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, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Emily Longstreth

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?

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Plot Keywords:

cheating boyfriend | boyfriend girlfriend reunion | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | wet daydream | brief full frontal female nudity | 

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Taglines:

Hollywood Reel To Real

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 December 1989 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

A Grande Comédia

Filming Locations:

The Vista Theatre - 4473 Sunset Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$117,463

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

Martin Short regrets not appearing in the film's credits. The reason he is uncredited: He was considered an "extended cameo" only having four scenes, totaling seven minutes. In his autobiography, he was so proud of the Neil Sussman character, that he wished he'd asked for screen credit.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the movie in the student film about the courtroom drama, the Judge in the close up shots is Roddy McDowall but in the long shots it's a different actor that looks nothing like McDowall.

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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.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Sea of Love/True Love/The Big Picture/Shirley Valentine/The Rachel Papers (1989)

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Soundtracks

The Whites of Their Eyes
Written by Christopher Guest and Michael McKean
Performed by PEZ® People
Sung by Michael McKean

User Reviews

Terribly funny and Terribly true

If you have ever worked in Hollywood (alright Burbank)then this movie captures the insanity that sometimes leads to great movies or watered down movies or even movies that never should have been made - which, unfortunately, are most of the movies made.

It is all there, the Agent who promises everything and delivers nothing, the Producer who just can't leave a movie alone, the forgetting of friendships in order to rise higher on the ladder of stars and the endless number of meetings and promises (broken and kept)that lead to only further frustrations.

The Cast is right on the target, the writing is superb and the actors deliver.

Before you go to Film School, before you move to Hollywood, before you sign that first deal - see this movie so that the tears that you will shed over Hollywood will at least be lighter.

Emily Longstreth is simply lovely as Susan, Nick's girlfriend