The Big Year (2011)

Two bird enthusiasts try to defeat the cocky, cutthroat world record holder in a year-long bird-spotting competition.

Director:

David Frankel

Writers:

Howard Franklin (screenplay), Mark Obmascik (book)

Stars:

Jack Black, Zahf Paroo, Owen Wilson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Black	...	Brad Harris
Zahf Paroo	...	Prasad
John Cleese	...	Historical Montage Narrator (voice)
Owen Wilson	...	Kenny Bostick
Rosamund Pike	...	Jessica
Steve Martin	...	Stu Preissler
Kevin Pollak	...	Jim Gittelson
Joel McHale	...	Barry Loomis
JoBeth Williams	...	Edith Preissler
Paul Campbell	...	Tony
Cindy Busby	...	Susie
Greg Kean	...	Computer Birder
Eva Allan	...	Birder's Daughter
Bill Dow	...	Dr. Paul Elkin
Barry Shabaka Henley	...	Dr. Neil Kramer

Storyline

In birding, a Big Year is seeing or hearing as many different species of birds as possible in a calendar year. Three men pursue the Birder of the Year title: Kenny Bostick, who's seen a record 732 in a past big year, Stu Preissler, newly retired, and Brad Harris, who narrates the story. Life gets in the way: Bostick's wife wants a baby, Stu's firm needs him for sensitive negotiations, and Brad, divorced and underemployed at 36, has an encouraging mom and a disapproving dad. They criss-cross the U.S. (including a trip to Alaska's westernmost island), follow migration patterns, and head for storms that force birds to ground. Who will win, at what cost, and with what rewards?

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Plot Keywords:

alaska | migration | storm | birding | competition | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and some sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Grande Ano

Filming Locations:

Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$41,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,251,884 (USA) (14 October 2011)

Gross:

$7,204,138 (USA) (16 December 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Red Hour Films, Deuce Three Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steve Carell and Dustin Hoffman were both attached to star at one point.

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Goofs

While the office workers at the nuclear plant wear security badges, they do not have personal radiation monitors which are required at all US facilities.

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Quotes

[from trailer]
Brad Harris: There is going to be major fallout in a few hours.
Bill Clemont: Nuclear fallout?
Brad Harris: Bird fallout.

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits, photos of every bird found by the winner are shown.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.14 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Come Fly Away"
by Jack Livesey and Jeremy Fisher

User Reviews

Highly Underrated

I'm sorry, but I've to say that people's taste in movies is getting worse by the year. They seem to give high ratings to mindless movies and fail to appreciate the good ones.

The Big Year is a beautiful drama-comedy picture, starring 4 of my favorite comedians - Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Jim Parsons.

It is a touching and heart warming story, which has it's comic points and showcases most valuable life lessons - family coming first, the price people pay for being the greatest in any field, choosing between priorities etc.

It's a wonderful effort and it deserves a watch, and the a minimum 8 star rating.