it's enjoyable enough. I'm recommending this film, but with reservations. This is a good indie without the great indie feel, but a certainly good indie feel. This is one that is worth checking out to the indie film fan in all of us.