The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was one of the most anticipated movies upon its release in 2008. Even though it’s been well over a decade since it hit the screens, the film still remains one of David Fincher’s greatest masterpieces, snatching three Academy Awards and countless other wins and nominations.
Arguably one of the most complex and intriguing films to ever be made, the movie is full of tiny little nods and Easter eggs even the most avid fans might have missed. Comprised of such a stellar cast, phenomenal production, and a masterful soundtrack, it’s easy to understand how some details may have gone unnoticed. With this in mind, let’s take a look at 10 things you’ve never noticed from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
A Talented Cast
Some movies are made great because of its directors, other because of its storylines. When it comes to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, several factors came into place in order to make it such a critically-acclaimed piece. But one that certainly deserves attention and praise is the cast.
Viewers surely knew Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, but they weren’t the only stars in the cast. In fact, the movie includes two other Oscar winners aside from Pitt and Blanchett — Tilda Swinton and Mahershala Ali. Plus, one Oscar nominee thanks to the movie itself, Taraji P. Henson.
Backwards Hints
Obviously, the main theme of the movie is time moving backwards for the title character, who was born looking like an old man, and whose appearance becomes younger and younger as time passes. Several nods and details were added to the movie in order to emphasize this very theme.
For instance, hummingbirds, who can fly backwards, and hurricanes, that spin counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, are some of the details regarding the backwards time theme that were included throughout the movie.
A Nod To Fight Club
David Fincher was far from being an unknown director when the time came to take on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Some of his best known and more acclaimed works include Se7en and Fight Club, which coincidentally featured Brad Pitt as the main actor.
It’s not unheard of for directors to give subtle nods to their previous work in recent movies. And that’s exactly what happened with Fincher, who decided to include a reference to Fight Club when Benjamin’s dad asks about “the house on Paper Street,” which was the mansion where Tyler Durden lived in.
Years In The Making
When a movie reaches theaters, audiences don’t pay much thought to all the work that had to be put into it before it even comes to fruition. In reality, many ideas and projects remain under development for years before they finally see the light of day, which is exactly what happened with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
The movie began development all the way back in 1994, and many stars were set to be involved. For instance, in 1998, Ron Howard was supposed to direct, and John Travolta was supposed to play the main character. Eventually, these titles shifted to Fincher and Pitt.
We See You, Scott
Many people might not realize this, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based upon a short story by famous American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald penned many of the greatest novels in American history, including The Great Gatsby and The Beautiful And Damned.
As such, it would make sense that at least one reference or nod was made to the beloved author somewhere in the movie. This reference can be found when Benjamin is reading a novel, and a picture of the author’s short story “Winter Dreams” is clearly visible. We see you, Scott, we see you!
“Kismet”
The love story between Daisy and Benjamin is perhaps one of the most complex, tragic, and beautiful to ever be portrayed on screen. It’s hard to imagine being in their shoes and loving someone who will never be able to walk the path of life at the same rhythm as you. Many subtle references to this are made throughout the movie.
Perhaps the most interesting one is when Daisy meets Benjamin for the second time and talks to him about “kismet.” This might seem confusing, but “kismet” is actually an English word of Turkish origin that means “predestined fate.”
Mark Twain Said It First
It’s always good to know where the inspiration for a certain piece of art came from. Was it a random stranger on the street? An impactful life event? Or another piece of art in itself? Obviously, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is inspired by Fitzgerald’s story of the same name. But where exactly did he draw inspiration from?
Well, according to the author himself, the idea to write the short story originated from a quote by none other than Mark Twain himself. And it goes like this: “It is a pity that the best part of life comes at the beginning, and the worst part at the end.”
Daisy?
Overall, the movie starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett stays pretty true to the original source material. Everybody knows that it can be quite complicated to translate a written piece onto the screen, but the team behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button did a pretty great job overall.
The biggest change comes in the form of Blanchett’s character, Daisy, who’s called Hildegarde Moncrief in the story. The name change is probably another nod to Fitzgerald and his novel The GreatGatsby, which features Daisy as the lead female character. Plus, Daisy just sounds a lot better than Hildegarde, so win-win situation for everyone!
A Punny Sailboat
We always love some well-thought-out puns when it comes to movies and television. And especially in a movie as tragic and dramatic as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, some comedic relief is welcome with open arms — even if you really have to look to see it.
In this case, it’s all about Benjamin’s sailboat. Now, naming boats is always a fun activity. But while most owners settle for designations reminiscent of the sea and adventure, the title character is slightly smarter than that. Care to guess? Benjamin Button’s sailboat is called “Button Up.”
The Curious Case Of Makeup
Even though we live in the 21st century and CGI has become the norm, sometimes relying on makeup is cheaper and ultimately results in a much more realistic look. For The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, both Pitt and Blanchett had to suffer the consequences of ageing makeup application.
Brad Pitt said it took around five hours every day just to get everything done, and Blanchett four hours. She could only lay in the hospital bed for short periods of time because the lights almost melted everything off. A big price to pay for a unique cinematic masterpiece.
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