Beautiful, moving film.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

1st bird watching is an old term and most birders dislike the term because birding requires hard work.The good birders are hikers up to 5 hrs a day and to photograph them requires years of skill building.Many hunters who switched to birder will tell you photographing them is more skillful then hunting...Birderng should be bird hunting you just don't kill it when you find it.This move was clearly written by birders or know birders because everything avid birders experience is in the movie.They miss a few points like bug bites(it was mentioned) and birders do enjoy the scenery and often relax and take it in...This is a funny movie but you really have yo know birders to fully enjoy it if you do the movie is hysterical...

Highly underrated. All aspects of the movie were interesting from the leads combo (Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson!!!) to the whole premise (A birding competition? What?!). The message that the movie delivers is sure to make you feel happier. Family, love, friendship, passion for a calling, and wonderful scenery that inspires a yearn to tour America instantly. You've got all that in one movie that is guaranteed to leave you smiling by the time the credits roll in. Please give it a chance. In today's world where vice, vengeance, and sex sells, it is fantastically refreshing and hopeful. ------- Pardon me. I need to fill the last line. I do not see how forcing viewers to write unnecessary, redundant commentary would help anyone.

I should start that this may contain a few minor spoilers...Fantastic! Enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would, given it was about bird watching. I watched because I absolutely love Steve Martin, he could make any movie likable. In fact, between the entire cast- Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin- they could make even a rubbish story line enjoyable to watch. Only it isn't a rubbish story line, far from it. Each character has their own personal background and story line to move forward with. I just love that it is based on a true story, or at least people who are real, with "a few facts changed," or so it states at the beginning of the movie.They really kept the bird theme going in this movie, between Harris's ring tone on his phone and some of the songs used in between. This movie made bird watching look quite inspiring and really gave a taste of what these bird watchers endure and how they feel doing it. I had no idea it was like that. Amazing! I love how they highlighted the different species of birds. I loved the owl scene with Harris and his dad in the snow.The end is absolute perfection. I nearly cried it was so meaningful. Not often that happens for me, if ever! I love that no one died (for a change!) and even Bostwick had a closure that he deserved, but still showed a likable character in the end.Brilliant performances from each of the actors, but I wouldn't expect anything less from this cast! Will definitely be watching this again.

The Big Year is a decent film, but I'm left with the feeling that it could have been A LOT better if it had not been dragged through the Hollywood machine. The choice of music is horrible and generally feels very uninspired. Generally every aspect of the movie (except for the theme Birding) feels VERY Hollywood.Jack Black's character does a lot of voice overs. While there's nothing wrong with voice overs (if done properly), if feels like they did them so the film wouldn't be too long and boring.The three main characters (played by Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson) are great, and the actors' performances are top notch. But I don't think we truly ever get under their skin. Which is a shame.Another thing (SPOILERS), I don't like how Owen Wilson's character is labeled a loser in the end because he chooses birding over his marriage. The film does make a good point of asking what kind of sacrifices you're willing to make just for the sake of your hobby. But to me, it feels like the film is telling us that Wilson's character is a loser just because he doesn't have a girlfriend. Marriage isn't for everyone.It could have been so much better, maybe if it had been handled by independent filmmakers. But I do have to give the film kudos just for making a film about something as special as birding.