The Big Picture

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The Big Picture

PG-13

1989

1h 41m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

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Popcornmeter

87%

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23 Reviews

45%

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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

02/02/2016

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

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Variety Staff

Variety

03/11/2009

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.

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Nigel Floyd

Time Out

02/09/2006

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.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

03/23/2020

2/4

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

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

03/21/2016

B

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

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Ralph Novak

People Magazine

02/02/2016

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

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Sep 29

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

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 23

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

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David M

12/21/2024

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

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown 04/21/2024

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

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David F

@dfulmer 03/12/2023

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.

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11/22/2020

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

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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

Neil Sussman

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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, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $33.1K
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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