The moment birders everywhere have been waiting for is almost here. No, it is not an epic morning of birding full of a host of life birds but the theatrical release of The Big Year, the movie about competitive birding based on the book by Mark Obmascik. It will star Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black but I am really looking forward to Jim Parsons as a bird blogger. The movie will be released on 14 October but until then here is a preview!
The Big Year by teasertrailer
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
Didn’t really emphasize the bird aspect, did it? I’m sure the film will, but the trailer doth lie!
Too early to nitpick or can I complain about 1:11?
Uh-oh…
My husband and I just happened to be at a conference in Tofino, British Columbia in May of last year when a portion of this movie was being filmed. What a beautiful place! I saw a few lifers while there, including Steve Martin’s big nose.
Kudos for using CCR, but otherwise looks wholly mainstream (but it could just be that they cut the trailer for the lowest common denominator). Unfortunately I can’t stand Devil Wears Prada OR Marley and Me… let’s just say I’m not optimistic, but it’s up to them to prove me wrong.
Is it just me, or is anyone else confused by who Jack Black and Owen Wilson are playing? It seems fairly obvious that Steve Martin is Al Levantin … but I’m having trouble with the other two. Oh and:
@BirdTrainerRobert: yup. (Though I did like “Marley and Me”)
Duncan,
As someone who shot for the movie, it is my understanding that the bird aspect was downplayed. I haven’t actually seen the final product yet, but the trailer may not be lying. It’s an affectionate look at us, however, and should be fun for birders.
Well, judging by the trailer, I am either someone with a mid-life crisis, a work life crisis or a no life crisis. But wait, I am not doing a Big Year, just ordinary birding. Let’s emphasize this little difference and see what the movie is like.
@ Steve. I’d laugh if they downplayed the bird thing in the movie. While you’re at it, lets downplay vampirism in Twilight, magic in Harry Potter and hobbits in Lord of the Rings!
Duncan, I didn’t mean they played down the bird angle. The movie is
very much about birding. Some time in post-production they decided
to stress human action more and bird footage less, however. There will
be a lot of very good computer generated bird material.
It would be great to see Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black share a screen, i really rate them very high as far as comic timings are concerned.. plus the movies is about Birds! nothing could be better then that