User reviews

THE BIG PICTURE is a breezy satire of the movie business from the mind of writer/director Christopher Guest (BEST IN SHOW, A MIGHTY WIND). It tells the story of Nick Chapman (Kevin Bacon), a young film director who gets put through the Hollywood wringer. Studio executives, agents, and starlets all prey on Nick's naivete and he eventually sells out, neglecting his girlfriend and best friend in the process.

What's interesting about THE BIG PICTURE is its grassroots portrayal of how Nick finally launches his Hollywood career - by starting small, doing his own thing, and involving his friends. Those are basically the tenets of independent film, which boomed in the decade following THE BIG PICTURE.

Nowadays, many of those indie directors - among them Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez, and Christopher Nolan - are getting hired to do big-budget studio pictures. In fact, Soderbergh's "sex, lies, and videotape" was released the same year as this movie.

Was Nick Chapman's "Pez People" video responsible for the indie film movement? Not likely, but THE BIG PICTURE was certainly an advocate of its principles.

This film is a wonderful example of how to get a movie made in Hollywood.

Kevin Bacon stars as a hot new director, with a prestigious award to his credit who has one aim, to make his script his way.

What then ensues is a sequence of events that should serve as a warning to people wanting to make their own movie on what to be careful of.

Bacon's script starts as a simple movie of two couples on holiday together, while one half of them is having an affair, thanks to various obstacles it transforms into a trashy affair of beaches, cheerleaders and very little story, called Beachnuts.

While this happens Bacon's personal life is also falling apart thanks to the lures of Teri Hatcher's struggling young actress.

Finally, an extremely low-budget music video puts Bacon back on the map and this time he sticks to his guns.

The message for young movie-makers is, do not lose sight of what you want and be aware of the extreme fickleness of Hollywood, which this demonstrates exceedingly well.

Film school grad Nick Chapman (Kevin Bacon) thought his career was made after his award winning short film, but discovered Hollywood wasn't as easy as it seems.

Greenlit by David Puttnam of Columbia Pictures, the president was ousted two weeks after production began, and the subsequent regime at the studio, according to Guest, were unable to figure out what could be done with the film as many executives at the studio didn't like the film because they felt like they were being brutally satirized in it. Columbia quietly gave The Big Picture a limited theatrical release (despite opening to positive reviews) before sending it to video.

With all the names attached o this film, the clever writing and positive message, it is amazing this one slipped under the radar. It might satirize Hollywood, but by no means do I feel it insults it or calls out anyone in particular (though, who knows what the writer had in mind).

I especially enjoyed the role played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. She may be one of the best actresses of modern times, no one seems to recognize it. Between "Fast Times" (1982) and "Hateful Eight" (2015), no one seems to have noticed her. And why not? She was dynamite in so many things, and this film is the evidence.

No one can blame the people who work there for not daring to make a true Hollywood satire: it would, after all, be their own careers at the butt of every joke. Which may explain why this mild lampoon of modern movie-making - the parties, the pretensions, the deals, the hype - tactfully avoids hitting its intended targets too hard. Kevin Bacon is the aspiring director courted by Tinsel Town royalty (agents and producers) after winning an AFI student film award; he's a talented and honest guy in an industry often unable to recognize either virtue, and it isn't long before he loses himself to the shallow rewards of Hollywood status: fast cars, faster women, and so forth. Viewers may recognize in the credits the names of some of the folk responsible for the definitive rock 'n' roll spoof 'This Is Spinal Tap', but any other similarity between the two features is entirely coincidental. The new film is almost as superficial as the movies it makes fun of: it's a comedy about selling out that sells itself out for the obligatory (if nicely ironic) happy ending. Watch for many familiar faces in uncredited cameos.

This is an under-rated late 80's film that captures the changing entertainment scene of that decade, with much humor and irony.

While the usual "Hollywood is phony" theme exists here, that story is always interesting, and it really scores when it reminds us of how success can be gained and lost quickly.

Martin Short is the uncredited star here, with a couple of hilarious scenes, the best one at the outdoor patio restaurant where he praises Bacon without knowing any of his work. All in all, a nice movie about movies, with some special surprise locations for movie buffs!

The late J.T. Walsh offers a subtle performance here, with one of my favorite (perhaps a somewhat spoiler line, but nothing to do with the plot)...Bacon: "I'm from Ohio", with Walsh's comeback, "my first wife is from Illinois", as in everything outside of LA is one place. Perfect deadpan humor.

When up and coming new director Nick Chapman comes to Hollywood to make his mark he finds a strange new world. His ego immediately goes red line and he dumps all his old friends as he desperately tries to fit into this unknown place. By the time he realizes things aren't as they seem he comes close to losing everything. Entertaining look at a bizarre cast of characters in oddball situations.

Directed by Christopher Guest. Starring Kevin Bacon, Emily Longstreth, J. T. Walsh, Teri Hatcher, Michael McKean, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Don Franklin, Martin Short, Dan Schneider, Kim Miyori, Tracy Brooks Swope, Gary Kroeger. (PG-13)

Uneven satire about wheeling and dealing in Hollywood, with Bacon as a film school grad trying to get a movie made on his terms, but he finds himself compromising his integrity and artistic vision in the process. Covers pretty familiar ground to anyone remotely aware of the ins-and-outs of movie-making; has a drowsy, slapdash quality to it, going for the easy, low-key punchlines (no matter how incisive) more often than the surprising ones. A few too many dry spells, too, and the weakly-integrated fantasy sequences misfire almost every time. Consistently exudes an aura of truth even amid exaggeration, suggesting that one or all of the writers have witnessed or experienced many similar incidents in their own lives. Most of the more distinctive and/or entertaining characters are relegated to the sidelines (Leigh as a flaky boho artist, Short as an eccentric agent, etc.); the characters we're supposed to like and root for, meanwhile--Bacon, Longstreth, McKean--are a bit on the bland side. Watchable, but considering the level of talent on both sides of the camera, has to rate as a disappointment. Directorial debut of co-scripter Guest (a rare non-"mockumentary" for him as either writer or director); he'd later do a better industry send-up with "For Your Consideration."

50/100

It's hard to believe it's been twenty years since this came out. Kevin Bacon is established as one of the best American actors (also, one of the greats who've never been nominated for an Oscar!). Teri Hatcher is the star of a huge television hit. Christopher Guest still makes brilliant films and gives his actors more freedom than almost any other director today. And my affection for "The Big Picture" only grows fonder as the time passes.

In "Rolling Stone" magazine's 1989 "Hot Issue", then newcomer Steven Soderbergh was profiled as that season's hot new filmmaker. One remark was about how students in LA based film schools have their works shown at big events, attended by many hot shots in the entertainment industry. Meaning, a young woman or man could have a "bomb" of sorts on their hands before even turning professional! Not the most nurturing environment for youthful talent.

Bacon's "Nick Chapman" gets the full treatment as a guy on the fast track after winning his school's big prize for his project. And things don't go wonderfully well after he starts meeting the movers and shakers in his new world. The late, great J.T. Walsh is a studio head (for the time being) who seduces Chapman into believing all his dreams are possible. Michael McKean is Chapman's friend, a cinematographer who isn't necessarily the first choice to shoot his debut. And John Cleese, Martin Short and Jennifer Jason Leigh have great turns as Chapman's different associates that can't really stop the grimly funny runaway train he's on until his self respect finally returns and he sees everything for what it really is.

Most films about film-making are not that good. This is a major exception to that rule. Very bitter, but also very sweet. Just like life!

Bolstered by an early appearance by Teri Hatcher as a vapid starlet, The Big Picture takes a smirky look at the corruption of the creative process by the know-nothing power brokers who run Hollywood. A recent film school graduate gets a chance to direct his first feature, providing he is willing to take advice. It seems everybody has 'suggestions' for the novice director, and the clout to cram them down his throat, especially a pervy producer played with slimy grace by J.T.Walsh. The movie begins to mutate out of his control with funny and disturbing results. Finally he finds himself having to fight to regain control of his film and career.

Hollywood movies about Hollywood movie making have proved a rather mixed bag over the years, surprising given the supposed intimacy with the subject matter the films' creators theoretically enjoy. A botched technical detail here or there in a film about Arctic exploration might be forgiven, but Hollywood ought to know its own turf. Luckily, this particular addition to the Hollywood-on-Hollywood genre has a fairly authentic ring. Indeed, the more you understand about the Hollywood movie-making process, the more interesting and entertaining this film is. Yet the movie has enough striking visuals and funny and surprising bits, as to make it accessible to anyone.

30th Anniversary: 1989 - the Best Year in Cinema Marathon Film #68/100: "The Big Picture" (1st Viewing.)

Always curious about this farce on Hollywood and I realized: I wasted my thoughts. This was predictable, boring, unoriginal, uninspiring and rarely have I rolled my eyes in a third act like this movie. I see it meant to say something, but was so generic, safe and bland, it's never worth a recommendation.

The Big Picture is cookie-cutter at best. Skip.

This is a good film that is totally stolen by Martin Short. The scenes including his agent character are some of the funniest I've ever seen in a movie. He's absolutely brilliant.

If you can see past the blinding light of Short's performance, there's a likable movie here. Kevin Bacon and his character's storyline are compelling and involving. There are loads of funny cameo-type roles. There's one scene in particular that stands out. It's not funny, it's heartbreaking. I'm talking about the scene where Kevin Bacon picks up Michael McKean in his Porsche, gets a cell phone call, and asks McKean to step out of the car to take the call. Man, that's harsh. It's testament to Bacon's acting charm that his character can be redeemed at all after a stunt like that.

The one thing that seemed consistently not to work here is the fantasy sequences. The movie would play better without them.

There are a lot of movies that I like about the process of making a movie; Living In Oblivion, The TV Set, or even Guest's own For Your Consideration. I hadn't heard of this movie until it was brought up in a comments thread about a TV episode with a similar plot.

The movie starts well, with some humor about student films. The plot mostly is just about the artistic compromises, combined with the reputation-focused existence of the Hollywood set.

This is a very mildly absurdist portrayal. My biggest problem is that they didn't take the satire too far. Every compromise that was suggested could be interpreted as being an acceptable change. But the humor is also softened without the presence of someone who points out how silly these changes are. Bacon's performance seems too accepting of compromising his ideals.

It's a memorable movie, and the humor is enjoyable, but it just needed to go a little bit further.

Big Picture is a likable if slow at times Hollywood tale. Kevin Bacon and Emily Longstreth make an attractive couple, but the characters on the sidelines give the film its juice. Best is Martin Short as the gushing agent. He is right on the money and so indicative of Hollywood.

After a film student from Ohio (Bacon) wins an award for his short movie at the film institute in Los Angeles, he has to carefully traverse the minefield of the system to get his artistic vision made. JT Walsh plays a manipulative producer and Martin Short a dubious agent.

"The Big Picture" (1989) is an amusing look at the moviemaking process in Hollywood. The humor is mostly droll or quirky and viewers not up on the business might not relate to some of it, which could explain why the flick flopped at the box office. I wouldn't want to blow time & money on seeing it at the theater, but it works well enough for home viewing on a quiet night or whatever.

Winsome Emily Longstreth stands out on the feminine front as the protagonist's girlfriend, Susan. She was a minor female sensation at the time who worked with the likes of Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Rob Morrow, Molly Ringwald and James Spader, but she left acting entirely by the early 90s, reportedly falling into substance abuse, mental illness, and living in homeless shelters. It's rumored she died in early 2015, but factual info is hard to find so I can't verify this.

Teri Hatcher is notable as wannabe starlet Gretchen; it was her movie debut. Meanwhile Jennifer Jason Leigh is on hand as hipster Lydia while Fran Drescher shows up as the producer's wife, Polo.

The film runs 1 hour, 40 minutes, and was shot in the Los Angeles area.

GRADE: B-

This is early Guest (before he learned to satirize without sneering).

I've watched this many times, and feel that this ranks with the best work of Christopher Guest. Kevin Bacon is outstanding as the idealistic young director Nick Chapman, who falls prey to the jaded Hollywood lifestyle - long before he can afford it personally or financially. Martin Short's role as Nick's agent is hilarious, and other good performances are turned in by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Terri Hatcher, and many others. This is Spinal Tap for the film industry, and well worth a look.

Great satire of the Hollywood system with star turns from Jennifer Jason Leigh, Martin Short & J. T. Walsh. The PEZ People could have been the next Spinal Tap.

Thank God for Christopher Guest. Anyone who loved him as Nigel Tufnel in Spinal Tap and has since appreciated his mockumentaries "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show" should take a look back at The Big Picture. As with his other films, the humor is subtle and a bit "inside," but the more you see it, the more you love it. Kevin Bacon and J.T. Walsh are perfect, and Martin Short steals every scene he's in. (Added bonus: the Pez People song at the end, obviously sung by Michael McKean, sounds like Spinal Tap with keyboards instead of guitars. Very funny.)

This is an underrated Kevin Bacon movie about the film industry that should be seen by way more people than it has. Kevin Bacon plays a talented film student who is soon grabbed by a studio as he makes it big. However, his success makes him arrogant and leave the people who once cared for him and vice versa. Classic tale of redemption ensues but the film has many highlighted scenes including a fun music video starring the underrated Jennifer Jason Leigh who made being a hipster popular way before the term was even invented.

One of the worst movies you'll ever see unless you're an aspiring filmmaker or a cinephile.

Where to begin? The Kevin Bacon led film attempts to depict Hollywood from the perspective of someone entering the system, but before they sell out. At least that's what's depicted in the movie. The young director played by Kevin Bacon makes an award winning short film, then is approached by a megalomaniac producer who promises him a hit, as long as he does what the producer says. One by one the director gives up his creative vision to the produce, leading him into a rabbit hole.

If you want to know whether he makes it out or not I suppose you'll have to watch the film, because I'm not going to spoil it here. But what a waste of an hour and a half of your life it would be. Themes? I guess don't sell out your ideas. But that's about it and it takes to long to get across. Everything in this movies' a joke, and scenes switch mid scene to fantasies depicting how the scene feels to our main character, like approaching the film awards two minutes into the film becomes him entering a Nazi prison camp. An excellent idea but the way it's done is just... goofy. Was the movie about a director even made by a director? I guess technically it had to be. The acting is just ok and the filmmaking resembles a tv movie, especially in the direction and cinematography.

However, this film has one redeeming quality. And you have to be a particular type of person for this to apply to you. If you are a fellow filmmaker or cinephile, you might think this movie is ok. It actually didn't feel this long to me because in my every day life I related to a lot of the things our main character does. If that's you, I recommend this film as it gives you a bit of perspective on the people behind the camera who make the films we love. But if that's not you, don't waste your time, there are better things to watch.