25 Big Fish Quotes on How Our Perspective Affects Our Lives

Life lessons are one of the things we always look for in a movie, so we’ve compiled these Big Fish quotes that’ll make you pause and contemplate things!

Everybody wants a good story to tell, especially if it’s one about their life. However, what if your tales already affect your relationship with your family?

Big Fish is about the reconciliation of William and his dying father, Edward. Because of his father’s hyperbolic stories, William thinks his father was never honest with him, which strains their relationship. But, after investigating his father’s tales, he begins to understand them before it’s too late, and they reconcile before Edward dies. 

During his father’s funeral, the people from his stories share their memories with Edward. This time, the anecdotes are no longer over-the-top; they are encouraging and motivating for every lister.

Indeed, Big Fish is packed with life-changing morals. If you need some inspiration to help you get through the day, read our favorite quotes from the movie!

And don’t forget to check out these Corps Bride quotes and The Polar Express quotes.

Best Big Fish Quotes

1. “A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal.” – William Bloom

2. “There are some fish that cannot be caught. It’s not that they’re faster or stronger than other fish. They’re just touched by something extra. Call it luck. Call it grace. One such fish was ‘The Beast.’” – Edward Bloom

3. “Everybody’s there, and I mean everybody. And the strange thing is, there’s not a sad face to be found; everyone’s just so happy to see you.” – William Bloom

4. “They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that’s true. What they don’t tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up.” – Edward Bloom

5. “There’s a time when a man needs to fight, and a time when he needs to accept that his destiny’s lost, the ship has sailed, and that only a fool will continue. The truth is I’ve always been a fool.” – Edward Bloom

6. “You were a big fish in a small pond, but this here is the ocean and you’re drownin’. Take my advice, go back to Puddleville. You’ll be happy there.” – Amos Calloway

7. “Sometimes, the only way to catch an uncatchable woman is to offer her a wedding ring.” – Edward Bloom

8. “There comes a point when any reasonable man will swallow his pride and admit he made a mistake.” – Edward Bloom 

9. Joséphine: “Oh, so this is a tall tale?”

Edward Bloom: “Well, it’s not a short one.”

10. “As difficult as it was to reach Spectre, I was fated to get there eventually. After all, no man can avoid reaching the end of his life. And then I realized, this wasn’t the end of my life. This isn’t how I die.” – Edward Bloom

11. Amos Calloway: “Tell me, Karl, have you ever heard the term ‘involuntary servitude?’”

Karl the Giant: “No.”

Amos Calloway: “Unconscionable contract?”

Karl the Giant: “Uh, nope.”

Amos Calloway: “Great!”

12. “Fate has a way of circling back on a man, and taking him by surprise. A man sees things differently at different times in his life. This town didn’t seem the same now that he was older.” – Jenny

Big Fish Quotes That Will Live on Forever

13. Sandra Bloom: “You don’t even know me.”

Edward Bloom: “I have the rest of my life to find out.”

14. Edward Bloom: “‘The grass so green. Skies so blue. Spectre is really great!’ It’s only three lines long.”

Norther Winslow: “This is why you should never show a work in progress.”

15. “I was trying to find a cure to my gigantificationism.” – Edward Bloom

16. “It was that night I discovered that most things you consider evil or wicked are simply lonely, and lacking in the social niceties.” – Edward Bloom

17. “In telling the story of my father’s life, it’s impossible to separate the fact from the fiction, the man from the myth. The best I can do is to tell it the way he told me. It doesn’t always make sense, and most of it never happened. But that’s what kind of story this is.” – William Bloom

18. “Have you ever heard a joke so many times you’ve forgotten why it’s funny? And then you hear it again, and suddenly it’s new. You remember why you loved it in the first place.” – William Bloom

19. Edward Bloom: “I just saw the woman I’m going to marry. I know it. But I lost her.”

Amos Calloway: “Oh, tough break. Well, most men have to get married before they lose their wives.”

Edward Bloom: “I’m gonna spend every day for the rest of my life looking for her. That, or die alone!”

Amos Calloway: “Damn, kid. Let me guess. Real pretty? Reddish-blondish hair? Blue dress?”

Edward Bloom: “Yeah!”

Amos Calloway: “I know her uncle. Friends of the family.”

Edward Bloom: “Who is she? Where does she live?”

Amos Calloway: “Forget it, kid. Don’t waste your time. She’s out of your league.”

Edward Bloom: “What do you mean? You don’t even know me.”

Amos Calloway: “Sure I do! You were hot shit back in Hicksville, but here in the real world, you got squat! You don’t have a plan. You don’t have a job. You don’t have anything except the clothes on your back.”

Big Fish Quotes to Make You Pause and Think

20. “Perhaps the reason for my growth was intended for larger things. After all, a giant man can’t have an ordinary-sized life.” – Edward Bloom

21. Karl the Giant: “I don’t want to eat you. I just get so hungry. I’m just too big.”

Edward Bloom: “Did you ever think that maybe you’re not too big, but maybe this town is just too small?”

22. Edward Bloom: “What do you want? Who do you want me to be?”

William Bloom: “Just yourself. Good, bad, everything. Just show me who you are for once.”

More Big Fish Quotes for Those Who Want to Fuel Their Imagination

23. “Most men, they’ll tell you a story straight through. It won’t be complicated, but it won’t be interesting either.” – Edward Bloom

24. “I was thinking about death and all. About seeing how you’re gonna die. I mean, on one hand, if dying was all you thought about, it could kind of screw you up. But it could kind of help you, couldn’t it? Because you’d know that everything else you can survive.” – Edward Bloom

25. “I loved a man who could never love me back. I was living in a fairy tale.” – Jenny

What’s Your Favorite Fairy Tale?

As children, fairy tales keep us entertained, and we get inspiration from them. They help shape us as we grow, and they hone our personalities and points of view.

In the movie, Edward tells his son exaggerated stories to entertain him and bring excitement to his life. In addition, he uses his tales to give William a more positive view of the world.

Big Fish is indeed a hopeful movie as it portrays a man with a better perspective on life. Regardless of the situation, he does everything possible to turn it into something exciting and learnable.

This kind of mindset is a must, as it keeps us resilient despite our troubles. After all, seeing things from a brighter perspective allows us to rise above any challenge. 

With that, we hope we were able to help you gain a better perspective and a more positive view of life through this list of Big Fish quotes. If you ever need a boost, visit our collection once more!

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Karen Danao

Hi, I’m Karen, a content curator and writer for Quote Ambition; I’m also a marketing and advertising professional. Beyond the keyboard and the screen, I’m someone who’s out to enjoy every bit that life has to offer!

Poetry, philosophy, history, and movies are all topics I love writing about! However, my true passion is in traveling, photography, and finding common ground to which everyone from different cultures can relate.

With the many places I’ve been to, I found that love, inspiration, and happiness are some things that bring people together. No matter how different we are on the outside, I’m a true believer that our emotions don’t lie; if you dig deep into our psyche, we’re all the same inside.

This belief was further amplified when I joined Quote Ambition. Through the quotes I’ve read, collected, organized, and written about, I found that humans are resilient, creative, and compassionate.

We take from each others’ hearts and courage, and it’s through our individual experiences that we learn how to rise above our challenges and pain. In so many ways, Quote Ambition is a platform that allows people from all over the world to gain the inspiration they need anytime, anywhere!

You can find me on MuckRack and LinkedIn.