History Film / TheWhale

* TroubledAbuser: While it still doesn't justify or excuse the way she treats others (Charlie in particular) like dirt, Ellie has nonetheless suffered major self-esteem issues from [[DisappearedDad Charlie's departure]] when she was only eight-years-old.

* ShutUpHannibal: Both Liz and Mary (more specifically the latter) do this towards Ellie after the latter continues to mistreat Charlie in his immobilized state.

* BigFun {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Charlie is shown as being depressed and self-loathing, but he is also incredibly kind and gentle.

* TroubledAbuser: While it still doesn't justify or excuse the way she treats others (Charlie in particular) like dirt, she has nonetheless suffered major self-esteem issues from [[DisappearedDad Charlie's departure]] when she was only eight-years-old.

* TheFilmOfThePlay: Adapted from Hunter's own play of the same name.
* FormerlyFit: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Although Charlie still appeared to be overweight in the picture with Alan, he was still clearly in decent shape compared to the morbidly obese shut-in he is today.

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Ellie, a 17-year-old high school student, is shown smoking and stealing pills from her mother to get high. It's implied she has been doing this for quite some time.

* BigEater: {{Deconstructed|Trope}} and PlayedForDrama. Charlie frequently binges on unhealthy foods despite his overall health, to the concern of his nurse Liz. He even has an infamous BingeMontage that ends with a VomitIndiscretionShot. It turns out that Charlie's binge eating is a coping mechanism for his traumatic experiences, most notably losing his partner, Alan, to suicide several years prior.

* BoomerangBigot: Ellie appears to be homophobic based on how she has no issue addressing people as 'faggots', but it is indicated that she is actually a lesbian herself.

* DomesticAbuse: In addition to her treatment of her father, Ellie is also noted to be very hostile and violent towards her mother, even stealing from her medicine cabinets and harassing her online.

* TeensAreMonsters: Ellie exemplifies this trope. She has severe behavioral issues, including cyberbullying, drug use, and blackmailing. She was even suspended from school for her behavior, and her grades have suffered as a result.

* DomesticAbuse: In addition to her treatment of Charlie, Ellie is also noted to be very hostile and violent towards her mother, even stealing from her medicine cabinets and harassing her online.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Mary isn't exactly the sweetest person around, but she nonetheless won't shame Charlie over his partner's demise.

* UsedToBeASweetChild: Ellie appears to have been much sweeter as a child, based on the flashbacks and Charlie's monologues.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: 'Villain' may be a stretch, but [[TeensAreMonsters Ellie]] is nonetheless shown to be homophobic ([[BoomerangBigot even though it's implied that she is lesbian herself]]), as she refers to Walt Whitman as a "nineteenth-century faggot" and openly shames her father for being gay.

** Ellie revealing [[spoiler:Thomas's]] crimes to his family. On the one hand, [[spoiler:Thomas]] was forgiven and decided to return home, causing Charlie to decide Ellie was simply helping [[spoiler:Thomas]]. On the other hand, Ellie has been shown to bully pretty much everyone she meets, including drugging her father for her own amusement, suggesting that her most recent attempt at ruining someone's life simply backfired.

* BullyingTheDisabled: Ellie frequently treats her morbidly obese father like dirt. At one point, she pushes his wheelchair so that he must stand up even though he is unable to.

* TwentyMinutesIntoThePast: Since news coverage of the 2016 Idaho Republican presidential primary is seen on television several times, it can be extrapolated that the film takes place in early March 2016. As a result of this, Charlie's video conferencing software and cell phone are seen to be slightly more primitive than they likely would have looked in 2022. What Creator/DarrenAronofsky intended by setting the film during this controversial period of American politics is open to interpretation. Given how Charlie values honesty, it could be that Aronofsky used hindsight to convey that the future Republican nominee, UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, often questioned the credibility of the media and was seen by his detractors as a dishonest man.

* AbusiveOffspring: Ellie. She steals from, and is sporadically physically abusive towards, her mother. She also physically abuses her disabled father, throwing away his walking frame and drugging him (which could've killed him, due to his illnesses), cyberbullies him by shaming him online, and is constantly belligerent and demeaning to him, both for his weight and sexuality. She also shows no remorse for any of this.

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* BreakTheCutie: Charlie has a lot of these moments, but two stand out in particular -- when his wife confronts him and when the pizza delivery man finally notices him.

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Ellie, a 17-year-old high school student, is shown smoking and stealing pills from her mother to get high.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: 'Villain' may be a stretch, but Ellie is nonetheless shown to be homophobic, as she refers to Walt Whitman as a "nineteenth-century faggot" and openly shames her father for being gay.

** {{Downplayed|Trope}} with Mary. Aside from telling Ellie off when the latter keeps acting up at Charlie's place, she doesn't seem to do much else about her behavioral issues (like take her to a mental hospital or have her seek therapy) and instead abuses drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism.
** Played straight with Charlie, who puts up with Ellie's attitude due to both his depression and immobilized state.

* StrugglingSingleMother: Although it isn't explicitly shown, it is made clear that Mary has been struggling to care for Ellie since Charlie's absence. It doesn't help that Ellie directs her anger and hostility towards her as much as she does with everyone else.

* TeensAreMonsters: Ellie exemplifies this trope. She has severe behavioral issues, including cyberbullying, drug use, and blackmailing. She was even suspended from school for her behavior, and her grades have suffered as a result.

* BullyingTheDisabled: Ellie frequently treats her morbidly obese father, Charlie, like dirt. At one point, she pushes his wheelchair so that he must stand up even though he is unable to.

** Mary is also justified in calling out Charlie on his departure years ago and allowing Ellie to go to his place without her consent, considering Ellie's severe behavioral issues.

* BullyingTheDisabled: Ellie frequently treats her morbidly obese father like dirt. At one point, she pushes his wheelchair so that he must stand up even though he is unable to.

* DrowningMySorrows: {{Implied|Trope}} with Mary who binge drinks alcohol, possibly as a coping mechanism for Charlie's departure and having to deal with Ellie's terrible behavior.

** [[spoiler:Thomas's]] parents forgive him for [[spoiler:stealing from the church]] the moment they can get into contact with their child.

* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Exaggerated in Ellie. She's rude, standoffish and confrontational until the last moments of the movie, when Charlie finally breaks down her defenses. [[TheBully Cyberbullying]] is also a thing with her, as shown when she fat shames her own father on the internet. Her mother says she's done that to several people several times over, and she recently got suspended for threatening someone online.
* BreakTheCutie: Charlie has a lot of these moments, but two stand out in particular -- when his wife confronts him and when the pizza delivery man notices him.

* JerkassHasAPoint: While it still doesn't justify her horrible behavior, Ellie's resentment towards Charlie is rather understandable given the latter abandoned her alongside her mother when she was only a child. Charlie admits he was wrong.