The Big Year Buzz
Like the tens of millions of other bird enthusiasts around the country I have anticipated the release of the new movie The Big Year with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Excitement because the idea of a mainstream movie incorporating birding as a key element that begins to reflect how increasingly mainstream the hobby has become and because if done well, it would be fun to be able to see a movie from an insider’s perspective. But the apprehension is there as well because often the idea of birding can be treated as a goofball, eccentric plot element that makes it seem foolish and trivial. Let’s hope that they don’t fall into that one. The other bit of apprehension is around whether the movie will be any good. It would be a bummer if we finally get a movie that treats birding in a somewhat realistic and positive and human light but that it is so bad that no one wants to watch it.
I can’t wait to see it and find out!
Let us know if you’ve seen it yet and what your thoughts were below if so. I’d be curious to get other birders’ perspectives on it. If you haven’t seen it yet check out the trailer:
October 19th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Saw it with members of the local Audubon group. Very funny and well acted. Some of the birding was exagerated – but it would be tough to find and film, for example, an actual spring fall out – and it may make it more understandable for non birders.
November 2nd, 2011 at 5:27 pm
have been birding since 1948 and have met all sort of birder and the three main characters, and some of the minor ones, hit it right. Also I love the scenery — and yes some of it was exagerated — after all I don’t think you can fly into Attu (though it can be reached by boat), and the fallout though exagerated is quite close to a really big day in Central Park when land birds flood through during a big spring “wave”.
The acting was great and though the story was kept “light” it was still in many ways an honest depction of what we an honest, vigorous birder will do when we decide to take on the challenge of a Big Year!
Joen