The Whale

 We just watched the film the Whale.

Excellent acting.

The Whale is a double reference: not just to the protagonist's morbid obesity, but to a subplot about Moby Dick, which alas is never made clear in the film.

As a doctor, I found the film alas too realistic, 

It shows the challenges and frustrations of those of us who try to intervene with people who refuse to give up habits that are endangering their lives. Here it is eating (gluttony) but in medicine usually the problem affecting their health that we can't fix is usually alcohol or drugs or a promiscuous lifestyle.

we see this type of patient, who is stubborn, and has no insight into life: indeed, it's almost as if there is a part of their personality that is missing. And so it is here with the main character.

The main character has a major disconnect with reality. This is shown late in the film: his obsession is saving  his money to let his daughter inherit oodles of money when he dies. The money is cheap grace so he will be forgiven when he dies and his daugher will again love him.

 And never mind that his ex wife and daughter were not just deserted but that they ended up living living in poverty and could have used some of that money.

The love of his life was not a guy he met in a gay bar, but one of his students.

Harvey Weinstein anyone?

This student later committed suicide, which was of course blamed on his father's cultlike Christian church that rejected him for being gay.

Yet this ignores the high rate of psychiatric problems, including suicide,  of young people who were sexually exploited by teachers or clergy as young adults.

The protagonist seems oblivious to this fact (also a common response by those who abuse the young).

 They were in Love.

 Bah humbug. He seduced a student. An immature student. Am I the only one noticing he was probably banned from seeing his daughter and had to teach on line  not because of "homophobia" but because he was probably a registered sex offender and forbidden contact with underage students?

But of course, to explain the student's suicide, the film pulls out their favorite straw man type figure, the believing Christian, who seem to come right out of the latest Left Behind movie: you know, those who spout out of context bible verses at you to convert you.

These Christians seem more common in Hollywood films than in reality where the average Christians is the nice Lutheran Lady who brings you a plate of food when you're sick, or the Catholic next door who drives you to the doctor for your chemotherapy, or the Baptist guy down the street who will come to change your electric fuse when the lights go out and you don't know what is wrong.

Sigh. 

But in other ways, the film gets it right: for example, showing the struggle of caregivers who face trying to help people who just won't help themselves. The psychological lack of insight that they are causing their own problems is alas common in some patients.

The film gets most of the medical complications of morbid obesity correct. (something treatable with time and intensive intervention).

But I do have a problem in that, although the film implies depression was behind the guy's problem, it ignores that depression is a treatable disease.

This is a tragedy because all of these problems could be treated: Bypass surgery for morbid obesity, medication to control his high blood pressure and Congestive heart failure, medication and psychiatric therapy to help him confront his depression and guilt. 

And dare I say: maybe finding a real life clergyperson with experience in treating the sickness of souls to intervene. Or at least encouragement to join an AA group, which also could teach him to forgive himself, and ask forgiveness of others he hurt. He didn't need to eat himself to death to to punish himself.

I give the movie a 3 out of 5 stars: and warning: Very depressing film.