Gigantic (2008) User Reviews

A sagging mattress held up by the support cast

[tigerfish50 · 5/10 · 9 December 2010]

The main protagonist of 'Gigantic' is twenty-eight year old Brian - a morose, monosyllabic mattress salesman. Some jaded film-goers might feel they've watched Brian's charisma-free loner cousins overplaying their quirkiness in far too many Indie projects. In 'Gigantic' Brian possesses the stubborn ambition to adopt a Chinese baby - a plot contrivance designed to distract from his stupefying dullness. Despite being single, earning little money and suffering from violent hallucinations, an irresponsible adoption agency is helping him achieve his goal.

The story begins when Al Lolly, an overweight businessman with chronic back problems, visits the warehouse where Brian is employed. Big Al purchases a mattress and later sends his beautiful daughter to settle the bill. When Happy Lolly arrives, she asks Brian to help transport her father to a chiropractic appointment, and while they await its conclusion, Happy invites Brian to have sex with her. He doggedly obliges in an underground car park - but their romance doesn't amount to much. Happy immediately expresses her own quirkiness with feeble attempts to escape the relationship, while Brian continues to obsess about Chinese babies. Like it or leave it - that's how love is in Indie-World.

The film's script is a strange beast - the main story is the lovers' moth-eaten love affair, but the sub-plots contain some offbeat black humor, providing John Goodman, Ed Asner, Jane Alexander, Clarke Peters and Zooey Deschanel with opportunities to create some original characters. Somehow, mysteriously, their combined talents manage to keep 'Gigantic' afloat while Paul Dano impersonates a sack of potatoes in the central role.

A big, big love

[ellis-rs · 7/10 · 21 October 2009]

After reading the comments and reviews on this page for the film Gigantic, I felt compelled to register an account on IMDb and add my own voice to the apparently confused chorus. My reaction to the film itself was strong, but not nearly as strong as my reaction to the comments people have been adding to this page. If I had gone to check IMDb site for the film before seeing it, as I usually do, I probably would have been turned off by the low rating and negative comments, and wouldn't have ended up seeing this little gem of a film. And that would have been too bad, because it really is a nice little film; One that has qualities that apparently inspire vitriol in some viewers, but their anger and 'disappointment' just bewilders me.

What is not to like in this film? The cast is amazing. The performances are top-notch and completely appropriate for the tone that director Aselton is trying to create. I've read comments that have mentioned 'believability' of certain scenes and plot points, but I think these types of viewers were doomed to misunderstand the film from the very beginning (and isn't it always these viewers who do choose to comment? bashing on what they don't understand). And that's not even to say this is some kind of elitist 'quirky indie' film as most people suggest. It's to the point now where 'quirky' is just another derogatory and pejorative term for something outside the realm of someone's expectations, experience, and capability of understanding. It's a term the narrow-minded use.

Gigantic is well worth your time and money. It's shot beautifully. It has some great performances that create genuine laughs, not from absurdity for its own sake or from cheesy one-liners, but from the performance choices themselves and from the character development. Did I mention Matt Walsh was great as well? The whole cast is wonderful, and I personally look forward to whatever Aselton does next.

A fine bed

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 19 April 2009]

Greetings 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.

Driving out the Demons within

[chemingineer · 7/10 · 6 November 2009]

Gigantic is an eccentric film about two oddball families. Brian is bored with his job of selling mattresses and is obsessed with adopting a Chinese baby. Despite having loving parents and supportive brothers he cannot relate to them and lives alone frugally in an apartment. Harriet or Happy who walks into Brian's showroom one day and falls asleep on a mattress has a dysfunctional family with a loud mouth hypochondriac father, an estranged disconnected mother and a self-centered older sister. Brian and Harriet are drawn to each other sexually but cannot connect emotionally and the Chinese baby only makes things worse.

Alternately comical and melancholic this surreal story is about people managing their angst. The exact reasons for Brian's anxiety are not stated but it is possibly because he was brought accidentally into this world by his parents.

There is a bizarre subplot in which a homeless man stalks Brian and keeps attacking him without any purpose. The discerning few can easily see this as a subtext for the demons of self-doubt tormenting Brian's mind. For others it could be an annoying red herring.

It is a film that will make you feel good if you have cracked the subplot.

'Brian, there's a goose loose in the caboose'

[Chrysanthepop · 21 October 2010]

I'm surprised at the so many negative reviews that Matt Aselton's 'Gigantic' received, as I found it to be quite a charming, funny, absorbing and well-made little film. I suppose not everyone appreciates subtle storytelling and that much of 'Gigantic' is open to interpretation (for example the homeless man, whom I interpreted as Brian's alter-ego).

The quirky premise may appear a little awkward on the surface. I can see why some people interpret it as 'a cry for attention' but the film does not dwell on that. It's very story oriented and focuses on issues such as family relationships and growing up. The characters are quirky but easy to identify with. The sharp dialogues are wonderful and funny.

'Gigantic' is a well made film. The soundtrack and cinematography are a good fit. Soundtrack itself is worth a buy. The art direction is toned down. Aselton tones down the colour to give it a cold look as the warmth is expressed in the interactions of the characters. The lighting is used efficiently.

The cast has done a commendable job. Even though many have disliked Paul Dano's performance (most of them commenting that he wasn't quirky enough), I felt quite the contrary. He downplays the part very well. Zooey Deschanel is nothing short of excellent. Even though she has played similar characters before, her approach to playing Happy is very different. John Goodman, Ed Asner and Jane Alexander and Zack Galifianakis are great.

Aselton's debut is a fun and absorbing watch and it lingers in mind long after the end credits have rolled....though perhaps it's not for everyone given the negativity, but so what. For me it was worth the chance.

All had no reason

[mvpetri · 7/10 · 2 January 2010]

It isn't a good movie. Paul Dano is too boring in Gigantic. Zooey is Zooey. I wonder if she is exactly the same in real life. In all movies of her that I saw she was like all the other. Fortunely I like her a lot but if I didn't I wouldn't have guts to see any other movies with her.

I started to see this movie only to see Zoey and, sadly, I finished by the same reason. The movie has no motivation. She said she loves he, but I can not imagine how. His character is boring. Both do nothing to know each other. After, she missed a dinner and everything collapsed.

A bunch of things was forgotten too. The research and the hot blonde, for example. An homeless try to kick his ass out. Seemingly with no reason at all.

Well, that is how I define this movie. Nothing has a reason. I don't know what was in the director's mind, what the writer was thinking when made this script, but they thought we could find out. Well, I can't. Like me, watch if you don't have any plans at 4a.m. and like Zooey Deschannel

For now, I'm sorry about my bad English.

The Rich Depression

[meccasauga · 7/10 · 2 August 2009]

This 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.

Enjoyed the characters (only)

[tacopony-1 · 6/10 · 14 September 2009]

I really enjoyed the setting and the characters played by Goodman, Deschanel, Dano, and the entire supporting cast.

But many parts of the plot were not believable, or even nonsensical.

The film resorts to passé plots (quiet boy meets sexy rich girl), but where it is inventive, it's inexplicable (the stalker, the lifelong interest to adopt, ...).

Goodman is a favorite of mine anyway, and his character here serves to balance the meekness of the other leads.

It was worth my time, however if it wasn't able to get Goodman or the other leads, it would have been a forgettable film.

TP in Texas

When "indie" turns irritating

[TestChimp49 · 2/10 · 31 October 2009]

Incredible cast wasted in this tiresome indie comedy that wears its quirks like lead balloons. Pseudo clever dialog and over the top characters combine with heavy handed symbolism making this one a tough slog for even the most undiscriminating fan of independent film. Precious and pompous, it's one of the worst examples in recent memory of the kind of trite self important spew that exists in the fevered imaginations of hundreds of interchangeable film school grads and Wes Anderson wannabes. After too many of these you'll find yourself screaming back to the multiplex and begging for a Hollywood blockbuster to erase the memory.

Quirky and different

[chapsmack · 6/10 · 17 August 2009]

Gigantic 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.

Chinese water torture

[Ali_John_Catterall · 2/10 · 15 June 2009]

The 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.

This is definitely one viewing worth making

[unclejester · 9/10 · 23 March 2009]

Refreshing 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.

Faux-Indie flick seemingly devoid of any individualistic messages!

[dingbert999 · 6/10 · 5 July 2013]

This decent faux-indie film is ruined by pro-capitalist & anti-poor propaganda. Some of which is implicit (even subliminal) & some of which is overtly explicit.

Firstly, one message of this film seems to be that capitalism is good, in fact it gets you laid. Secondly, another message is that homeless & working people are bad, they attack you in the street for no reason! This is evidenced in one scene where the guy says to the other that he got laid with a girl who's father bought a mattress from him & the other guy's reply is "God bless capitalism". To me, a blatant association of our elitist political system with sex.

At certain points in the film the lead is attacked by someone whom he describes as a homeless guy, but is at times dressed as a worker. Whether the guy is a figment of the lead's imagination or not, the negative subliminal association of poor/working person & uninitiated violence is made.

Later, they crack open a piñata & he says he has them made to look like dictators. Now it's very easy to point at the crimes of others. Why didn't he have some evil American politicians made like Nixon or Kissinger (who helped killed 5 million+ in Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos) or some figures of British Imperialism (who killed just as many as Stalin)? No, only non-capitalist murderers are worthy of our attention & that is the type of blatant propaganda you expect from Hollywood Blockbusters.

Where is the anti-consumerist, anti-materialist, anti-elitist & anti-status quo message I expect from productions with a supposedly individualistic non-conformist perspective?

Battle of the Quirky Characters

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 22 January 2014]

Brian Weathersby (Paul Dano) sells insanely high price mattresses in NYC. It's an indie of his life with all kinds of random quirky characters. Happy Lolly (Zooey Deschanel) is the daughter of Al (John Goodman) who purchased a mattress for $14k. He wants to adopt a Chinese baby. She's flaky. They hit it off.

This is filled with great actors I love. They seem to be doing good work. I should like this, but the story is a series of meandering scenes that drives aimlessly. They crawl along without any sense of drama. It's a battle of the quirky characters, and nobody really wins in this.

Unknowns, Edges, Dreams

[tedg · 9 August 2010]

The fashionable movies these days rely on finding an edge in convention and dangling a foot in the unknown waters on the other side. Wes Anderson and Jason Reitman and Judd Apatow are practitioners of this dynamic. The strategy is plain, with the skill coming from the balancing act.

So far, those three have done nothing but take a stable genre and story form and walk it to its edge. There is amusement along the way. I like these. But they don't go deep. They are afraid to hurt. We've had a few years of this now and already the technique has become the default in the least valuable of films: romantic comedies.

What we need is someone who knows how to find that edge and go to it. Someone who doesn't just dip a toe, but who jumps back and forth fearlessly carrying back insight. We need more Igby from the other side, but brought back.

This young filmmaker is just what I hoped for. The filmmaking is assured. The arcs are broken as intended. It suitably confuses the newspaper critics. It hurts in places.

I won't fall into the trap of summarizing what is shown, because what matters is what is not shown. Its the empty spaces in the narrative.

Why is someone familiar beating up our hero? Who is this endearing, broken soul that Zooey plays? What role does that gay guy play, the guy we meet at the beginning and never see again? What are those lines that seduce, are never said, but are remarked on as if they need not be?

There is a fold here: the sister runs a TeeVee shopping show; Zooey's character helps in an unknown way. In keeping with the gaps, we never know where the fold goes. There is a device from a standard romantic comedy: having a child. It happens but we have no idea how to register it against out romcom templates.

Some may think these are signs of a broken movie or an immature writer-director. They seem to me to be effective, deliberately engineered gaps that define an unknown, moving edge we are taken to and baptized in the open ignorance we bring.

Zooey really does understand what is going on. She's the perfect actor for this experiment.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

This was definitely weird

[The_Melancholic_Alcoholic · 7/10 · 3 June 2012]

spoilers, and not only on this film. you've been warned.

This was a decent film, but it certainly had it's weird and frankly, badly written moments.

It's about a 28 year old matrass salesman, Brian. We know that he is 28, because his father had him when he was 52 and he's going to his father 80th birthday.

He then meets this girl, a daughter of a customer.

I really thought this was some book adaptation gone bad, because out of the blue, this girl wants to have sex with Brian.

Also, his attacker pulls a Tyler Durden on him, which is never explained.

It seems people are upset this is marketed as a rom-com. I mean, get over it, it's not the filmmakers responsibility to deal with marketing.

This is a good film, with great actors, some of which are under used, like Clarke Peters and Leven Rambin, although she's kinda overrated.

But the story has loose ends, and not in a good, open-ended kind of way.

7/10 The Melancholic Alcoholic.

A rainy day film

[mjwurz · 6/10 · 15 January 2010]

Gigantic left me with a strange sense of satisfaction. I enjoyed the light banter that provided the balk of the jokes within the film. Dano and Deschanel are an immediate hit accompanied by Goodman's abrupt modern performance. The story is a simple boy meets girl plot with some subtlety epic spice, for instance the overlying story of Brian's attempt at adopting a Chinese baby. The script is coarse with much cursing and quick racial slurs, but it's not overbearing and allows for the deep topics to come off as lighthearted.

Matt Aselton did a good job at introducing heavily gigantic topics in a nonchalant manner. The title is very befitting of the gigantic life changing situations Dano and Deschanel are presented within the story. The overall movie is shot in the typical indie fashion, providing many modern art like scenes that leaves the audience with an appreciation of the movie from an artistic standpoint: one particular scene-the view point in the city passing by while Goodman is on his back in the car.

A few unanswered questions: Why a Chinese baby, and why has he wanted this baby for so long? What is the deal with the homeless man targeting Dano...does he even exist, is this a metaphor?

Overall good starter film, nothing terribly standout...perfect for a rainy day.

A Dreamed Answer

[paulccarroll3 · 6/10 · 7 July 2014]

I saw this film for the first time,and two nights later I woke with the memory of the answer to the mystery behind the Homeless mans' attacks.

In the film Brian was said to be 15 years younger than his brothers, that He was a child that was born late in his parents marriage. After killing the homeless attacking man Brian turns to the two witnesses,as he's holding a bloody knife in his hand,and says,as they're backing away,that this has been going on a long time,or words to that effect.

In my dream it became clear that the homeless man was a bastard son,who was never recognized by Brians'father, who then watched Brian be raised in his place. His attacks are from hatred and jealousy. Brian ironically wants to bring new blood into the family by adopting an baby. Of course, none of this was in the film,but neither was any other explanation,so it's just as valid as a possible suggested solution.

As to the point of why Happy was so upset by Brains adopting a child,I saw this as a feeble attempt to keep to the standard boy meets girl, boy loses girl,boy wins girl back, rom/com plotting, and I didn't buy it for a minute.

This isn't a great film but it's pleasant and interesting enough to watch once every few years or so.

The Perfect Bed

[freedommac · 7/10 · 30 November 2012]

A stunning performance by Paul Dano and a very believable by Zooey Deschannel. Some might say bits of this film are mundane and were not needed, but that's what makes this film a sensation, to be able to relate to these so called scenes can in fact bring you deeper into the film.

However, my only criticism would be the ending, I think it leaves us wondering about too many things.

Overall, this is a great film which explores the life of a salesman with a very unique life, not seen very much in many films these days, who falls in love with a customer who leads a very strange life too. The violent attacks by an unknown figure played by Zach Galifianakis make the film more mysterious and makes the viewer curious to who this figure is.

All in all a fine film.

Wasted time and effort

[okieindian · 1/10 · 19 January 2011]

Sometimes a movie comes along that makes the worst movie I've ever seen previously seem to have been not so bad. Gigantic is one of those movies. Lousy acting, lousy dialog, lousy plot, stupid throughout, with no rhyme, or reason. I've heard that if we were to put a hundred monkeys in a room full of typewriters, that they would eventually produce a screen play. Too bad that the folks behind this piece of dung did not use more monkeys. While it is obvious that the current crowd in the film-making business are attempting to excel in garbage and foist if off on the general public as art, it is equally obvious that nobody with half a brain can find even one redeeming quality in this movie... (Except for those who produced it who have sold it to the rental for big bucks and will receive praises from other film-making idiots who think that praising garbage is the thing to do. th vomiting in the film pretty much describes my feelings about Gigantic! Aaarrgghhh!!!

Decent, though not great indie

[Jackpollins · 7/10 · 24 August 2009]

Gigantic 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.

Too much left unanswered

[doug-697 · 4/10 · 15 September 2008]

Gigantic 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???

I Love This Movie!

[Ramascreen · 10/10 · 28 March 2009]

I 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--

intresting.

[pauldanolover · 7/10 · 27 March 2022]

This movie wasn't good, the storyline is confusing and the writing seems odd. The actors are amazing, Paul Dano did an excellent job as Brian and Zooey did a great job as Happy but the storyline is all over the place with lots of questions being left unanswered. Who was the homeless man? Why did Brian want a baby from China specifically? Why would Brian let a random girl fall asleep in his store despite being shown to be a man who wouldn't just let that happen? It's confusing. 7/10 because Paul Dano is hot.

Huh?

[tina-175 · 2/10 · 8 August 2009]

Huh! 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!