The Big Picture

A long, long time ago I caught the second half of Kevin Bacon's "She's Having A Baby" on TV and was intrigued. Because I didn't catch the title and failed to pay close enough attention to the Amazon.com outline when I finally got around to searching for the "Kevin Bacon" movie I vaguely remembered I mistakenly purchased "The Big Picture." So much for my credibility.That was more than a year ago and now that I've finally watched The Big Picture I'm happy that I made the mistake. At the same time I continually found myself as disappointed as I was amused and entertained. I happen to be a big fan or not only Keven Bacon, but Christopher Guest and Teri Hatcher and found myself expecting more and/or better. It's possible that the heavy-handed direction that works so well for Mr. Guest in mockumentaries like Spinal Tap and Best in Show just doesn't cut it in a film that keeps flipping from comedy to spoof and back. Martin Short's performance is so over-the-top and so absurd that it plays more like a SNL skit that doesn't really belong and hurts the flow of the film every time he appears. I would have appreciated a lot more screen time for (hot, hot, hot) Terry Hatcher and a lot less Martin Short.

Made in an era when it was dangerous to make fun of Hollywood but was so good it opened the flood gates of movie satires. Today, movies are satires of themselves.

OMG...this is such a good movie. I saw this originally shortly after it came out on video and then just watched it again recently (09/2019). Although this centers around Kevin Bacon's character...it is the other people Kevin interacts with that makes this movie shine. I don't mean shine from an Oscar performance perspective but from a movie enjoyment perspective. From the friend-til-the-end played by Michael Mckean (so touching how they lose and find each other) to the ever-quirky Jennifer Jason Leigh character who handles everything thrown at her with positivity and a unique eye. Those charactersalong with the backdrop of an exaggerated though albeit realistic view of the movie-making business gives this movie a fun quirky flair. You owe it to yourself to check this out especially if you enjoy any kind of movie but don't critic the hell out of them.

As a former film student and then professional filmmaker, I've always loved this movie. It's hilariously consistent with my experiences both of school and the industry. The acting is great, the situations are funny and the meaning comes through loud and clear. Also, it has Kevin Bacon, Michael McKean, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Teri Hatcher in it and it's directed by Christopher Guest and shot by Jeff Jur! Awesome. Loved it.This was the first time I watched it with my daughter, who is 19 and going to film school now too. She loved it also.

Christopher Guest co-wrote and directed this marvelous film with the keen satirical edge that he has brought to his other work, though here, he gives his protagonist a break and a fully happy ending (but really, The Beginning!)--Martin Short as Kevin Bacon's agent is over the top, creepily hilarious, Jennifer Jason Leigh a free-spirited pop artist, is funny and endearing--It's a great supporting cast including Micheal McKean, J.T. Walsh (a chilling, humorless studio reptile), and numerous cameos, some unbilled--From Kevin's POV, we fall into cliche film scenes, and also watch as he pitches his movie to Walsh and the changes it undergoes, from a somber Bergman-like ("It's black and white!") film to Ghost Babes Beach Party--Anyone who likes movies about movie-making (Altman's The Player, Woody's Stardust Memories, Truffaut's Day For Night) should enjoy this.

This film is a kind of sleeper. It is about a young, award-winning just-graduated film director who is lauded for his creativity. But Hollywood tries to seduce him into making the kind of shlock that simply sells. Kevin Baker is excellent as the young director who at first falls for all the flattery and the attempts to mold him into the "Hollywood Image" His girl-friend is an excellent foil for his dramatic changes and eventually leaves him. Cameos by a number of famous stars are fun. The movie ends with a good and satisfying climax and sets a good tone for all of us to follow when it comes to resisting the "crowd." It's 30 years old, but it is especially relevant in this day and age. Highly recommended.

Too often overlooked and relegated as light satire, Christopher Guest's nuanced spoofing is in top form. No one gives less than a stellar and perceptive performance, so kudos to a well-chosen cast! Wacky fun from Jennifer Jason-Leigh and mannered & cool underplaying by Michael McKean complement Kevin Bacon's leading character and the character's trip down the Hollywood rabbit-hole and back to reality in the name of self-respect. Gary Kroeger's line "No music where?" underscores the prevailing narrow thought so antithetical to the type of movie Bacon strives to direct, and what was so prevalent in that era of film-making. So well-written for wit ,and a touch of Martin Short for the overt hi jinx.

Full of great performances featuring the young Kevin Bacon and the much-missed Emily Longstreth. Martin Short steals his scenes. J.T. Walsh, Michael McKean and Jennifer Jason Leigh make a good show for themselves. Teri Hatcher at her sultriest. And a young Dan Schneider gets his feet wet, er, gets his start in Hollywood.

Very good movie