- Film Review
- Reviewed By Dave Aldridge
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2 out of 5
Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson play rival "birders" who are doing "The Big Year", a competition to find the top spotter of different bird species on US soil. On paper, the trio looks like a comedy dream team. On film, however, they're amiably ordinary. Director David Frankel (who directed Wilson in Marley & Me) doesn't fully exploit the line-up of talent. Martin's silky comic skills, Black's broader schtick and Wilson's likeable patter are lost in a story that isn't quite funny enough to be a comedy or dramatic enough to be a drama, and there's a distinct lack of tension between the characters. Britain's own birders might be lured by the subject matter alone, but even they would fail to be transfixed by a feather-light tale that never really takes off.
Plot Summary
A weather phenomenon brings an unusually large number of rare birds to America, which results in a prestigious year-long birdwatching competition. The event attracts three obsessive enthusiasts - a man on the brink of retirement, an amateur spotter whose family do not understand his passion, and a ruthless champion defending his reputation at all costs. Comedy, starring Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Stu Preissler
- Steve Martin
- Brad Harris
- Jack Black
- Kenny Bostick
- Owen Wilson
- Raymond
- Brian Dennehy
- Annie Auklet
- Anjelica Huston
- Ellie
- Rashida Jones
- Jessica
- Rosamund Pike
- Brenda
- Dianne Wiest
- Edith
- JoBeth Williams
- Barry Loomis
- Joe McHale
- Fuchs
- Tim Blake Nelson
- Crane
- Jim Parsons
- Jim Gittelson
- Kevin Pollak
- Gil Gordon
- Corbin Bernsen
- Historical montage narrator
- John Cleese
- Bill Clemont
- Anthony Anderson
Crew
- Director
- David Frankel
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