McCurdy- Big Fish

Edward Bloom in Big Fish

Edward Bloom meets very interesting characters as he goes through life, but they do not necessarily have the same positive outlook on life as he. He generally has a very sunny disposition throughout Big Fish, and he tries to spread this to others when interacting with them. He is happy and wants everyone else to be. However, many of the people he meets are very different from him. Interestingly enough though, the grotesque characters he encounters are drawn to him, and vice versa. They seem to find joy in being with each other, regardless of their differences. For example, when Edward meets the people of Spectre, they try to force him to stay in their idealistic, cookie-cutter society. He treats them with kindness, even though he realizes their differences. Even when he decides to leave the town, he remains on good terms with them and does not reject them because of contrasting opinions. They feel the same way toward him as well, because they respect his sunny personality and respectful tone.
The giant Edward meets would generally scare people, but he is drawn to him and understands that he is a genuinely sweet person on the inside. The giant and Edward both trust each other, putting their differences aside. The giant believes Edward will stray from him when they are journeying together, but Edward assures him that he won't and gives him his backpack as a symbol of trust. They have mutual respect for each other and accept them for who they are.
Making these connections between contrasting personalities is very important to Tim Burton, seeing as he has been doing it his entire life. Burton went through life meeting various people he was drawn to and created somewhat of a family out of them. He realizes that just because people have differences does not mean they can't get along. In fact, varying personalities can often come together and create a beautiful friendship. This is highlighted in Big Fish, especially when it comes to Edward Bloom's relationships with others. They both accept themselves for who they really are.