The Big One

PG-13

1997

1h 36m

Documentary

List

92%

38 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Michael Moore, renowned documentary filmmaker and champion of the working class, travels the country on a promotional tour for his book "Downsize This!" Along the way, Moore offers scathing political commentary at book signings and converses with folks who are struggling to get by, from union organizers to the unemployed. Moore and his camera crew also attempt several surprise interviews with corporate CEOs, and he eventually manages to land a conversation with Nike's Phil Knight.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Nov 01

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Rent The Big One on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Thomas M

The best documentary movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/25/22

Full Review

dave s

While it's understandable that many viewers can be put off by Michael Moore's guerrilla tactics and lack of objectivity, there's no denying that he makes compelling and entertaining documentaries. In The Big One, Moore tackles corporate America, who, in the face of billion-dollar annual profits, continue to close manufacturing plants and move operations to foreign locales in order to reduce production costs and further increase profits. The impact is lessened somewhat by virtue of the fact that he is attacking corporations while on tour for his publisher to promote his latest book and, as a result, the whole thing sometimes feels more like a promotional tool rather than a scathing documentary on unfettered capitalism. Regardless, it's still a sobering look at the cost of corporate greed…and wildly entertaining.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This documentary mostly focusing on Michael Moore's book tour is at its best during his interview with Nike's C.E.O., in which he challenges the C.E.O. for outsourcing production of expensive Nike shoes to Asian factories paying poor employees pennies per hour.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesting look at how companies close plants when they are earning billions of dollars and how it affects the people and cities involved.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Pretty good movie. Very good start to what Michael Moore would continue to pursuit for the rest of his life. The stand up parts were kind of boring though and sometimes Michael Moore came off as pushy, but then again, that's what he does. The ending with the Nike chairman was really good though.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

david f

This film chronicles Michael Moore's cross-country book tour. It's humorous and sad in the same vein as Roger & Me as it showcases his satirical attitude toward corporate values and layoffs occurring at the height of profitability. Surprisingly, it wraps up with an interview with Nike CEO Phil Knight and Moore finally gets to film a scene of himself interviewing a corporate titan who is seemingly insensitive to the plight of the American worker. It's a cinematic landscape of 90s America.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

91%

87%

Sicko

86%

87%

The Cruise

100%

87%

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.

83%

79%

Looking for Richard

93%

94%

Riding Giants

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Mike Clark

USA Today

As movies go, The Big One is a small one, but it's more consistently funny than Moore's mid-90s broadcast salvo TV Nation.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 9, 2018

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 3/4

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

USA Today

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Moore's scenes with Nike Chair (at the time) Phil Knight are funny, but incredibly sad as they so clearly reflect corporate greed.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 3, 2020

Full Review

Eric Melin

Scene-Stealers.com

Rated: 3/5

Sep 29, 2006

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 4/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Michael Moore, renowned documentary filmmaker and champion of the working class, travels the country on a promotional tour for his book "Downsize This!" Along the way, Moore offers scathing political commentary at book signings and converses with folks who are struggling to get by, from union organizers to the unemployed. Moore and his camera crew also attempt several surprise interviews with corporate CEOs, and he eventually manages to land a conversation with Nike's Phil Knight.

Director: Michael Moore
Producer: Jeremy Gibson, David Mortimer
Screenwriter: Michael Moore
Production Co: Dog Eat Dog Films, Mayfair Entertainment International
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $713.7K
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

Most Popular at Home Now