The Big Year

Last updated
The Big Year
The Big Year Poster.jpg
Teaser poster
Directed by David Frankel [1]
Written by Howard Franklin
Based onThe Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession
by Mark Obmascik
Produced by Karen Rosenfelt
Stuart Cornfeld
Curtis Hanson
Starring
Cinematography Lawrence Sher
Edited by Mark Livolsi
Music by Theodore Shapiro
Production
companies
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • October 14, 2011 (2011-10-14)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$41 million [2]
Box office$7.4 million [3]

The Big Year is a 2011 American comedy film starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson, directed by David Frankel and written by Howard Franklin. The film was based on the 2004 non-fiction book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik. The book follows three men on a quest for a Big Year – a competition among birders to see who can spot and identify the greatest number of bird species in North America (north of Mexico) in a calendar year. The three actual birders were Sandy Komito, Al Levantin, and Greg Miller, who were chasing Komito's prior record. The film uses the same premise with fictional characters.

Contents

Filming for The Big Year took place from May to July 2010. [4] The film was released on October 14, 2011, in the United States. [5] It was released in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2011. [6]

Plot

There are three seasoned birders who each set out to achieve a Big Year: Brad Harris, a 36-year-old computer programmer based in Baltimore; Stu Preissler, founder and CEO of a New York company bearing his name; and roofing contractor Kenny Bostick, who holds the current Big Year record of 732 birds.

Bostick is obsessively possessive of his record, but his third wife Jessica is concerned; this was supposed to be the year they focused on conceiving a child. She also believes that Bostick's birding obsession is what destroyed his two previous marriages. [7] He is so competitive that the others use his name as a kind of expletive: "Bostick!" Brad is a skilled birder who can identify nearly any species solely by sound, and hates his job maintaining the operational software of a nuclear power plant in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. Living with his parents after a failed marriage, an aborted career at Dell, and dropping out of grad school, he hopes that doing a Big Year will give him a sense of purpose and possibly even make his father proud of him. [8]

Stu is the founder and CEO of an enormous Manhattan-based chemical conglomerate which he built from the ground up, starting in his garage. After decades of corporate success, he is ready to retire to Colorado with his architect wife. Fear of an empty schedule led him to come back from a previous retirement, but now he wants to leave his company in the hands of his two lieutenants. The company is in the middle of complicated negotiations to merge with a competitor, so his two anointed successors keep calling him back to New York for important meetings; to some extent he is a prisoner of his own success. [7] A Big Year has been his lifelong dream and he's pursuing it with the full support of his wife.

The movie portrays various incidents that take place during the Big Year event, while the trio compete with each other and many other birders to achieve the world record of sighting the highest number of birds. Brad and Stu become friends and help each other in the competition, and Brad is attracted to a fellow birder, Ellie. Meanwhile, the highly competitive Bostick resorts to dirty tricks to boost his own count while undermining the others.

As the year draws to a close, Stu is happily retired and enjoying his newborn grandson; Brad develops a relationship with Ellie; and Bostick is alone, as his wife has left him. Stu and Brad, now close friends, congratulate each other on "a very big year", after each sighting 700+ bird species that year. When the Big Year results are published, Bostick won the competition with 755, a new record; Brad came in second; Stu was fourth. Brad opines that "he (Bostick) got more birds, but we got more everything," as he looks at Ellie, who has come for a weekend visit. Stu smiles, looking at his wife.

The film ends with Brad and Ellie birding together on a rocky coastline, while Brad confesses that birding is no longer the biggest part of his life. Stu is hiking with his toddler grandson (already enamored by birds) in the Rockies. Bostick is on a birding adventure in China, alone and gazing wistfully at a happy couple walking with their newborn child.

Cast

Production

Principal photography was done from May 3 to July 30, 2010 in Vancouver. [9] Jack Black's fall on Attu Island was unscripted. [10] [ dubious – discuss ]

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. The Hollywood Reporter described it as a "genial, amusing and somewhat unfathomable" film; [8] the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called it a "gentle, light-hearted comedy" about "people trying to be the best, following their dreams and enjoying the wonder of birds". [11] It holds a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 103 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The consensus reads: "Though made with care and affection for its characters, The Big Year plods along, rarely reaching any comedic heights." [12] CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B−" on an A+ to F scale. [13]

The film was a box office failure, despite the established stars like Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson as the leads. Based on a budget of $41 million, it took in just $7.4 million in ticket sales worldwide according to Box Office Mojo.

Songs

SongWriterPerformer
Minor Swing Stéphane Grappelli and Jean Reinhardt Django Reinhardt
(If I Had) A Sandwich With YouDan DiPrima and Alex MarloweZombie Bank
Wheel of Fortune Underscorecourtesy of Sony Pictures
The Devil Never Sleeps Sam Beam Iron & Wine
Pitkin County Turnaround Steve Martin Steve Martin
Let It Shine Jeremy Fisher Jeremy Fisher
I'll Have the HalibutDan DiPrima and Alex MarloweZombie Bank
Away With PieDan DiPrima and Alex MarloweZombie Bank
The Dog's Decree - Concerto in C Major Antonio Vivaldi Alexandre Desplat
Viva la Vida William Champion, Christopher Martin, Guy Berryman, & Jonathan Buckland Coldplay
Come Fly Away Jeremy Fisher and Jack Livesey Jeremy Fisher
Surfin' Bird Alfred Frazier, John Harris, Turner Wilson Jr., and Carl White The Trashmen
Blackbird John Lennon and Paul McCartney Brad Mehldau
I Like Birds E Eels
Adeste Fideles Traditional, Arranged by Virginia S. DavidsonNew York Treble Singers
Silent Night Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr and John Freeman Young Bing Crosby
This Could All Be Yours Ryan Miller, Adam Gardner, Brian Rosenworcel and Joe Pisapia Guster
Auld Lang Syne Traditional, Arranged by Guy Lombardo Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians

Soundtrack references: [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Wilson</span> American actor (born 1968)

Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor. He has frequently worked with filmmaker Wes Anderson, with whom he has shared writing and acting credits on the films Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)—the latter received a nomination for the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. He has also appeared in Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and The French Dispatch (2021). Wilson also starred in the Woody Allen romantic comedy Midnight in Paris (2011) as unsatisfied screenwriter Gil Pender, a role which received a Golden Globe Award nomination. In 2014, he appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice and Peter Bogdanovich's She's Funny That Way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McTiernan</span> American filmmaker

John Campbell McTiernan Jr. is an American retired filmmaker. He is best known for his action films, including Predator (1987), Die Hard (1988), and The Hunt for Red October (1990). His later well-known films include the action-comedy-fantasy film Last Action Hero (1993), the action film sequel Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), the heist-film remake The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), and The 13th Warrior (1999). His last completed feature film was the mystery-thriller Basic, released in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Bird</span> American filmmaker (born 1957)

Phillip Bradley Bird is an American writer, director and producer. He has had a career spanning forty years in both animation and live-action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Greer</span> American actress (born 1975)

Judith Therese Evans, known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for her supporting roles in the films Jawbreaker (1999), What Women Want (2000), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Elizabethtown (2005), 27 Dresses (2008), and Love & Other Drugs (2010).

<i>Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol</i> 2011 American film by Brad Bird

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a 2011 American action spy film directed by Brad Bird from a screenplay by the writing team of Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, who also serve as co-producers. Produced by Tom Cruise, J. J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, it is the sequel to Mission: Impossible III (2006) and is the fourth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series. The film stars Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton, with Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway, Anil Kapoor, and Léa Seydoux in supporting roles. In the film, the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) is shut down after being publicly implicated in a bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team to go without resources or backup in a life-threatening effort to clear their names.

<i>The Hangover Part II</i> 2011 film by Todd Phillips

The Hangover Part II is a 2011 American comedy film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The sequel to the 2009 film The Hangover and the second installment in The Hangover trilogy, the film was directed by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Craig Mazin and Scot Armstrong, and stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, and Paul Giamatti.

<i>Footloose</i> (2011 film) American film by Craig Brewer

Footloose is a 2011 American musical drama film co-written and directed by Craig Brewer. It is a remake of the 1984 film of the same name, and stars Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Andie MacDowell and Dennis Quaid. The film follows a young man who moves from Boston to a small Southern town and protests the town's ban against dancing. Filming took place from September to November 2010 in Georgia. It was released in Australia and New Zealand on October 6, 2011, and in North America on October 14, 2011. It grossed $15.5 million in its opening weekend and $63 million worldwide.

<i>Ice Age: Continental Drift</i> 2012 American animated film

Ice Age: Continental Drift is a 2012 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the sequel to the 2009 film Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and the fourth installment in the Ice Age film series. The film was directed by Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier from a screenplay written by Michael Berg and Jason Fuchs, based on a story conceived by Berg and co-producer Lori Forte. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Queen Latifah, and Chris Wedge reprise their roles from previous films, with Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Lopez, Drake, and Nicki Minaj voicing new characters. The plot focuses on Scrat mistakenly sending Manny, Sid, and Diego adrift on an iceberg with Sid's Granny and causing them to face a gang of pirates led by Captain Gutt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Fuller (producer)</span> American film producer

Bradley Fuller is an American film and television producer. He co-owns Platinum Dunes, partnering with both Michael Bay and Andrew Form.

<i>The Hangover Part III</i> 2013 film by Todd Phillips

The Hangover Part III is a 2013 American action comedy film and the sequel to The Hangover Part II (2011), both produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the third installment in The Hangover trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Melissa McCarthy, Justin Bartha, and John Goodman with Todd Phillips directing a screenplay written by himself and Craig Mazin.

<i>Dawn of the Planet of the Apes</i> 2014 American film by Matt Reeves

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Mark Bomback and the writing team of Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), it is the second installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot film series and the eighth film overall. It stars Andy Serkis as Caesar, alongside Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The film takes place 10 years after the events of Rise and follows human survivors as they battle to stay alive in the wake of a deadly pandemic, while Caesar tries to maintain control over his expanding ape community which could lead to an all-out war between apes and humans.

<i>Incredibles 2</i> 2018 film by Brad Bird

Incredibles 2 is a 2018 American animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it is the sequel to The Incredibles (2004) and the second full-length installment of the franchise. The story follows the Incredibles as they try to restore the public's trust in superheroes while balancing family life. Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, and Samuel L. Jackson reprise their roles from the first film. Newcomers to the cast include Huckleberry Milner, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, and Jonathan Banks. Michael Giacchino returned to compose the score.

<i>Wonder</i> (film) 2017 American comedy-drama film by Stephen Chbosky

Wonder is a 2017 American coming-of-age family drama film directed by Stephen Chbosky, who co-wrote the screenplay with Steven Conrad and Jack Thorne. It is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio and stars Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Mandy Patinkin, and Daveed Diggs.

<i>Yesterday</i> (2019 film) British romantic comedy musical film

Yesterday is a 2019 musical romantic comedy film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Richard Curtis based on a story by Jack Barth and Curtis. Himesh Patel stars as struggling musician Jack Malik, who suddenly finds himself as the only person who remembers the Beatles and becomes famous for performing their songs. The film also stars Lily James, Joel Fry, Ed Sheeran, and Kate McKinnon.

<i>The Way Back</i> (2020 film) 2020 American sports-drama film directed by Gavin OConnor

The Way Back is a 2020 American sports drama film directed by Gavin O'Connor and written by Brad Ingelsby. It stars Ben Affleck in the main role, Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, and Janina Gavankar, and follows an alcoholic construction worker who is recruited to become head coach of the basketball team at the high school where he was a star.

<i>Last Night in Soho</i> 2021 British film by Edgar Wright

Last Night in Soho is a 2021 British psychological horror film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Edgar Wright as he is co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. It stars Thomasin McKenzie as a naive teenager who moves to London to study fashion design; there she is haunted by visions of Sandie, a glamorous young woman who had lived during the Swinging Sixties. The cast also features Matt Smith, Rita Tushingham, Michael Ajao, Terence Stamp and Diana Rigg. It marks the final film appearances of Rigg and Margaret Nolan, who both died in 2020, and is dedicated to their memories.

<i>Babylon</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Damien Chazelle

Babylon is a 2022 American epic historical black comedy drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It features an ensemble cast that includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, P. J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Max Minghella, Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, and Tobey Maguire. It chronicles the rise and fall of multiple characters during Hollywood's transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s.

<i>Father Stu</i> 2022 American film by Rosalind Ross

Father Stu is a 2022 biographical drama film starring Mark Wahlberg as Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-Catholic priest who lives with a progressive muscle disorder. The film is written and directed by Rosalind Ross in her directorial debut. The film was produced on a budget of $4 million.

References

  1. ↑ "The Big Year (2011)". Yahoo! Movies . Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  2. ↑ Kaufman, Amy (October 13, 2011). "Movie Projector: New 'Footloose' could dance circles around rivals". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  3. ↑ "The Big Year (2011) Box Office Mojo".
  4. ↑ "The Big Year - Movie Database". CraveOnline Media. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  5. ↑ "The Big Year (2011)". MovieWeb. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  6. ↑ "The Big Year (2011)". IMDb . Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Scott, A. O. (October 13, 2011). "Movie review: 'The Big Year'". New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  8. 1 2 McCarthy, Todd (October 12, 2011). "The Big Year: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "BCFC Film List". British Columbia Film Commission. October 2, 2011. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Jack Black's Unscripted Fall Makes It Into Final Cut". January 12, 2012. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  11. ↑ Shalaway, Scott (October 30, 2011). "Get into nature: Birders love 'The Big Year'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Big Year (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  13. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (October 14, 2011). "'Box Office Report: 'Footloose' Grosses $5.57 Million, On Course To Dance Away With The Weekend - The Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  14. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1053810/soundtrack IMDB soundtrack reference [ user-generated source ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.