Curious Case of Benjamin Button [DVD]

By Ashley Hillard

Based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story of the same name, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a fantastical fable that’d not feel out-of-place in a triple bill with “Forrest Gump” or “Big Fish”.

An old woman in a hospital is dying (Hurricane Katrina is blowing around outside). Her daughter, Caroline (Julia Ormond) sits by her side and reads from the journal of her mother’s old friend. The journal tells the story of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), abandoned by his father at the doorstep of a senior home after his mother dies in childbirth. He is born old, aging backwards as the story moves through the years. He is raised by the woman that runs the senior home, Queenie, played by Taraji P. Henson. As Benjamin gets younger, he meets Daisy (Cate Blanchett), the granddaughter of one of the lady’s living in the senior home. Their friendship turns into romance as Daisy gets older. When Benjamin rejects her, she leaves New Orleans and heads to New York to pursue her dance career. Benjamin joins the crew of a ship, headed by Captain Mike (Jared Harris) and goes on adventures, away from Queenie and his friends.

Benjamin and Daisy’s paths cross over the years and eventually they move in together. When Daisy becomes pregnant, Benjamin decides to leave her, fearing she’ll have to raise both him and their child. Daisy marries and raises her daughter without Benjamin. He comes to visit her and the feelings are still there. When Benjamin is too young to care for himself, Daisy takes him in and keeps him until, as an infant, he passes away. As Hurricane Katrina rages on around the hospital, Daisy lets go and it is clear that Benjamin is Caroline’s father.

They were gunning hard for an Oscar. When I read this script awhile back there was no unnecessary New Orleans Hurricane Katrina storyline and Benjamin’s grandfather was the clockmaker – which would explain why he is the one that is aging backwards! The story is random as it is written now, a poor man’s Forrest Gump written by Eric Roth the same writer that penned Gump. There are so many overlapping similarities in the two projects, a magical feather in the Gump story and a magical hummingbird in Button. A love that can never be. A grisly sea captain that is so mean but so loveable. Same movie, different problems for the protagonists. The VFX are impressive and of course Brad and Cate are wonderful, but Taraji steals the show, playing the most endearing character of the film.

Director David Fincher (‘’Fight Club’’) makes Benjamin look like Brad – there is a scene where Benjamin rides around on a motorcycle that could easily be TMZ footage (if it were lower quality). The story is solid, but the execution is a let down, especially in this version. No wonder it didn’t take the Oscar.

Extras

The Director Approved Special Edition DVD has one of the most amazing background sequences I’ve ever seen – Impressive visuals blend still photos with flickering lights and sounds that wave in and out, giving the feel of a Talkie. The audio key on the viewer’s remote can automatically play Fincher’s commentary at any point. Fincher talks about his regrets and there are in depth interviews in addition to the commentary. Fincher is candid about the loss of his father to cancer and how it helped him relate to the story. There are still galleries, trailers and subtitle options. The options for the DVD that allow the viewer to see the making of the film are titled First Trimester, Second Trimester, Third Trimester and Birth.