6.8/10
26,747
83 user 71 critic

Big Nothing (2006)

A frustrated, unemployed professor joins forces with a scammer and a friend of his in a blackmailing scheme.

Writers:

, (as Billy Asher)
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Gus
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Josie
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William Rosenfeld ...
Deputy Garman (as Billy Asher)
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80 Year Old Blind Man
Olivia Peterson ...
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Call Center Supervisor
Shauna Shim ...
Melanie #1
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Melanie #2
Mindy Lee Raskin ...
Melanie #3
Kenneth Jay ...
Barman
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Storyline

Charlie is an ex-professor turned reluctant call center employee who gets fired on the first day. Distraught at being unable to provide for his daughter Emily and wife Penelope, he accepts when Gus, an aspiring scam artist who presents Charlie with a seemingly snag-free plan to make some cash. The plan is to blackmail Reverend Smalls, a man of the cloth, who's frequently turned up in the company database of visitors to illegal porn sites. Gus plans to extort Reverend Smalls, with the intention of publicly exposing his secret shame should he refuse, thus potentially destroying the man's career. Normally cautious, Charlie is keen on participating in this scam, confident that the money he'll make from the scam will finally help turn things around for him and his family. Joined by one-time teenage pageant queen Josie McBroom, Gus's ex, the plan goes ahead, but it all goes wrong as Reverend Smalls dies thanks to this trio, with this only being the start of their troubles. Written by ????

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

A comedy that gets away with murder. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and a scene of sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

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|

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Release Date:

1 December 2006 (UK)  »

Also Known As:

Grande Coisa  »

Filming Locations:

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Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£83,829 (UK) (1 December 2006)
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Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Before Entering the Monkey Wrench, Charlie checks his watch and it shows the date: Friday 13th See more »

Goofs

After the accident with the fat guy, it starts to rain but neither Gus or the fat guy has rain on their clothing or hair. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Charlie: [Charlie is narrating] My name is Charlie Wood.
[pause]
Charlie: I think I made a big mistake...
See more »

Crazy Credits

Outtakes are intercut with the closing credits See more »

Connections

Featured in Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: Episode #11.11 (2006) See more »

Soundtracks

Sacred Darling
Written by Eugene Hutz (as Eugene Hütz)
Performed by Gogol Bordello
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Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
A very thrilling but funny journey...
5 January 2008 | by (London, England) – See all my reviews

Big Nothing is about Charlie (David Schwimmer) who settles for a job as a tech assistant. He meets Gus Dickinson (Simon Pegg) and together with waitress Josie (Alice Eve) they plan to blackmail the local Reverend. Their plan goes awry, setting off a chain-reaction of unfortunate events that makes it the longest night of their lives.

I would not call this film one of the best ever made but I definitely think it is worth a much higher rating on IMDb. Higher than a 6.8 at least. It is a dark comedy and has been made very well for it's genre. But I admit I don't know too much about dark dramas/comedies as I don't watch too many.

I thought the movie is very engaging but starts out a little slow. But as the movie progresses the tension builds up and the story gets a lot more interesting. Especially in the 2nd half.

I definitely think this is one of David Schwimmer's best roles yet. I have seen many of his movies and am an avid "Friends" fan and Big Nothing is one of his projects which really shows off his acting skills. His character Charlie did have a few Ross-Geller-from-Friends reminders in him but overall was great and much different from the sweet, lovable character he usually plays. I am glad he acted as Charlie and I'm sure he will break out of the softie mould he is stuck in soon. Simon Pegg made a very thrilling Gus. He was basically perfect and I thought he was the strongest performance in the whole film. I hate to admit it but Alice Eve was a very good Josie. She had a kind of slutty but sexy appeal and her voice was perfect for her character. She did not seem out of place at all. Her performance spruced up in the last 45 minutes or so though, that was when her real acting began.

I didn't find a single "dull" moment in this whole movie and I definitely think it is worth a watch. Especially if you don't watch dark and serious looking, thriller type films. This would be a very good place to start.


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