THE BIG YEAR

US, 2011, 100 minutes, Colour.
Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, Jack Black, Rashida Jones, Rosamund Pike, Jo Beth Williams, Brian Dennehy, Dianne Wiest, Anjelica Huston, Steven Webber, Jim Parsons, Corbin Bernsen, Kevin Pollak, Joel Mc Hale, voice of John Cleese.
Directed by David Frankel.

The Big Year is a film about birds, bird watching and the birders and their competitiveness? It is based on the book by Mark Obmascik, The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, no mean feat in adapting words to visuals to show the birds, their habitats, flight. With the range of locations, and the birds, it is a film that is worth watching for the images.

The film has a strong cast with three actors noted for their comic performances. However, each of them tones down their idiosyncratic style. Jack Black is particularly restrained and more sympathetic. Steve Martin does a variation on his usual screen persona. Owen Wilson is the same, his usual persona, and more restrained. There is an amusing narrative at the beginning about the Beak Year, spoken by John Cleese.

The film shows the intensity, the sense of vocation of the birders as well as their competitiveness, sometimes desperation. It also shows the background of the women in the lives of the men, supportive wives, upset wives, girlfriends who can share in the enterprise.
The film was directed by David Frankel, best known for The Devil Wears Prada and Hope Springs.

1. The blend of the serious and the comic? Birding? Competitiveness and consequences?

2. The range of American locations? The variety of states and terrains? Mountains, desert, taxes, swamps, forests, the Aleutians islands?

3. The original book, its focus, on bird watching, on the birders, the adaptation, the visual equivalent of the novel?

4. The title, the competition? Information about it, history, John Cleese’s narration and tone? Bostick and his success? Stu, Brad and their wanting to achieve winning? Ellie and her participation?

5. The strong cast, their comic skills? More subdued here and all contributing to the totality of the film?

6. One year, dedicating the time to the quest, cost, jobs, half time and fulltime, pressures on families? The seasons, the many trips, long trips and difficulties, the wide range of birds seem?

7. Brad and his story, his voiceover? Jack black? In himself, his life, 36, the divorce and his blame? With his parents? His father putting him down, not appreciating the bird watching? Discussions, phone calls, his heart attack, Jack visiting him in hospital? The meeting with Stu, praise, the meal and the drinks, confiding in him? His sense of betrayal, his telling Bostwick about student? The owl, his father accompanying him? His mother and her support, packing? The pressure on him?

8. Brad and his job, his boss not understanding? The explosions? Clash with Bostick? The friendship with Stu? The reconciliation? Sharing the exhilaration, the anger with Bostick, his tricking them? The plans? The owl? Brad and Ellie, her bird imitations, on the ferry, her boyfriend, breaking with him, the contact, the new year, the happy ending? Brad coming second in the competition?

9. Bostick, Owen Wilson and his style? Bravado? His past achievement? Relationship with his wife, her pregnancy, her love for him? The renovations of the house? His jealousy of the builder? The visits, the phone calls? His love of the birds, his knowledge? His variety of tricks? The clash with the owner of the boat, her later helping Stu and Brad? His wife and the gynecologist, his not turning up, coming home, the news of a new sighting? The discussions with his wife? Her decision to leave? His staying with his achievement? Going to China?

10. Stu, his top job, work with his assistants, his love for his wife, son and their rivalry, the skiing, his son’s marriage, the pregnancy, the birth of the child? His yearning to do the big year, his decision, the pressure on him to come back, the phone calls, the discussions about the takeover, his brazening out the waits? His friendship with Brad, the dinner, his not telling Brad the truth, the later falling out, the reconciliation? Friendship? His desperate rush to the airport, the flight to the Aleutian islands? Bostick and his tricks? His return home, the happiness with the family, with the grandchild? His choices? Coming in fourth?

11. The focus on the competition, the numbers coming up, breaking the record of numbers of birds seen? The other birders in the group, personalities, competitiveness? The helicopter pilot and his daring flights? The owner of the boats, tough stances?

12. The picture of the women, waiting at home, the supportive wife for Stu, a disturbed wife for Bostick?

13. The film as entertainment, drama, interesting characters, or a trial for those not interested in bird watching?