The Ghost and the Whale

Loved the message of the movie. Mental health is not addressed enough in this country. Using an actor who suffers from bi polar in real life was ingenious. I really felt the pain of the character. Tippi Hedren is from one of my favorite movies so I love seeing her. This is definitely worth renting and keep an open mind when watching it.

Maurice Benard does a tremendous performance of a bipolar man grieving the loss of his wife in an accident at sea where he can't remember what happened, while navigating the resentment, hate, and doubt of the small town in which he lives, Bodega Bay (of The Birds fame), surrounding his guilt or innocence.

The film gets a lot right; the small town feel of suspicion and factions, the portrayal of untreated bipolar 1 disorder, the different ways in which people deal with grief, or choose not to.

The sub plot of the writer coming to town to investigate Annabel's disappearance seemed superfluous and distracting.

Although his arrival at Bodega Bay, being attacked by a crow with Tippi Hedren sitting on the porch watching was a nice nod to a classic.

This under-promoted drama/mystery about a man named Joseph who is struggling with bipolar disorder and the mysterious death of his wife, is one of the best films I've seen. With an intriguing plot, a stellar cast, and beautifully shot scenes, it grabbed my attention and kept me at the edge of my seat.

The plot unfolds in such a way that I felt the dark despair, the disabling confusion, the pain, the deep love, the manic highs, the glimmers of hope, and the relentless need for answers right along with Joseph. The pace is up and down, fast, and frenzied just as Joseph's mind operates.

True to life, surrounding him are people who are ignorant about mental illness and willing to ignore him, condemn him, hurt him, hate him, and be frightened of him. Only one person is willing to get to know the real Joseph and this allows the audience to meet him, too.

Joseph's roller coaster ride throughout the film made my emotions jump from angry, to confused, to scared, to sickened at the pain human beings inflict on each other. Yet, at the same time, I found reasons to smile, to care, and to hope. The ride was truly memorable for me.

At the core of the film is an interesting mystery: Did Joseph Hawthorne kill his wife? He's a troubled guy, after all, off his meds and struggling to remember the day she disappeared. It's easy to believe he definitely did crime, and it's easy to believe he definitely didn't. That's where the fun of the film's earliest minutes lies.

The best moments in this film, though, are those involving the character Jack. He generates so much suspense, oh my god. He's eerie from the moment he appears squeezing the spike on a barbed wire fence, and then just fun-to-watch psychotic as he conducts a revenge mission.

He's one of those characters you can't wait to see on screen again, but then when he appears, you kind of dread it because you know everyone is in danger. There's a scene with him and his family in a park that's incredibly intense, evil, and well-performed. My heartrate jacked so high I must've burned 100 calories.

Another highlight includes Dusty Lee, Jack's sister. She's believably creepy and in a lot of the film's most fun scenes. Just a nice spark to Jack's flame. Also, shoutout to poor Ed Hale, who just wants to write an interesting story for the newspaper and ends up having, like, the worst two weeks ever.

Enjoyed the film. The characters speak a lot of the subtext, and some of the relationships would've benefitted from a little more screen time and room to develop, but when the 100 minutes were all over, I was glad I took the journey.

TGATW is a fantastic movie. Maurice Benard truly is one amazing actor. He will take you on a ride thru his ups and downs. Give this movie a chance. I don't think you will be disappointed. Watching the character of Joseph Hawthorne come to terms with what happened to his wife is very much gut wrenching and edge of you sit entertainment. Thank you Maurice for you genuine portrayal and for this amazing movie!