imagine The Big Year is about as entertaining as a PG-rated movie about bird watching can be. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen, mind you, but I’m confident in that respect.
Brad Harris (Jack Black) is a divorced 36-year-old living at home, who hates his job. His biggest passion is bird watching, or birding. He decides to do a “big year,” i.e. see as many birds as he can between January and December. At the same time, Stu Preissler (Steve Martin) has decided to retire (for the third time) from the company he owns and do his own big year. The man to beat is Kenny Bostwick (Owen Wilson), who holds the record for most birds seen in a big year, and is out to break his own record. But his wife’s longing to start a family may prevent him from devoting himself fully to birding.
Thankfully, The Big Year isn’t strictly about birding. Each of our three main characters either grows, or learns a lesson on a personal level. Depending on which character you’re invested in, the film is either about the value of making money vs. the value of doing what you’re passionate about, or the value of fame vs. the value of a family.
This is a pretty safe movie. You could watch it with your grandmother sitting next to you and not be embarrassed by anything. In an industry that’s largely dominated by largely vulgar or gross out comedies, there’s definitely something to say for that. This movie could easily have consisted of Black and Wilson running around on screen making bird noises and poop jokes. Truth be told, it probably would have made more money that way. There’s certainly a refreshing aspect to a movie that takes the road less traveled and lives and dies by its own sword.
Unfortunately, while the movie’s message is heart-warming and genuine, there’s a dullness about this film that I simply can’t get past. It takes awhile to get into the characters’ personal conflicts, which simply leaves us with a lot of talk about birds. Most of the jokes fall flat, the characters are pretty one-dimensional, and some of the dialogue is downright corny. It’s one thing to be a comedy in 2011 and not take the vulgar route. It’s another thing to simply be a movie that’s difficult to sit through.
The Big Year is a decent film if you’re patient enough to let it get interesting. But even then, it’s only mildlyinteresting. It’s definitely not a film that will hold up to repeated viewings. I’m tempted to make a “for the birds” joke here, but I’m going to pass.