The Big Picture (1989 film)
| The Big Picture | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Christopher Guest |
| Produced by |
Michael Varhol Richard Gilbert Abramson |
| Written by |
Christopher Guest Michael Varhol Michael McKean |
| Starring |
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| Music by | David Nichtern |
| Cinematography | Jeff Jur |
| Edited by | Martin Nicholson |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Box office | $117,463 |
The Big Picture is a 1989 American comedy film starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Christopher Guest.
Plot
In a fictionalized version of Tinseltown itself, Nick Chapman is an up-and-coming film director hot off the winning of a student award for his short film. The award captures the attention of movie executive Allen Habel (J. T. Walsh), who offers Nick a deal to make his dream picture: a character-driven, black-and-white drama taking place in a cabin during the winter.
Nick's also got a good girlfriend (Emily Longstreth) by his side and a best friend (Michael McKean) who is a struggling cinematographer. But when Nick experiences seduction to the Hollywood lifestyle, he changes on his friends and family. It doesn't help that he's got a smarmy agent (Martin Short), a starlet (Teri Hatcher) playing with his mind and the grim reminder that his less-talented and more self-satisfied classmates are working successfully in Hollywood.
After betraying his friend and girlfriend and compromising his principles, Nick ends up abandoned and desperate after Habel is replaced in a studio upheaval. A struggling Nick endeavors to restore the relationships in his life, and a kooky but loyal friend (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a classmate of Nick's, ultimately proves to be a savior to his career.
Cast
- Kevin Bacon as Nick Chapman
- Emily Longstreth as Susan Rawlings
- J. T. Walsh as Allen Habel
- Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lydia Johnson
- Michael McKean as Emmet Sumner
- Kim Miyori as Jenny Sumner
- Teri Hatcher as Gretchen
- Dan Schneider as Jonathan Tristan-Bennet
- Jason Gould as Carl Manknik
- Tracy Brooks Swope as Lori Pressman
- Don Franklin as Todd Marvin
- Gary Kroeger as Mark
- Fran Drescher as Polo Habel
- June Lockhart as Janet Kingsley
- Roddy McDowall as Judge
- Eddie Albert as M.C.
- John Cleese as Bartender
- Martin Short as Neil Sussman (uncredited)
- Elliott Gould as Prosecutor (uncredited)
Release
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.[1]
Reception
The Big Picture received positive reviews from critics, as it holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 22 reviews with the 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 only the option."
References
- ↑ Slifkin, Irv. "Straight to Tape." Entertainment Weekly (March 2, 1990).
External links
- The Big Picture at the Internet Movie Database
- The Big Picture at AllMovie
- The Big Picture at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Big Picture at Box Office Mojo
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