THE BIG YEAR
A charming comedy about choosing family over fame.
Should You Watch It?
This is one of the year’s most charming comedies. Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black are appealing as three competitive birdwatchers chasing a record, but the movie’s real subject is the cost of putting fame ahead of family.
The film celebrates friendship, marriage, parent-child relationships, and the joys of having children. It also shows the damage that follows when people fail to put family first. The strong message is wrapped in breezy humor, beautiful nature, and a heartwarming story.
The main drawback is language. It is not frequent or excessive, but there is enough light and not-so-light foul language to require discernment for older children. For a family with middle-school-age children and up, WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESThree American birdwatchers set out to see more birds in one year than anyone else. Brad, a 36-year-old computer whiz, wants to beat the record. Stu, a wealthy entrepreneur nearing retirement, sees the competition as a chance to pursue a long-delayed dream. Kenny, the reigning record holder, must decide whether he is truly willing to step aside.
As the birdwatchers travel across North America, the competition raises a larger question: What matters more, fame or family?
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is excellent entertainment, and the source review calls it one of the year’s most appealing comedies. It is funny, entertaining, heartwarming, and even inspiring.
Director David Frankel makes the film in a quick, breezy fashion. Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black are all at their most appealing, while the story moves naturally from birdwatching competition to friendship, family obligations, and the wonders of nature.
The movie’s greatest strength is its emotional and moral center. Its pro-family message is strong and well done, giving the comedy a warmth that stays with you.
The Worldview
The Big Year presents a strong moral worldview centered on family. It honors good relationships between married couples and between children and their parents, while also offering a positive, heartwarming view of friendship. The film asks whether fame and competition are worth sacrificing the people closest to us, and it shows the harm that can come from failing to put family first.
The movie also includes some pro-capitalist references and strong Christian, redemptive elements. Christmas carols appear at an important moment, and the El Nino weather pattern carries a metaphorical connection to the Christmas story and the birth of Jesus. A person calls an event a miracle, while other events have a miraculous feeling.
The film’s central longing is not ultimately for a record but for meaningful relationships and the good of family. Scripture says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral worldview with pro-family message that also extols good relationships between married couples and between children and their parents and a positive, heartwarming view of friendship, plus some pro-capitalist references and strong Christian, redemptive elements include a couple Christmas carols are heard, there’s a metaphorical Christian element to the story that also refers to the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus, a person describes an event as a miracle, and a couple other events have a miraculous feeling about them; 17 obscenities (a few “a” words, a few “h” and “d” words, and one “s” word), one “GD” profanity, three light profanities, man spells out S-O-B, one man flips another man “the bird,” and man gets seasick twice; light comical violence such as a couple pratfalls and a skier slams into another skier; no sexual content; no nudity; alcohol use; no smoking or drugs; and, man deceives competitors into thinking he’s going one place when he’s really going another place, lying, a couple references to luck, and man lets other people do his work for him so he can gain a competitive edge.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The birdwatchers must decide what matters more: fame or family. What choices show that someone is putting family first?
Matthew 6:19–21 · 1 Timothy 5:8Brad’s mother supports his dream, while his father does not understand it. How can families offer both honest counsel and loving support?
Ephesians 4:15 · Romans 12:10The film connects a baby, Christmas, and a sense of wonder. What does Scripture teach us about the value of children and the hope announced at Christ’s birth?
Psalm 127:3 · Luke 2:10–14The Final Word
The Big Year is funny, warm, and genuinely inspiring about the people who matter most. Its foul language requires discernment, but its message about family and friendship is worth embracing. For middle-school-age viewers and up, WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.
