Brendan Fraser explains how ‘Ratatouille’ is analogous to the creative process
Actor Brendan Fraser has been making all the headlines recently, mostly for his recent performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale alongside Sadie Sink. The fact that his career has exploded into excellence once again has transformed him into a phoenix from the ashes. Most fans are delighted by Fraser’s comeback after dealing with the trauma of sexual abuse, which caused his career to dip in the first place.
But on a lighter note, Fraser was discussing one of his favourite films and the joys of being an actor on the A24 Podcast in conversation with Michelle Yeoh. Yeoh herself has also come back into the public’s attention for her highly-lauded performance in last year’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, directed by the Daniels.
Revealing the surprising claim that “Ratatouille is one of my favourite movies of all time,” Fraser went on to explain that the reason for his love of the 2007 Pixar animated film is to do with his family. “I have three sons,” he said. “And when they were growing up, I would cook in the kitchen for them, and we’d watch Ratatouille.”
However, there was also a deep meaning for Fraser’s taste, as he feels the film expresses the distinction between artist and critic. “At the end of Ratatouille, when Anton Ego turns in his final restaurant review, I’ve gone back and looked at that passage of dialogue many times because it speaks to the creative process from the standpoint of a critic,” Fraser said.
He added: “And Ego says it’s fun to write mean things about people and to take credit for other people’s work. But he changes his heart, of course.” Evidently, Fraser found a deeper meaning than most when he watched the beloved Pixar classic, which is unsurprising, given his recent eloquence and intelligence displayed in interviews and press material.
The film is set in Paris and focuses on a young rat who longs to become a chef at a famous restaurant, so he befriends the bin boy who works there. However, for Fraser, the “point” of the film is that “there’s a message there that really speaks to us as filmmakers also. Stick to what your vision is. Stay to your truth. Let the people come to you instead of the other way around.”
Michelle Yeoh then agreed, “If your vision is bold enough and your storytelling is good, they will come to you. It’s hard when so many things around you sometimes try and pull you in different directions and make you wonder and feel like, ‘Oh, maybe I’m not doing it right. Maybe this…’ and fill you with self-doubt and all that.” Revisit the film below.
