Tuesday 14 February 2012

The Big Year (2011)


The Big Year is a 2011 comedy film starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Jim Parsons, Rashida Jones, Anjelica Huston, Dianne Wiest, JoBeth Williams, Brian Dennehy, Rosamund Pike and Tim Blake Nelson. The Big Year was directed by David Frankel and written by Howard Franklin. The film was based on the book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession which was written by Mark Obmascik. The film was released on October 14, 2011, in the United States. Filming took place from May to July 2010. The film was released in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2011.









The Plot

A group of bird enthusiasts set on a big year, a quest to outdo each other by finding the most species of birds in North America. Their competition is an allegory for the challenges faced in their lives. Check out the trailer for more information as it's hard to describe the plot without any spoilers.


Reviews

The film has received mixed reviews from critics. It holds a 39% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus stating: "Though made with care and affection for its characters, The Big Year plods along, rarely reaching any comedic heights". CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B-minus" on an A+ to F scale.

The film was a box office failure, despite the established stars like Martin, Black and Wilson as the leads. Based on a budget of $41 million, it took in just $7 million in ticket sales.


The Cast

Jack Black as Brad Harris
 Zahf Paroo as Prasad
 John Cleese as Historical Montage Narrator
 Owen Wilson as Kenny Bostick
 Rosamund Pike as Jessica
 Steve Martin as Stu Preissler
 Kevin Pollak as Jim Gittelson
 Joel McHale as Barry Loomis
 JoBeth Williams as Edith Preissler
 Paul Campbell as Tony
 Cindy Busby as Susie
 Greg Kean as Computer Birder
 Eva Allan as Birder's Daughter
 Bill Dow as Dr. Paul Elkin
 Barry Shabaka Henley as Dr. Neil Kramer
 Dianne Wiest as Brenda Harris
 Brian Dennehy as Raymond Harris
 Calum Worthy as Colin Debs
 Anthony Anderson as Bill Clemont
 Jim Parsons as Crane
 Anjelica Huston as Annie Auklet
 Rashida Jones as Ellie
 Tim Blake Nelson as Fuchs
 Joey Aresco as Frank Falucci
 Ryan Caltagirone as Frank Jr.

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