Big Year

Theatrical Release Date: 2011 10 14 (USA)

UPC: 024543773733

Studio: Fox Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Adult Situations, Adult Language]

Summary: Three fanatical bird-watchers (Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Jack Black) spend an entire year competing to spot the highest number of species as El Nino sends an extraordinary variety of rare breeds flying up into the U.S., but they quickly discover that there are more important things than coming out on top of the competition. Director David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley and Me) teams with screenwriter Howard Franklin to adapt author Mark Obmascik's 1998 book of the same name. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Comedy

Features: cc
The Big Year (thearical version and extended version)
Deleted scenes
Gag reel
The Big Migration
Live extras: Go behind the scenes

Big Year

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 01/31/2012

Audio: DHMA null, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DDS Dolby Digital Surround

Runtime: 200 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: Spanish

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Big Year
1. Chapter 1 [:02]
2. Chapter 2 [2:10]
3. Chapter 3 [1:00]
4. Chapter 4 [:27]
5. Chapter 5 [2:21]
6. Chapter 6 [1:27]
7. Chapter 7 [:07]
8. Chapter 8 [3:04]
9. Chapter 9 [2:27]
10. Chapter 10 [:33]
11. Chapter 11 [:02]
12. Chapter 12 [2:14]
13. Chapter 13 [2:19]
14. Chapter 14 [1:37]
15. Chapter 15 [1:08]
16. Chapter 16 [:37]
17. Chapter 17 [:20]
18. Chapter 18 [1:22]
19. Chapter 19 [:40]
20. Chapter 20 [2:23]
21. Chapter 21 [1:09]
22. Chapter 22 [1:52]
23. Chapter 23 [:20]
24. Chapter 24 [1:19]
25. Chapter 25 [:58]
26. Chapter 26 [:05]
27. Chapter 27 [:53]
28. Chapter 28 [2:29]
29. Chapter 29 [:07]
30. Chapter 30 [2:16]
31. Chapter 31 [:14]
32. Chapter 32 [1:15]

Jason Buchanan

The Big Year is such a gentle, warmly genial comedy that it almost feels like a relic from a more-innocent, less-cynical era. It's a rare beast among movies that vie for audience attention by attempting to be the loudest, brashest, and raunchiest at the box office: a likable, PG-rated comedy that deals with some grown-up issues in a way that kids can easily digest, and subverts familiar plot elements enough to avoid becoming too predictable for adult viewers. Even so, it's hard to determine exactly who the filmmakers had in mind as their target audience while making The Big Year, but perhaps that's part of the reason why it's so difficult to simply dismiss it as inconsequential. It could be that we've just gotten a bit too quick and too comfortable with categorizing films in order to sell them to the desired audience. It's almost as if The Big Year was produced to remind us that there are still some films that a family can enjoy together, even if they weren't produced to appeal to any specific demographic. As El Nino sends an extraordinary variety of rare birds flying up into the U.S., devoted bird-watchers Stu Preissler (Steve Martin), Brad Harris (Jack Black), and Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson) each devote an entire year of their lives to spotting the most species, in an attempt to surpass the world record of 732 (currently held by Bostick). A successful businessman preparing for his second retirement, Stu is encouraged to pursue his passion by his supportive wife Edith (JoBeth Williams). Meanwhile, Brad's gruff father Raymond (Brian Dennehy) continually belittles his son's obsessive bird-watching as his kindly mother Brenda (Dianne Wiest) quietly bankrolls her son's big adventure, and Kenny's wife Jessica (Rosamund Pike) struggles with her suspicion that her husband cares more about watching the skies than becoming a father. And while Stu, Brad, and Kenny all deny that they're competing for the world record -- for fear of motivating the others -- as their bird watch progresses, all three gradually discover that sometimes winning doesn't necessarily mean coming in first place. Adapted from Mark Obmascik's 1998 nonfiction book by screenwriter Howard Franklin (Quick Change, The Man Who Knew Too Little), The Big Year straddles the line between comedy and drama in a manner that, while not altogether unsuccessful, somewhat shortchanges both in its quest to find a poignant middle ground. Though the competition is indeed stiff between the three devoted bird-watchers, the lack of a clearly defined antagonist robs the storyline of any real dramatic weight until the final act. That said, there's still plenty of fun to be had watching Wilson, decked out in hideous dayglow paisley, continually try to distract his two chief rivals from surpassing his record. Black, meanwhile, is endearingly awkward as he attempts to break the ice with another, equally obsessive bird-watcher (Rashida Jones), and Martin's earnest performance as an aging businessman beginning to reassess his priorities is the heart of The Big Year. Though there are plenty of rare breeds and majestic sights to behold in The Big Year, it's obvious as the side relationships begin to overshadow the central conflict that the film is about bigger issues than who gets the highest score. Likewise, Franklin's talent for pulling the rug out from under viewers just as we think we've got things worked out gives the movie a refreshing sense of unpredictability. But sadly, The Big Year's wide-reaching appeal may also be its Achilles' heel. While director David Frankel works diligently to give the film a dynamic visual style and a satisfying sense of energy, the restrained humor and dialed-back drama make the movie more pleasant than genuinely compelling. Still, if you happen to find yourself stuck in the house during a stormy afternoon, the gorgeous vistas and affable comedy of The Big Year may be the perfect recipe to lift your spirits. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: David Frankel  Director 
Howard Franklin  Screenwriter 
Curtis Hanson  Producer 
Ben Stiller  Executive Producer 
Stuart Cornfeld  Producer 
Theodore Shapiro  Composer (Music Score) 
Carol Fenelon  Executive Producer 
Karen Rosenfelt  Producer 
Jeremy Kramer  Executive Producer 
Steve Martin  Actor 
Jack Black  Actor 
Owen Wilson  Actor 
Brian Dennehy  Actor 
Anjelica Huston  Actor 
Rashida Jones  Actor 
Rosamund Pike  Actor 
Dianne Wiest  Actor 
JoBeth Williams  Actor 
Anthony Anderson  Actor 
Joel McHale  Actor 
Tim Blake Nelson  Actor 
Jim Parsons  Actor 
Kevin Pollak  Actor 
John Cleese  Actor 
Zahf Paroo  Actor 
Paul Campbell  Actor 
Cindy Busby  Actor 
Greg Kean  Actor 
Eva Allan  Actor 
Bill Dow  Actor 
June Squibb  Actor 
Craig Bockhorn  Actor 
Joey Aresco  Actor 
Ryan Caltagirone  Actor 
Corbin Bernsen  Actor 
Barry "Shabaka" Henley  Actor 
Al Roker  Actor 
Christopher Mann  Actor 
Jan Bos  Actor 
Kate Gajdosik  Actor 
William Samples  Actor 
Nate Torrence  Actor 
Scott Patey  Actor 
Marci T. House  Actor 
Steven Weber  Actor 
Michael Bean  Actor 
Christopher Redman  Actor 
Devon Weigel  Actor 
Andrew Wilson  Actor 
Gabrielle Rose  Actor 
Calum Worthy  Actor 
Doreem Ramus  Actor 
Terence Kelly  Actor 
Steve Darling  Actor 
Jon Frankel  Actor 
David Lewis  Actor 
Kath Dugray  Actor 
Jesse Moss  Actor 
Morgan Brayton  Actor 
Sheelah Megill  Actor 
Veena Sood  Actor 
Deejay Jackson  Actor 
Calvin Lee  Actor 
Tshering Garie  Actor 

Country: USA