The Big Year

2011.100 Minutes. Rated PG.

I just wanna do something big, you know?”

Except for the seagull or everyday garden variety that leaves its mark on my car, I never gave birds too much thought. Many of my friends enjoy birding, and bring binoculars with them while hiking or kayaking. Occasionally, I will take a look and relate a bird’s beauty to another friend or family member. Birds, like many things in nature, can be breathtakingly beautiful and pleasurable to examine and chase. For the most part, I would not be among the characters in The Big Year who set out on a competitive year-long journey to spot as many different types of birds in the United States as possible.

The Big Year – Fox 2000 Pictures

Brad Harris (Jack Black) and Stu Preissler (Steve Martin) are chasing the record held by previous big year bird hunter, Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson). Kenny’s record is 732. Stu, on the verge of retirement, reluctantly but enthusiastically decides to enter the race, albeit late in the year. Brad, woefully underemployed, exits the race because of financial trouble, but, at the urging of his mother and with the eventual help of Stu, re-enters the race with a newly issued credit card and a $6000 limit. What ensues is a comedy of errors in the hunt for first place. The characters, hilarious in their own right, are on a collision course with reality. How can one person exit their responsibilities as father, husband or full-time employee to chase birds across the continent?

Stu, meanwhile, remains committed to the challenge of “the big year,” but not as maniacal in his quest for birding fame as Bostick. He realizes, perhaps because of a lifetime of experience, the balance required between his personal passion, obligations and joys of family, and the ever present demands of work. Stu misses a flight to Attu Island, the westernmost and largest island on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, because he is required to attend a business meeting. Stu’s commitments run deep, but he begins to scale back on his quest to tally the bird count, opting for family and the quiet pursuit of retirement. While Brad is off-again/on-again in his pursuit, Stu strikes his balance in competing with the great Bostick by teaming up with Brad. Together they identify leads to view previously unseen birds on the great watcher list, and establish their own support group.

Even with the extra support, Brad, with limited resources and even fewer funds, is called back home when his father suffers a heart attack. While it might be hard to imagine getting excited about some hobbies, Brad tries to explain his joy in birding to his sick father who, whether he gets it or not, is struck by his son’s passion. We momentarily realize what is important to us, and to the characters.  Family and friends feed our fire, but also temper it with the balance needed to carry-on; they offer us the perspective needed for a proper balance of play and passion.

This reality is often understood a little too late. Kenny’s wife wants him back home to meet at the fertility clinic to help consummate their child. When Kenny begins to walk into the clinic, he receives a call from a fellow birder who invites him to get on a plane immediately to see the elusive snow owl. Kenny obliges, calling his wife en route while fabricating a story for why he will not be at the fertility clinic. When Kenny finally returns home, his wife makes the final call. It is this example of hobby as addiction that leads to a sort of reflection among the other characters to put their pursuits in perspective. What price must be paid to sit at the top?

While the film is light and funny, and quite possibly dismissed for its niche subject (birding), it represents the fire within us all, and the way it can make or break our lives with one choice. While most agree that our passions make life worth living, they can leave a void in other places. Our journey, as the film suggests, should be balanced with the intentions and goodwill of those who help to give our lives meaning.

While The Big Year isn’t the type of film to win any great awards, nor will it impress in any major category, it’s a light and fun comedy. The cinematography is pretty spectacular and the music light and funny–just like the acting. I would categorize the film as an amusing heart warmer–worth curling up with a fun date and chatting and laughing through. After all, as the movie indicates, we need to make smart choices. Spending time with some food and drink watching this movie certainly wouldn’t be a bad choice. Like Brad, bonding with his father while spotting a snow owl in appreciation of one another’s fervor for life, The Big Year is a good way to bond and share in life’s laughter. It is the pursuit that is often more spectacular than the end result.

Author: Zach

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