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The Big Year
The Big Year Image
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Metascore
53 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 29 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: Based on Mark Obmascik's 1998 book "The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession," the film is about three men who try to outdo each other in a bird-watching competition to spot the rarest birds in North America. The rivalry is an allegory for the challenges each faces in his own life. (20th Century Fox) … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 29
  3. Negative: 2 out of 29
  1. Tampa Bay Times
    Reviewed by: Steve Persall
    Oct 16, 2011
    83
    Frankel's movie is as refreshing as a walk in the woods and surprising as a chance encounter with the best that nature can offer.
  2. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: A.A. Dowd
    Oct 14, 2011
    60
    The School of Rock funnyman flies highest; passion, be it for rare birds or the Yardbirds, is a plumage he wears wonderfully.
  3. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Bill Weber
    Oct 13, 2011
    25
    Director David Frankel can't lend the inflated sitcom dilemmas of the characters any life, and most mysteriously screenwriter Howard Franklin, whose work in the '90s frequently had appealing quirk and flavor, gets the dubious credit for adapting a 1998 nonfiction book about these hobbyists' pursuit of pink-footed geese and Northern Shovelers.

See all 29 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 2 out of 10
  1. siempre
    9
    The Big Year is an excellent MOVIE. It does not slide into a category well and that hurt the marketing. So, three comedians who are very good dramatic actors make an old fashioned movie that combines a depthful story, some soft humor and a lot of thoughtfulness- try to put that in a trailor.It is a movie about choices, sacrifice and ambitions. See this movie!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. eTurkey
    5
    One thing 'The Big Year' is, is not humorous. Nor is it particularly clever or thoughtful. What exactly is this movie about then? Despite it's unoriginality the story itself is fresh. There haven't been too many films made about birdwatching let alone 'comedic' ones. The frequently changing setting matters not as the locations are simply stunning and makes some of David Attenborough's documentaries seem dull in comparison. You won't churn out any laughter with TBY but as long as you realise it's simply a quaint, little feature then you simply *might* enjoy it.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. corc79
    0
    I an truly amazed that this pantload of a movie got a single score above a zero. The only way that's possible is if those reviewers happen to be one of these weird "birding" nerds. To be perfectly honest, we felt completely ripped off by the false advertising of this piece of crap. In the previews, in every single interview with the cast, there wasn't one mention of a bird or "birding" in any capacity...it was made to look like something similar to The Bucket List, with the cast doing a bunch of crazy things over a year. NOT WATCHING FREAKING BIRDS! Maybe not the worst movie ever, but surely in the top 10, and definitely the most dissapointing I have ever seen. I can't for the life of me figure out why any of those guys would ever even consider doing this movie. Anyone who rated this above a zero has been eating way too many retard sandwiches...… Expand
    • 2 of 3 users said yes

See all 10 User Reviews

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