I'm afraid this charming movie did itself a disservice by casting Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson as the leads. Not that it would have even been made (or at least not on the budget to film the wonderful vistas against which the story is played out) without the involvement of these three names. But having them on the marquee sets up a certain expectation that the film had really no inclination of fulfilling: that this would be a no-holds-barred laugh fest.
And that's a pity. That THE BIG YEAR is not going for cheap laughs is actually its primary strength. Black, Martin and Wilson give restrained and nuanced performances in service to a script that attempts--and succeeds--in achieving something rather difficult: to show birding in a non-satiric way and look at the varying levels of obsession that lie behind it...and, for that matter, behind any passionate pursuit that may seem impossible, or merely silly, to outsiders.
In spirit, this is an "indy" film, the rara avis in the indy world that features big names in the lead roles. It's a comedy, yes, but a pleasantly (and extremely) mild one that's really about character and sympathetic understanding, journeying with three men who sacrifice much on the altar of their need to succeed but, in at least in two out of three cases, gain even more than they sacrifice. In a way, that's also the story of the folks who made this delightful surprise. Instead of a typical Hollywood yuck-fest, they've given us a refreshing, restorative walk in the wilderness, at the cost of alienating those in the audience--including the critics--who can't see beyond the expectation the three box-office names carry with them.
And that's a pity. That THE BIG YEAR is not going for cheap laughs is actually its primary strength. Black, Martin and Wilson give restrained and nuanced performances in service to a script that attempts--and succeeds--in achieving something rather difficult: to show birding in a non-satiric way and look at the varying levels of obsession that lie behind it...and, for that matter, behind any passionate pursuit that may seem impossible, or merely silly, to outsiders.
In spirit, this is an "indy" film, the rara avis in the indy world that features big names in the lead roles. It's a comedy, yes, but a pleasantly (and extremely) mild one that's really about character and sympathetic understanding, journeying with three men who sacrifice much on the altar of their need to succeed but, in at least in two out of three cases, gain even more than they sacrifice. In a way, that's also the story of the folks who made this delightful surprise. Instead of a typical Hollywood yuck-fest, they've given us a refreshing, restorative walk in the wilderness, at the cost of alienating those in the audience--including the critics--who can't see beyond the expectation the three box-office names carry with them.