So this is a real thing: a “big year” is an adventure and a competition among North American birdwatchers to see who can spot the most different individual species of avian in a single January-to-December span. This actually happens, and The Big Year is based on a nonfiction book by journalist Mark Obmascik [Amazon U.S.] [Amazon Canada] [Amazon U.K.] about one actual year during which three very different guys vied for the title of America’s biggest bird nerd. It’s sorta one of those “you can’t make this up” things, and yet screenwriter Howard Franklin (Antitrust) and director David Frankel (Marley & Me) have turned it into a charming little narrative movie that is so amiably ridiculous that you’re sure it must have been invented. Here we meet Brad Harris (Jack Black: Kung Fu Panda 2), a divorced computer programmer; Stu Preissler (Steve Martin: It’s Complicated), an about-to-retire corporate executive with a supportive...
- 12/2/2011
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
A comedy about bird watching – or ‘birding’, as it’s officially known – is such a random concept that it must surely be one of great mockery of the pastime. But Marley & Me and The Devil Wears Prada director David Frankel’s The Big Year manages to give it a little eccentric charm and grounded purpose, while relying on household comedy old-timers Owen Wilson, Jack Black and Steve Martin to add the feel-good factor.
Based on a non-fiction book by Mark Obmascik, the story follows Brad Harris (Black), a mummy’s boy and It worker who is obsessed with birds of the ornithological kind. His dream is to take a year out and spot as many bird types as possible to win the coveted, annual Big Year, an informal competition dominated by the world’s best birder, Kenny Bostick (Wilson), who finds all kinds of devious ways to put others off...
Based on a non-fiction book by Mark Obmascik, the story follows Brad Harris (Black), a mummy’s boy and It worker who is obsessed with birds of the ornithological kind. His dream is to take a year out and spot as many bird types as possible to win the coveted, annual Big Year, an informal competition dominated by the world’s best birder, Kenny Bostick (Wilson), who finds all kinds of devious ways to put others off...
- 12/1/2011
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Big Year is the sort of vehicle that will cause critics and audiences alike equal difficulty in discerning why and how it ever got made in the first place (which is not necessarily a bad thing). An indie film in all but budget, stars, and well... 20th Century Fox, it's a slow, meandering "comedy" that isn't exactly funny, and doesn't offer much insight when it comes to what it thinks you ought to be getting out of it. At least, not until the very end, when it didn't need to say anything anyway, and probably shouldn't have.
Normally, working out how a film came together is neither here nor there, whether looking at something as a critic, or simply as any fan of film, but I suspect a lot of people are going to wonder about this one, and I think in this case it's worth looking at for...
Normally, working out how a film came together is neither here nor there, whether looking at something as a critic, or simply as any fan of film, but I suspect a lot of people are going to wonder about this one, and I think in this case it's worth looking at for...
- 10/17/2011
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
"The Big Year," opening in theaters nationwide today (October 14), tells the story of three men on individual quests that all happen to exist on the same path. For Stu Preissler (Steve Martin), the high-powered New York City business man is looking to retire for good and pursue his true lifelong passion before it's too late. Brad Harris (Jack Black), unsatisfied with his uneventful life, is looking for purpose. And Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson) wants nothing more than to maintain his precious record, a singular glorious achievement that defines him fully, whether he wants to admit it or not.
So, how do these three men set out to achieve their goals? By watching birds. Lots and lots and lots of them.
On the surface, a film about bird-watching seems… strange, to say the least. But "The Big Year," packed with countless beautiful birds and endless scenic landscapes, finds its heart in...
So, how do these three men set out to achieve their goals? By watching birds. Lots and lots and lots of them.
On the surface, a film about bird-watching seems… strange, to say the least. But "The Big Year," packed with countless beautiful birds and endless scenic landscapes, finds its heart in...
- 10/14/2011
- by Josh Wigler
- MTV Movies Blog
The Big Year
Directed by: David Frankel
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Steve Martin
Running Time: 1 hr 29 mins
Rating: PG
Release Date: October 14, 2011
Plot: Three birders (bird watchers) compete in a friendly competition to see who can spot the most birds in North America in this annual event known as The Big Year.
Who’S It For? Do you like nice? Sometimes it’s needed, right? This is a feel-good semi-adult comedy that has underdogs, some laughs and a niche subject.
Expectations: A small comedy with Steve Martin, sold. I don’t need to know anything else. Plus, Wilson is coming off Midnight in Paris and perhaps is deciding to choose his roles more carefully.
Scorecard (0-10)
Actors:
Jack Black as Brad Harris: Black is back as a somewhat normal guy. What I mean is, it’s not all prat falls and flatulence. Brad has a full-time job he doesn’t love,...
Directed by: David Frankel
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Steve Martin
Running Time: 1 hr 29 mins
Rating: PG
Release Date: October 14, 2011
Plot: Three birders (bird watchers) compete in a friendly competition to see who can spot the most birds in North America in this annual event known as The Big Year.
Who’S It For? Do you like nice? Sometimes it’s needed, right? This is a feel-good semi-adult comedy that has underdogs, some laughs and a niche subject.
Expectations: A small comedy with Steve Martin, sold. I don’t need to know anything else. Plus, Wilson is coming off Midnight in Paris and perhaps is deciding to choose his roles more carefully.
Scorecard (0-10)
Actors:
Jack Black as Brad Harris: Black is back as a somewhat normal guy. What I mean is, it’s not all prat falls and flatulence. Brad has a full-time job he doesn’t love,...
- 10/14/2011
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
A Big Year is when a bird watcher criss-crosses the country attempting to witness more species of birds than any other birder during the time period of January 1 through December 31. The Big Year, the movie, covers that year with stars Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson on the titular effort. Yet, The Big Year is about so much more than competitiveness amongst the appreciation of avian species.
The Big Year is a study in pursuing dreams, regardless of what the naysayers around emit. In the film, that theme is embodied by Black’s Brad Harris, Martin’s Stu Preissler and Wilson’s Kenny Bostick.
Harris is stuck in a dead-end job and lives for his weekends when he can escape to the outdoors armed with nothing but binoculars. Preissler is a man who’s had more than his share of success and yearns for something that challenges and feeds the fire of his soul.
The Big Year is a study in pursuing dreams, regardless of what the naysayers around emit. In the film, that theme is embodied by Black’s Brad Harris, Martin’s Stu Preissler and Wilson’s Kenny Bostick.
Harris is stuck in a dead-end job and lives for his weekends when he can escape to the outdoors armed with nothing but binoculars. Preissler is a man who’s had more than his share of success and yearns for something that challenges and feeds the fire of his soul.
- 10/14/2011
- by joel.amos@moviefanatic.com (Joel D Amos)
- Reel Movie News
More than anything, The Big Year plays like an innocent homage to old school PG films. It's harmlessly sweet, telling a simple story of three men at different stages in their lives who decide to put everything on hold to chase their dream... A dream to be the number one birder in the world.
Brad Harris (Jack Black) is a desk jockey at a Virginia nuclear power plant, but he's got a greater passion than worrying about securing the threat of a nuclear meltdown... birds. Brad dreams of winning The Big Year, a yearly competition where birders around the world compete to see who can spot the most species of birds in a 365-day period.
The current record holder is Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson), a New Jersey contractor whose wife (Rosamund Pike) dreams of kids and growing old with her husband, but he can't seem to get birds off his brain.
Brad Harris (Jack Black) is a desk jockey at a Virginia nuclear power plant, but he's got a greater passion than worrying about securing the threat of a nuclear meltdown... birds. Brad dreams of winning The Big Year, a yearly competition where birders around the world compete to see who can spot the most species of birds in a 365-day period.
The current record holder is Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson), a New Jersey contractor whose wife (Rosamund Pike) dreams of kids and growing old with her husband, but he can't seem to get birds off his brain.
- 10/14/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
With a cast this impressively eclectic, The Big Year is not nearly as ridiculous as I was expecting. While the hilarity factor falls short of anticipated, the film still delivers plenty of humor, but the approach is far more charming than absurd, resulting in a pleasantly entertaining, somewhat uplifting dramedy.
Directed by David Frankel, The Big Year is a film which clearly falls somewhere between Marley & Me and The Devil Wears Prada on his range of storytelling prowess and style. What the film does is to take an otherwise mundane subject that the average viewer would find dull and uninteresting, but fills it with a message of finding one’s true priorities, then wraps it up with a talented cast.
The Big Year follows three main characters, all three are passionate birders, as they venture out to set the world record for spotting the most bird species in North America in a single calendar year.
Directed by David Frankel, The Big Year is a film which clearly falls somewhere between Marley & Me and The Devil Wears Prada on his range of storytelling prowess and style. What the film does is to take an otherwise mundane subject that the average viewer would find dull and uninteresting, but fills it with a message of finding one’s true priorities, then wraps it up with a talented cast.
The Big Year follows three main characters, all three are passionate birders, as they venture out to set the world record for spotting the most bird species in North America in a single calendar year.
- 10/14/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The art of birding gets the big screen treatment in The Big Year and its cast -- Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson -- take Movie Fanatic inside the making of the funny and heartfelt film. The trio of funny men who are also blessed with killer dramatic chops, star as a group of guys with a passion for the aviary species of the world. Each decides to take an entire year to witness as many varieties of birds across America as humanly possible, known in the birding world as The Big Year.
Wilson’s character, Kenny Bostick, is the world record holder. He is the king of the birding world and with two upstarts that he feels will be nipping at his heels -- Martin’s Stu Preissler and Black’s Brad Harris -- he risks everything to get back out there to keep his record solely his.
Wilson’s character, Kenny Bostick, is the world record holder. He is the king of the birding world and with two upstarts that he feels will be nipping at his heels -- Martin’s Stu Preissler and Black’s Brad Harris -- he risks everything to get back out there to keep his record solely his.
- 10/13/2011
- by joel.amos@moviefanatic.com (Joel D Amos)
- Reel Movie News
More stars have signed on to Julian Richards' new terror tale, Shiver. Yep, this may be one to keep one hell of a close eye on, folks!
According to the official Shiver website Casper Van Dien and Rae Dawn Chong have joined the previously announced Danielle Harris, John Jarratt, Luke Goss, Nikita Esco and Brad Harris in this adaptation of Brian Harper's 1992 novel.
Shiver tells the tale of Lapd homicide detective Sebastian Delgado, who must track down a serial killer who takes his victim's heads as trophies and leaves a bizarre calling card in their place.
Look for more on this one as soon as we get it!
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Shiver the night away in the comments section below!
According to the official Shiver website Casper Van Dien and Rae Dawn Chong have joined the previously announced Danielle Harris, John Jarratt, Luke Goss, Nikita Esco and Brad Harris in this adaptation of Brian Harper's 1992 novel.
Shiver tells the tale of Lapd homicide detective Sebastian Delgado, who must track down a serial killer who takes his victim's heads as trophies and leaves a bizarre calling card in their place.
Look for more on this one as soon as we get it!
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Shiver the night away in the comments section below!
- 11/25/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Sergio Corbucci's Django revolutionised the Spaghetti Western genre in many ways. The low-budget retelling of Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars – itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo – ramped up the violence, the amorality, the bloodletting and the insanity factor to an unprecedented scale, spawning a glut of rip-offs, cash-ins and unofficial sequels of varying degrees of quality. It also, quite unintentionally, began a trend for titular heroes whose names ended in the letter 'o' and when said quickly enough could possibly be mistaken for Django.
There was Anthony Steffen - the Spaghetti Western standard-bearer, himself no stranger to playing Django - starring as the main man in both Garringo and Shango. 'Sword and Sandal' star Brad Harris as the fast gun in Durango is Coming, Pay or Die. Montgomery Clark (Dante Posani) as the gambling gunslinger in Djurado and Ivan Rassimov in this, 1967's Cjamango.
There was Anthony Steffen - the Spaghetti Western standard-bearer, himself no stranger to playing Django - starring as the main man in both Garringo and Shango. 'Sword and Sandal' star Brad Harris as the fast gun in Durango is Coming, Pay or Die. Montgomery Clark (Dante Posani) as the gambling gunslinger in Djurado and Ivan Rassimov in this, 1967's Cjamango.
- 8/15/2009
- by Nick
- Latemag.com/film
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