MovieChat Forums > The Big Picture (1990) Discussion > A lost gem - fun look at both L.A. and f...

A lost gem - fun look at both L.A. and filmmaking

posted 17 years ago by tomrombouts
15 replies | jump to latest

Hi -

I spent most of the 80's on the fringes of the entertainment world here in L.A., and I think this is a wonderful, largely overlooked film. There are a lot of subtle touches in the locations and set design, and although it is not any kind of especially demanding role, I think Kevin Bacon was just perfect. My only (minor) complaint is that the tone of the film changes a bit - some scenes (most notably those with Martin Short) are fairly broad, while many of the scenes between the Kevin Bacon character (Nick) and his girlfriend are surprisingly serious. But overall a wonderful film for perhaps a fairly small set of fans who will really appreciate it. I also enjoyed the five student film segments at the very start, and the quick fantasy segments that show how Nick often imagines the world in terms of classic films.

- TWR

[–] jiweat 16 years ago

I think it's one of the greatest films ever made, and certainly underappreciated. I thought Martin Short was positively brilliant (and I think if the film was ever marketed he could have won some awards). Unfortunately, art imitated real life, and the movie was buried by the new studio head just as happened in the film. Unfortunate.

[–] ojc-3 16 years ago

While I really enjoyed the film and consider it a very good comedy, to call it "one of the greatest films ever made"?

Really?

Citizen Kane....Casablanca...The Big Picture?

With all due respect to Christopher Guest (who I think is brilliant), I really don't think after finishing this film he ran out and got fitted for a tux for Oscar night.

[–] bocomoj 9 years ago

Citizen Cane and Casablanca suck. Stanislavski saved the art of film through his progeny.

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 9 years ago

This is a 9/10 for me, so not that far off.

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[–] GuyOnTheLeft 9 years ago

Nice to see someone else loves it as much as (or maybe even more than) I do! Cheers.

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[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

That's a very good summary of the strengths and weaknesses of this cute little film.

I thought some of the melodrama with the girlfriend seemed out of place in this film, especially because we knew they'd be getting back together at the end, but overall this is a charming look at filmmaking in the pre-indie and pre-Internet era. There are enough film references to please any movie fan, and the satire is gentle but honest, a few years before "The Player" would send up Hollywood big-time.

The cast is strong, but no one's stronger or more appealing here than Kevin Bacon. The scene where he tells Michael McKean that he really wants to be friends again was very touching.

7 stars out of 10.

[–] tmaj48 15 years ago

I remember when Robert Altman's THE PLAYER came out a few years after this
film, it garnered a lot of attention and respect for a similar story. I think
THE BIG PICTURE is as underrated as Altman's film was overrated. It's funny
and witty and really deserves a much bigger audience than what it originally
got. Anyone who's a fan of THIS IS SPINAL TAP, or the later Christopher Guest
mockumentaries, would really enjoy this.

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

I think Christopher Guest used "The Big Picture" as the training ground for his later mockumentaries. It's smart, gentle satire and deserves to be more than a footnote in his and Kevin Bacon's remarkable careers. While I love "The Player," I think "The Big Picture" covered similar ground several years earlier, with hilarious results.

[–] hatsonred 15 years ago

It's nice to see continued (and new) appreciation for The Big Picture. As so many people mentioned here, it came out before, "The Player", and never got its full due as a clever, insightful, and humorous cautionary tale about the art and business of making films. Now considered a cult classic, it will continue to find new audiences on IFC.

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

It is surprising that more people don't know about this film, considering its strong cast and the fact that Hollywood loves to promote movies about itself. I'm sure this film at least figures prominently into the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game. It also seemed to predict the indie trend that became all the rage in the '90s. If you are in any way connected with "The Big Picture," I salute you!

[–] hodie1 9 years ago

WarpedRecord, I'm watching it now and I can absolutely see its tone as a precursor to that of Guest's later films. Astute of you!

[–] filmbuff1974 15 years ago

Yeah, I enjoyed the film. I saw this as one huge cautionary tale. No one can say they were not warned after seeing this film.

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[–] spacemanjack 14 years ago

Great, great movie.

Widely forgotten, but I still work "you're not going anywhere.....EVER AGAIN" into as many situations as possible.

[–] Embee-El 14 years ago

It's surprising how few people have seen the movie, especially considering it was a staple on HBO back in the early '90s. That's how I was lucky enough to catch it and watched it quite a number of times.

The movie is infinitely quotable. I still find myself using lines from it often.

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[–] GuyOnTheLeft 9 years ago

Great to hear your perspective. I have never been to Hollywood, but I'm a huge film buff and in particular love "inside baseball" spoofs of Hollywood culture (The Player, Swimming with Sharks, Action, Extras...etc.) This is really one of the best of that genre, and I always felt it had the ring of truth ("I fought for you"), so it's cool to hear confirmation.

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