The Big Picture

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The Big Picture

PG-13

1989

1h 40m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

87%

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23 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Hollywood beckons for recent film school grad Nick Chapman (Kevin Bacon), who is out to capitalize on the momentum from his national award-winning student film. Studio executive Allen Habel (J.T. Walsh) seduces Nick with a dream deal to make his first feature, but once production gets rolling, corporate reality begins to intervene: Nick is unable to control a series of compromises to his high-minded vision, and it's all he can do to maintain his integrity in the midst of filmmaking chaos.

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Critics Consensus

The Big Picture aims at targets that might not be familiar to viewers who aren't well-versed in movie-biz chicanery, but hits most of them so solidly that laughter is the only option.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

[A] hilariously canny 1989 satire about contemporary filmmaking in Hollywood.

Feb 2, 2016

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Variety Staff

Variety

Befitting two of the co-authors of This is Spinal Tap, Guest and Michael McKean, The Big Picture displays a keen eye for the silliness of film biz customs, lingo and attitudes.

Mar 11, 2009

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Nigel Floyd

Time Out

The movie references may strike some as in-jokey, but Guest's likeable film has enough jaundiced sideswipes and lighter chuckles to see it through its slacker spells.

Feb 9, 2006

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...generally feels like a short that's been awkwardly expanded to feature length...

Rated: 2/4

Mar 23, 2020

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A genial and funny satire/comedy about an up-and-coming student filmmaker.

Rated: B

Mar 21, 2016

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Ralph Novak

People Magazine

Partly romance, partly fantasy, partly satire on what passes for life in Hollywood -- and all charm -- this movie even has a perfect title.

Feb 2, 2016

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Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 40 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $33,100.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/23/25

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David M

Self-involved Hollywood movie, mildly amusing critique of the movie industry. Probably not a good use of 1:40.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

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Jerod S

Bacon's journey into the film world as a promising student is wild, but not wildly funny.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/24

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David F

This insider comedy about Hollywood has little to recommend it. Kevin Bacon is a film student who wins a student film award and then gets courted by producers and agents (one of whom is Martin Short in a hilarious role as a weirdo agent - really the only good thing about this film). He experiences the ups and downs of moviemaking, and there are some impressive cameos, but for some reason the film just doesn't work.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/12/23

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Audience Member

3.5. Interesting depiction of the vultures and parasites that are Hollywood . And also how a little success can get to some people and make them forget about everything that got them there and everything deemed important

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/22/20

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michael a

Loved this movie. Entertaining, and sarcastic, and enjoyable throughout. This pic is a little quirky in places, but overall captures some pretty good characters in a specific time and place in their burgeoning careers. Of course, I don't expect that Hollywood would embrace this one, but the characters are amazingly done. And we get a happy Hollywood ending. Abe and the Babe though really, hahahahahahahaha. Too funny. Christopher Guest ( the man of a thousand faces) shows us why he's so talented.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Christopher Guest

Director

Kevin Bacon

Nick Chapman

Emily Longstreth

Susan Rawlings

J.T. Walsh

Allen Habel

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Lydia Johnson

Martin Short

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Synopsis

Hollywood beckons for recent film school grad Nick Chapman (Kevin Bacon), who is out to capitalize on the momentum from his national award-winning student film. Studio executive Allen Habel (J.T. Walsh) seduces Nick with a dream deal to make his first feature, but once production gets rolling, corporate reality begins to intervene: Nick is unable to control a series of compromises to his high-minded vision, and it's all he can do to maintain his integrity in the midst of filmmaking chaos.

Director: Christopher Guest
Producer: Michael Varhol
Production Co: Aspen Film Society
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $33.1K
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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