MovieChat Forums > The Big Year (2011) Discussion > I've never insulted 60% of a country bef...

I've never insulted 60% of a country before, but...

posted 11 years ago by IpsaThis
26 replies | jump to latest

I think I'm finally going to be one of those guys that says, "People don't know how to watch movies anymore."

I watched this film without any knowledge of the reviews it was getting. All I knew was the actors and the basic plot. I absolutely loved it. No, it wasn't zany, off-the-wall comedy, but it was charming and entertaining throughout. In fact, I thought to myself, "The great thing about this movie is how harmless it is. Who wouldn't like this movie?" And then I thought, "Well, I guess when I was a little kid I might have found it boring, but I also would have found Amadeus and 12 Angry Men and Before Sunset boring, too. Okay, besides little kids and the Vin Diesel Only crowd, who wouldn't like this movie?"

Apparently 60% of critics and viewers, based on the Rotten Tomatoes. When I saw that I wondered what they could possibly have against it, and sure enough... it was too boring for them. It "wasn't laugh out loud funny." It "never reached comedic heights." There are more reviews, but those were the only ones without bird puns. It's one thing if your 15 year old brother is psyched for Wedding Crashers 2 and gets stuck with birding, but it seems even the critics have fallen into this trap. I think if the same movie had been made with three unknown actors, or in Sweden or something, it would have been received as a subtle, heartfelt triumph. But all they see is the cast, get ready to laugh their heads off, and write it off as a failure when they don't. If they just take what the movie gives them instead of pre-labeling it, they will be so much happier. I'm all too reminded of my friends in high school hating The Truman Show because of how unfunny it was. The Big Year isn't the drama The Truman show is, but it's an enjoyable film if you just sit back and enjoy it.

I know what I'm saying is a broad generalization. I know I'm accusing people of not watching this film with an open mind, and there will be some people out there who did watch it with an open mind and didn't like it anyway, for whatever reason. I've been on the other end of this, so I apologize in advance. But 40% on RT? I was fully expecting 80s or 90s. I just don't believe many of these people even made an attempt to like it. I think they spent the whole hour and a half waiting - waiting for Black and Wilson to switch identities, or get trapped in an avalanche, or switch over to spotting naked ladies - instead of just watching it. If that's how you watch a movie, constantly thinking about how it could get better while it's still going, no wonder you wind up frustrated and bored.

[–] foster1234 11 years ago

Ditto

I'm not your problem. I'm a businessman.

[–] Canonshooter-1 11 years ago

People today don't want to be surprised by movies. If you hadn't read the book, you wouldn't know how this movie would end. Most movies today you already know the outcome before you get in the theater. Think about it, its a Transformer movie. The Autobots are fighting the Decepticons, wonder who's gonna win? Rambo's gonna fight an evil warlord in south east Asia, wonder who's gonna win?... and if there will be bloodshed? Few movies are original today. movies are now being 'remade.' King Kong, Godzilla, Red Dawn, Dawn of the dead, Star Trek, and True Grit were all remade. Most movies are set up to make sequels. Star Trek, Star Wars, Transformers, The transporter, Fast and furious, and all the comic book movies are set up so you'll come back to see what will happen in the next event. A truly original movie where you don't know what will happen in the end is so rare, it becomes an event in itself like the ending in The Sixth Sense.
Well, my rant is over now. But be sure to come back next week for rant number 2 when I complain about............

I may not have a brain Gentlemen,....but I have an idea!

[–] jdown-1 11 years ago

Ispa & Canonshooter, good posts, and I agree with what you say. In addition to enjoying the racing about searching for birds, I, like Canon, wondered how it would end. Would the "best birder in the world" (not really, just in the AOU region) be the older guy, or the ace (if sneaky) birding champ, or the young upstart living out a dream? The flick was never boring for me - but I'm a birder too.

Tout homme a deux pays, le sien et puis la France.

[–] moviemama76 11 years ago

My children LOVE this movie. (14, 12 and 11 year old twins)

I find them watching it all the time.

It was on HBO Family. It is very calm, interesting and lightly funny...funny in a "real life" kind of way. I also think it says a lot about values...what is really important in life. When the movie ended, I heard one of my children ask, "what would you rather have when you get older....a baby or a big year?" His twin replied, "a baby, of course!"

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] heidibird 10 years ago

I LOVE this movie too! I wish more people would enjoy it! It's sad that people are expecting it to be better! Shame!

Also, I'm a birder too! I wish I could do a Big Year as well. Would be fun.

http://www.fanfiction.net/~obsessedwithbirds
http://www.fictionpress.com/~ospreyeagle

[–] rizdek 11 years ago

I like this movie. I've watched it three times in the past month.

However, I can kind of understand the frustration. It is touted as a comedy and, even though the comedy genre includes more than just "laugh-out-loud" funny, many folk today expect to laugh a lot at good comedies. I didn't laugh much at it either...although there were humorous scenes. Some who are criticizing might've gone to the theater or rented it expecting 2 hours of gut-wrenching laughter and got a light-hearted drama with few, if any laughs. So perhaps the problem is with the advertising and hype rather than the content.

[–] Canonshooter-1 11 years ago

This movie was funny, but its a situational comedy. Most people today think of comedy as an endless parade of fart jokes or profanity. Much of the movie was funny if you knew about birding. When Jack Black bursts into his boss's office announcing they have 'fallout,' it reminded me of the day I told my old boss I needed the next day off because a Little Egret was sighted in Delaware. He didn't understand either. When the British guy breaks his arm in the car crash, I immediately flashed back to the day I wrenched my knee after stepping into a woodchuck hole while searching for a Swallow-tailed Kite in Northern NJ....and finding it as I lay on my back with my leg stuck in the hole. When the characters joined the crowd at High Island in Texas and having to push through the crowd of birders, it reminded me of being at Cape May, NJ for spring warbler migration, or at Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania for the fall hawk migration. There's the ironic comedy of having Steve Martin miss a flight to see birds and having to chase a DC3 "Gooney Bird" transport from WW2. If you aren't a birder, would you know what they were talking about when they announce they need snowcocks?
If you're a birder, thus will be much more funnier. We can see ourselves movie.

I may not have a brain Gentlemen,....but I have an idea!

[–] lensue88 11 years ago

Very good movie, entertaining, the cast is funny. I watched the movie for the cast and was entertained by the passion for this hobby. My boys also enjoyed it. Birding would be fun to try (if you can afford it). Look for a documentary on HBO, birders meet in Central Park every year.

[–] caledoniaLass 11 years ago

Birding would be fun to try (if you can afford it).

Birding is actually a very inexpensive hobby. "Big Yearing" is expensive, but that's not the same thing as birding.

Birding = going out to look at birds.

Doing a big year = trying to see as many species as possible in one calendar year.

Not the same thing at all.

[–] Canonshooter-1 11 years ago

Birding is a load of fun for a hobby. Most birders dream of doing a big year, but don't have the time for it. Most of the accounts of big years I have read say they started losing interest half way through the year. When the easy birds are done, then you have to try to find the rarities and that usually means traveling to exotic areas. Its almost impossible for someone to find a spoonbilled Sandpiper in their back yard, so that means a trip to the Attu for a chance sighting.
When you make a trip every week end, seeing a Ruffed Grouse is "Wow, good bird". Bird every day and it would be "So what, got it in April. I need a Dusky Grouse!"

Birding is fun.
Doing a Big Year, is commitment and dedication for much expense and very limited notoriety.

(But I would still love to try!)

I may not have a brain Gentlemen,....but I have an idea!

[–] rudegial 10 years ago

LOL your closing sentence cracked me up, it's the essence of the 3 characters in the movie! - it's expensive, very little notoriety... but would love to try! I may not know a single thing about birding (other than what I just learned watching the movie) but I envy the kind of passion and lovable persistence.
Best wishes from the Caribbean ^_^

[–] Sam Mamish 11 years ago

I love this movie. Saw it for the first time last year, and it's just such a charming movie that I couldn't help but enjoy it. My only regret is that I wish I'd paid to see it in the theaters, just to let Hollywood know that there are people out there who appreciate movies like this.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] magpieskye 9 years ago

I did see it in the cinema, along with around 50 of the top birders in my state. We had a blast seeing it together!

Incidentally, the dvd contains an extended cut of the film. You might have ti be a birder to appreciate it. I love it!

[–] BigBadEd 11 years ago

Great post IpsaThis, toally agree with you. No one sits and watches a film from start to finish allowing it to wash over you these days. At home its all distractions with ipads, phones etc .... the viewer needs to play their part and work at watching a movie.