ⓘ Details

Movie TitleThe Big Year

Release DateOctober 14, 2011

TaglineEveryone is searching for something.

Runtime100 minutes / 1 hour 40 minutes

DirectorDavid Frankel

Screenplay Written ByHoward Franklin

Based OnThe Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik

Is It a Remake?No. It is an adaptation of Mark Obmascik’s nonfiction book about competitive birding.

BudgetApproximately $41 million

Box OfficeApprox. $7.2 million domestic / approx. $7.7–8.2 million worldwide, depending on source

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👥 Main Cast

Steve MartinStu Preissler

Jack BlackBrad Harris

Owen WilsonKenny Bostick

Brian DennehyRaymond Harris

Anjelica HustonAnnie Auklet

Rashida JonesEllie

Dianne WiestBrenda Harris

JoBeth WilliamsEdith Preissler

Rosamund PikeJessica

Anthony AndersonBill Clemont

Tim Blake NelsonFuchs

Joel McHaleBarry Loomis

Kevin PollakJim Gittelson

Barry Shabaka HenleyDr. Neil Kramer

John CleeseHistorical Montage Narrator

Corbin BernsenGil Gordon

Steven WeberRick

Jim ParsonsCrane

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🏆 Awards

⭐ Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Winner — Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Over $20 Million

⭐ IMDb lists the film with 1 win.

⭐ No Academy Award nominations were verified for the film.

⭐ No Golden Globe nominations were verified for the film.

⭐ No BAFTA nominations were verified for the film.

⭐ Its biggest legacy is as a gentle, birding-centered comedy with a surprisingly stacked ensemble cast.

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📖 Short Plot Summary

Three men enter a “Big Year,” a competitive birding challenge to identify as many bird species as possible across North America in one calendar year. Stu Preissler is a wealthy businessman trying to step away from work, Brad Harris is an underachieving birder looking for purpose, and Kenny Bostick is the ruthless record-holder determined to stay on top. As they chase rare birds from coast to coast, each man discovers that the pursuit is less about winning and more about what they are willing to sacrifice — and what they might find along the way besides birds.

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❝ Key Quotes

“Bostick saw snowcocks.” — Stu Preissler

“I can’t afford snowcocks.” — Brad Harris

“Snowcocks are on me.” — Stu Preissler

“This is my Big Year.” — Brad Harris

“Everyone is searching for something.” — Tagline

“He got more birds, but we got more everything.” — Brad Harris

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💡 Trivia

Director

The Big Year was directed by David Frankel.
The screenplay was written by Howard Franklin.
The film is based on Mark Obmascik’s 2004 nonfiction book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession.
AFI lists the genre as comedy and the source as Obmascik’s book.
Frankel’s film turns competitive birding into a story about midlife anxiety, ambition, friendship, family, and the weird things people will do for a checklist.

Cast / Casting

Steve Martin plays Stu Preissler, a wealthy businessman trying to retire and finally do something for himself.
Jack Black plays Brad Harris, a skilled but financially struggling birder chasing a once-in-a-lifetime goal.
Owen Wilson plays Kenny Bostick, the reigning Big Year champion whose obsession threatens his personal life.
Brian Dennehy and Dianne Wiest play Brad’s parents, Raymond and Brenda Harris.
Anjelica Huston plays Annie Auklet, a boat captain tied to one of the film’s key birding expeditions.
The supporting cast includes Rashida Jones, Rosamund Pike, Anthony Anderson, Tim Blake Nelson, Joel McHale, Kevin Pollak, and Jim Parsons.

Soundtrack / Score

The score was composed by Theodore Shapiro.
IMDb’s soundtrack listing includes “Minor Swing,” “The Devil Never Sleeps,” “Surfin’ Bird,” “Blackbird,” “I Like Birds,” and “Viva la Vida.”
Steve Martin’s “Pitkin County Turnaround” appears on the soundtrack.
Steve Martin also wrote music for his album Rare Bird Alert while on the set of the film.
The soundtrack leans into the movie’s road-trip structure, mixing light comedy, nature, and personal-discovery energy.

Location

The film’s story crosses North America as the characters chase birds across a calendar year.
IMDb lists filming locations including Attu, Alaska; Tofino, British Columbia; Shannon Falls, British Columbia; and Squamish, British Columbia.
MovieMaps lists Vancouver and Squamish among filming locations, along with U.S. locations.
Tofino location coverage notes that the production used British Columbia locations to double for several different regions.
The road-trip locations are central to the movie’s appeal, turning birding into a continent-spanning scavenger hunt with better scenery and worse travel budgeting.

Behind-The-Scenes

The film was produced by Karen Rosenfelt, Stuart Cornfeld, and Curtis Hanson.
Lawrence Sher served as cinematographer, Mark Livolsi edited the film, and Theodore Shapiro composed the music.
AFI lists 20th Century Fox Distribution as the distribution company.
The Numbers lists the production budget at $41 million.
The Numbers lists domestic box office at $7,204,138 and worldwide box office at $7,684,524.
The movie was released wide in the U.S. by 20th Century Fox on October 14, 2011.

Nostalgia

The Big Year is a rare mainstream comedy built around competitive birding.
The movie brings together three major comedy stars — Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson — in a much gentler story than audiences may have expected from that lineup.
Its appeal is less about huge punchlines and more about low-key charm, travel, nature, and the absurd seriousness of niche competition.
For birders, the movie remains a recognizable pop-culture touchstone, even when it exaggerates the obsession for comedy.
For everyone else, it is a reminder that every hobby has its extreme-sports version — even looking at birds.

Easter Eggs

The title refers to a real birding tradition: attempting to identify the most bird species within a calendar year.
The book that inspired the film follows real birders chasing a North American Big Year record.
Kenny Bostick is loosely inspired by record-setting birder Sandy Komito, while the film fictionalizes the real participants and events.
The repeated snowcock gag plays off the expensive, travel-heavy absurdity of chasing one rare species for a list.
The film’s birding details give actual birdwatchers plenty to recognize, even inside the Hollywood comedy version of the hobby.

Misc.

The Big Year is rated PG for language and some sensuality.
AFI classifies the film as comedy, while The Numbers lists it as comedy drama.
Rotten Tomatoes’ synopsis describes the film as three men crossing North America in a contest to count more bird species than anyone else.
The film was a commercial disappointment despite its star-heavy cast and $41 million production budget.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists the episode as Episode 186, with Don rating it 2.50, Ken rating it 2.00, Jon rating it 2.50, and an overall rating of 2.33.

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