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The film shows us a flashback of a very young Edward and four friends who are daring each other to go to a haunted house occupied by a witch (Helen Bonham Carter) in the small town of Spectre. It was told that the witch had a glass eye which contained mystical powers and if you looked at it, you would see how you would die. Edward bravely knocks on the door and explains how he and his friends would like to see her eye. This really sets the film and a young Edward sees how he is going to die, however the viewers are kept from seeing it. This impacts the storyline so much that it becomes the trampoline for how Edward lives the rest of his life, therefore, his tall tales and exciting storytelling begins. Because Edward faced his fears he became a more confident young man and gets busy doing things that will make him stand out from the crowd. When the film takes us to the scenes of Edwards past, we can see he no longer fears death. .
Edward's next adventure begins at the present when Will is visiting his father and walks into his old bedroom. As soon as he opens the door the lighting goes very bright and takes us back to a memory of Will being sick in the bed. Edward is sitting with him telling a story of a time when he was sick and had to stay in the bed for three years. He tells how his muscles and bones couldn't keep up with his body's ambition and the encyclopedia was his only means of exploration. He explains how he had made it to the G's hoping to find an answer to his "gigantificationism" when he uncovered an article about the common goldfish. "Kept in a small bowl, the goldfish will remain small. With more space the fish will grow double, triple, or quadruple its size" (Edward). Edward then realized the reason for his growth was he was intended for larger things.
Similarly Edward continues to describe an encounter with a giant named Karl (Matthew McGrory) who is seen as a monster by the small community in Ashton, AL.