Comedy
United States of America
The Big Year is a 2011 American comedy film directed by David Frankel, based on the book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik. The film stars Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson as three bird enthusiasts who participate in a year-long bird-watching competition known as a "Big Year."
The three characters are vastly different from each other in terms of their backgrounds and motivations. Martin plays a wealthy entrepreneur who wants to achieve his lifelong dream of winning the Big Year title, Black plays a software programmer who yearns to break free from his monotonous job and pursue his passion for birds, while Wilson plays a professional bird-watcher who is determined to break the world record for the most bird species spotted in a year.
Throughout the course of the year, the three men travel across North America in search of rare and elusive bird species. They encounter various obstacles and challenges, including extreme weather conditions, equipment failures, and rivalry from other bird-watchers. Despite these setbacks, they remain committed to the pursuit of their goal.
However, as the year progresses, the three men realize that there is more to life than just winning a competition. They begin to question the value of their obsession with birds, and the sacrifices they have made in pursuit of their passion. In the end, they come to the realization that the true beauty of bird-watching lies not in the number of species one can spot, but in the joy of the experience itself.
The Big Year was well-received by critics, who praised the performances of the three leads and the film's humorous and heartfelt exploration of the human relationship with nature. Despite this, the movie was a box-office disappointment, grossing only $7.4 million against a budget of $41 million.
