The Big Picture

Play trailer

The Big Picture

PG-13

1989

1h 40m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

45%

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

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

Feb 2, 2016

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

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

Rated: 2/4

Mar 23, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

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

Rated: B

Mar 21, 2016

Full Review

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

Full Review

Read all reviews

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/29/25

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Christopher Guest

Director

Kevin Bacon

Nick Chapman

Emily Longstreth

Susan Rawlings

J.T. Walsh

Allen Habel

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Lydia Johnson

Martin Short

Neil Sussman

Three Fugitives

14%

50%

Three Fugitives

Watchlist

License to Drive

24%

62%

License to Drive

Watchlist

Life Stinks

25%

45%

Life Stinks

Watchlist

Strictly Business

10%

56%

Strictly Business

Watchlist

Hiding Out

38%

69%

Hiding Out

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now