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. Sound exciting? Exactly. However, the film actually does end up being rather exciting, sort of, in the sense that I actually cared about all three characters, even the one I was meant to hate, somewhat.
“Birding” is the observation of birds in their natural habitats as a hobby. Therefore, a “birder” is one who partakes in birding.
THE BIG YEAR is told from the perspective of Brad Harris (Jack Black), a thirty-something divorcee living with his parents and working a dead end job he hates, but whose passion for birding drives his will to push on each day toward his dream of being the best. This presents something of a dilemma, as the current record holder and inspiration for Brad is Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson), who happens to be planning his own “big year” for a second consecutive time in an effort to secure his world record. Brad and Kenny are diametrically opposite personalities. Brad has a child-like passion for the art and wonder of birding, while Kenny appears to be far more interested in the fame of being the best.
Our third main character is Stu Preissler (Steve Martin), a successful CEO struggling to force himself into retirement so he may finally pursue his own big year, a dream he’s had since a child. Brad, Kenny and Stu all pursue the same goal, but tension emerges as they attempt to keep this a secret from one another in an effort to avoid heated competition. Brad and Stu are well aware of Kenny’s reputation for being a relentlessly brilliant birder who plays the game from any angle necessary, but rumors of being a cheat sparks an increased level of distrust toward him from both Brad and Stu.
I can only assume that the acts of birding in THE BIG YEAR are accurately portrayed, as I’ve never participated myself, but there is a very real sense of authenticity in the film. All of that aside, the movie isn’t really about birding, but rather about realizing what’s really important in the characters’ lives. This ultimately proves to be the families and loves ones of all three characters, but only two of them will end their journey having had that epiphany in a positive way. The other will ultimately learn a valuable lesson from his mistakes.
THE BIG YEAR doesn’t always hit the comedic nails squarely on the head, but the overall product is well worth the effort. With moments of slightly off-kilter timing or less-than-perfect delivery, the film stumbles slightly on occasion, but always manages to pick itself up and stabilize before ever falling flat on its face. Jack Black manages to pull back the reigns a bit, allowing his character to develop without Black’s trademark orneriness getting in the way, while Owen Wilson pretty much plays his character in his typical fashion, but it works. On the other hand, it was Steve Martin who impressed upon me the most connection with his character. Perhaps seeing a bit of his own life in Stu, Martin drew upon my empathy with astonishing ease. Stu is also something of a catalyst, a mentor even, for Brad’s own growth as a well-rounded individual.
What made the biggest impression on me while watching THE BIG YEAR was the supporting cast, filled to the gills with veteran cameos and recognizable fresh faces. Brian Dennehy plays Brad’s unsupportive, hard-nosed father while Dianne Wiest plays his loving, exceedingly supportive mother Brenda. JoBeth Williams plays Stu’s supportive wife Edith, Kevin Pollak and Joel McHale (TV’s COMMUNITY) play Stu’s corporate yes men, Rosamund Pike plays Kenny’s lonely and frustrated wife Jessica, Jim Parsons (TV’s BIG BANG THEORY) plays birder-groupie and blogger Crane, and Rashida Jones plays Brad’s love interest Ellie. And, as if this isn’t alluring enough, the film is brimming with cameos including Tim Blake Nelson, Anjelica Huston, Corbin Bernsen, Steven Weber and Al Roker.
When its all said and done, THE BIG YEAR is essentially a dramedy, finding its niche somewhere between quirkiness and melodrama, a film that could easily fall through the cracks if not properly marketed. So, this is my final word… THE BIG YEAR is not a great film, but its a reasonably good film that’s fun without being stupid, dramatic without being emotional, and friendly audiences of all ages, but intended for the grown-ups.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
THE BIG YEAR opens in St. Louis theaters on Friday, October 14th, 2011.
