Josh Brolin Dives Deep Into Whalefall And Sparks Spiritual Reflection

Instagram/@joshbrolin

Josh Brolin gave a post that is part book review, part existential meditation, and all raw introspection. The actor took to Instagram and praises Daniel Kraus’s novel Whalefall as a transformative experience that dragged him deep into thoughts about life, storytelling, and this “Wild Architect,” as he poetically calls God. The photograph, black and white and picturesque, shows that back tattoo: a sprawling sailing ship inscribed with “OUR FATHER WHO ART IN NATURE”—the perfect, apt correlation to the whole theme Brolin is working through-the fine edge between adventure and spirituality.

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The caption continues meandering away into the philosophy of things. Storytelling is a way for one to “transmogrify,” to draw themselves apart and be stirred into another ambience. “Movies are at best, for me, an excuse to deepen my experience here,” meaning to heal or aggrandize himself. “The Wild Architect gave us the primal raw materials for existence-energy, structure, setting-but how we live within that framework is left up to each one of us.” “I fluctuate, but I’m getting better,” he said. Quite an unusual and nice slice of vulnerability from a man usually so stiff.

The comment section quickly became a small think tank with fans and friends interpreting some of those modern words on spirituality, storytelling, and other large questions of life. One of the comments riffing off of Brolin’s phrase “Wild Architect” typed out the entire Lord’s Prayer, triggering a quick debate as to the wording (i.e., “debts” versus “sins”). Another fan, angry at the beauty of the post, equated the madness of a good story to rearranging “the furniture in our souls”; at times they are “building cathedrals,” and others are just “duct-taping the windows.”

There were others, though, who declined the depth. They just wanted to gush over the tattoo (“Beautiful imagery for an actual tattoo,” one commenter said), and others sought to pimp their favorite books. A very exuberant commenter actually pitched Brolin a high seas adventure movie, desperate to “CURE HOLLYWOOD” with “HIGHLY CREATIVE NEW MATERIAL” (all caps theirs, not ours).

The best replies, however, mirrored Brolin’s deep reflection: Stewart Stafford said, “to step back from our own existence, fictionally reframe it and learn from it is an incredible gift,” while another voice said they had just spent “2 days with God on a river and camping,” implying that’s all the time you need.

The post, therefore, transcends a book plug; in effect, it is a snapshot of art performing the moment it hits someone in the face and knocks them loose from their everyday way of thinking. Whether by a novel, tattoo, or late-night campfire talk, the best stories entertain on the first level and then, in the second he’s big question, push us to entertain those. Obviously, Whalefall-at least as filtered through Brolin-willingly goes big.

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So what now? Walking back to more reading, more reflection, and then hopefully more of Brolin’s raves about life and the whole grand design. One thing this post celebrates alongside is that even those Big Boys of Hollywood have to get their feet wet much like anyone else—whether inside a whale or their very own Belgian.