Susan Granger’s review of “The Big Year” (20th Century-Fox)
Beware of manic middle-aged men with binoculars. They can be obsessive and competitive, as evidenced by ornithologists Stu Preissler (Steve Martin), Brad Harris (Jack Black) and Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson) who crisscross North America – from the Everglades to the Aleutians – for 12 months in a determined effort to log the most sighted species.
A ruthless strategist, arrogant Bostick is the defending world champion of birding, much to the chagrin of his long-suffering wife Jessica (Rosamund Pike), who desperately wants to have a baby.
About to become a grandfather for the first time, wealthy Stu is about to retire from his corporate CEO position but, as his wife Edith (JoBeth Williams) observes, “If they ever stop competing, they die.”
Specializing in identifying bird calls and maxing out credit cards, computer code-cruncher Brad is divorced and living with his parents (Dianne Weist, Brian Dennehy).
“Sooner or later, you’re going to have to do something with your life,” his dad grouses.
Their ambition is the The 700 Club, an elite group of birders who have reported 700 sightings during a calendar year – all on the honor system.
Formulaically written by Howard Franklin (“Someone to Watch Over Me”), who adapted Mark Obmascik’s 1998 nonfiction book, “The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession,” and guided it through 13 years in ‘development hell,’ it’s affably directed by David Frankel (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “Marley & Me”), who fails to make the most of his talented comedic cast, settling for whimsical grins and chuckles instead of going for hearty laughter.
Along with the tedious trudging and fanciful bird lore, there are some inventive scenes – like when Stu closes a deal for his company by using the deceptive tactics of a nasty little bird that he particularly admires – and supportive turns by Anjelica Huston, Rashida Jones, Tim Blake Nelson, and Jim Parsons.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Big Year” is a fine-feathered, somewhat funny 6. Yet it’s a quirky, outdoorsy expedition that fails to take flight.
