The Big Year--Go See It!

Fun film.

When I went to see this movie, I met up with a group of birders from Knoxville's TN Ornithological Society (KTOS).  Great company!  Having commentary from a nearby experienced birder who knows birds all over the world adds another dimension to the movie.  For example, he identified the Swainson's hawk that is in the wrong place, in the wrong season.  And while viewing the portrayal of coastal bird "fall out", birds pushed inland by a storm, it was great to turn to a neighbor and say, "Really?  Is it really like that?". The firm, no, was reassuring.  I was glad I hadn't been missing something quite that spectacular!

The movie describes a type of birding that is foreign to me personally, but familiar to many, one that focuses on lists and going where ever the bird is to see it and add it to your list of sightings.  In the movie, that list involves a competition among birders to obtain a list of the most species seen in a year's time.  Despite the disclaimer that introduces the movie saying, "based on a true story, except where we've changed the facts", it is fun to see a depiction of this activity, the traveling, the amount of money that gets poured into the economy, the enthusiasm and excitement generated by seeing birds, no matter what the personal goal of the birder.

Most of all, if was fun to watch a movie about birds, showing various ways that birding, especially competitive birding, can challenge human nature.  The story illustrated people from modest means to wealthy, and demonstrated that the activity can lead you where ever you want to take it, depending on the sacrifices you're willing to make to reach your goals.  Especially enjoyable were the tender moments, when birds were viewed with awe and unexpected finds inspired a reverence that came close to the real experience.  This is the one place where I wished for the producers to team up in a bigger way with documentary film producers, so that we could see a little more of the birds themselves.  But this movie is a comedy, designed to inform, entertain, and poke fun.  And in that vein, it's peppered with exaggeration and a taste of the conflicts that are inevitable in any passionate pursuit.    

Who doesn't love birds?  There's everything to love.  This is a movie about loving birds, and about human nature as it unfolds while birders compete for the "big year".  Go see it.  If you're a birder you'll love it, both because its fun and because some aspect of it is about you.  If you aren't a birder, you'll find it curious, and I hope that will lead you to some form of birding.  Birds are full of magic and they're all around you.  Take a closer look!

Visit this link to see the trailer that includes "fall out" and the Swainson's hawk.
More on the movie, the Big Year with trailers.
Roger Ebert Review
Review by John Pushock for North American Birding
Visit the Knoxville Ornithological Society