When Benjamin (Pitt) is born, his mother dies in childbirth, but the screaming baby needs love an attention. When his father takes one look at the infant, he knows he cannot love this strange baby. The child has the characteristics of an old man, but he is still just a baby. So his father drops him off on the steps of a senior boarding house where he is certain the child will be cared for.
Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) finds the baby and she immediately begins taking care of him. The local doctor says the baby will not live long, so Queenie takes it upon herself to care for him during his short life. But Benjamin surprises everyone and lives.
Aging in Reverse
Queenie raises Benjamin as her son – her rather unusual son. As he grows up he lives out his years in the 80s, and year by year he grows younger, and lives through his 70s then his 60s, and so on. When he was quite young in terms of his lifetime on the planet, he meets a young girl named Daisy (who in older years is played by Cate Blanchett). Their instant rapport takes them off guard. He is a little old man and she is a young girl.
As the years go by, Daisy continues to visit her grandmother in the boarding home, and she and Benjamin continue their friendship.
Then Benjamin decides it is time for him to leave, so he takes a job on a tug boat. This offers him more than just a job and money to buy things. It offers him the chance to see the world. In Russia he falls in love with a married woman, but soon discovers things don’t always work out.
Benjamin and Daisy’s Destiny
Meanwhile, Benjamin and Daisy share their experiences via post cards as their friendship grows. Then in later years they finally meet again and this time they know they are destined to be together.
Everything goes well for the young couple, with the exception she is getting older and he is getting younger. When Daisy discovers she is pregnant, that throws Benjamin into a tailspin. He is worried that the child will be born like he was, and if the baby is normal, then he won’t be able to take care of it like a real father because soon he will pass her in age. While she is aging, he will be getting younger. What kind of a father is that?
Benjamin insists Daisy finds a good father for their little girl, and he takes off. Years later, Benjamin and Daisy realize he made the right decision.
The end of his life is much like the beginning of life for the rest of the population on the planet.
Brad Pitt and Benjamin Button
Pitt’s portrayal of the strange life is engaging. To play a man’s life backwards is definitely unusual. And thinking about Benjamin’s life causes pause. How would it be to get the old part of one’s life over before the early years? While some people would like to change places with Benjamin, it doesn’t seem all it’s cracked up to be. Yet this man faces his life with dignity and courage.
From the Story by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To say this is a strange story is putting it mildly. Taken from the story by F. Scott Fitzgerald of the same title, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a sad and strange tale of life, love, and fate.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
- The Blu-ray 2-disc set includes:
- An inside look at the visual effects and makeup
- A step-by-step look at the aging of Brad Pitt
- Interviews with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett
- Featurette on the story and making the film
- A feature on the music in the film
