The Big Picture (1989)

Film school grad Nick Chapman thought his career was made after his award winning short film, but discovered Hollywood wasn't as easy as it seems.

Director:

Christopher Guest

Writers:

Michael Varhol (story), Christopher Guest (story),

Stars:

Kevin Bacon, Emily Longstreth, J.T. Walsh

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Bacon	...	Nick Chapman
Emily Longstreth	...	Susan Rawlings
J.T. Walsh	...	Allen Habel
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Lydia Johnson
Michael McKean	...	Emmet Sumner
Kim Miyori	...	Jenny Sumner
Teri Hatcher	...	Gretchen
Dan Schneider	...	Jonathan Tristan-Bennet
Jason Gould	...	Carl Manknik
Tracy Brooks Swope	...	Lori Pressman
Don Franklin	...	Todd Marvin
Gary Kroeger	...	Mark
Alice Hirson	...	Mrs. Chapman
Grant Owens	...	Mr. Chapman
Fran Drescher	...	Polo Habel

Storyline

Nick Chapman graduates from film school, and his short film wins a special prize. This gives him a high enough profile that he can get Hollywood to back the film he has long dreamed of making. Studio exec Allen Habel is interested. But Nick soon is seduced by Hollywood and makes one concession after another until his original movie is lost altogether. Worse, Nick is lost, too, turning on girlfriend Susan and old buddy Emmet. Will he come to his sense before everything is lost?

---

Plot Keywords:

hollywood | agent | actress | friendship | film student | 

---

Taglines:

Film School prepared Nick for everything... everything but Hollywood.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 1990 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Grande Comédia

Filming Locations:

Ballroom, Park Plaza Hotel - 607 S. Park View Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$117,463 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aspen Film Society

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the student awards dinner, after the Crossed Sabres of Truth is shown, Dan Schneider's line "...regrettably killed while filming" could be a reference to Vic Morrow, who was Jennifer Jason Leigh's father. She plays Lydia in the film. Even if not intended to be about him, it was how she lost her father.

---

Goofs

In Susan's office, her pearl necklace changes length.

---

Quotes

Nick Chapman: What is it?
Emmet Sumner: It's this stupid movie. It's called "Coffins from Hell."
Nick Chapman: What is it about?
Emmet Sumner: Coffins from hell.

---

Connections

Referenced in Return to Innocence (2001)

---

Soundtracks

"Ballade N°1 en sol mineur opus 23"
(uncredited)
Composed by Frédéric Chopin
(1831-1835)

User Reviews

Nick Chapman - an indie-film pioneer?

THE BIG PICTURE is a breezy satire of the movie business from the mind of writer/director Christopher Guest (BEST IN SHOW, A MIGHTY WIND). It tells the story of Nick Chapman (Kevin Bacon), a young film director who gets put through the Hollywood wringer. Studio executives, agents, and starlets all prey on Nick's naivete and he eventually sells out, neglecting his girlfriend and best friend in the process.

What's interesting about THE BIG PICTURE is its grassroots portrayal of how Nick finally launches his Hollywood career - by starting small, doing his own thing, and involving his friends. Those are basically the tenets of independent film, which boomed in the decade following THE BIG PICTURE.

Nowadays, many of those indie directors - among them Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez, and Christopher Nolan - are getting hired to do big-budget studio pictures. In fact, Soderbergh's "sex, lies, and videotape" was released the same year as this movie.

Was Nick Chapman's "Pez People" video responsible for the indie film movement? Not likely, but THE BIG PICTURE was certainly an advocate of its principles.