The Big Picture

Play trailer

The Big Picture

PG-13,

1989,

1h 41m,

Comedy/

Drama/

Romance

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Stream Now

Watchlist

87%

23 Reviews

Tomatometer

45%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Hollywood beckons for recent film school grad Nick Chapman, who is out to capitalize on the momentum from his national award-winning student film. Studio executive Allen Habel seduces Nick with a dream deal to make his first feature, but once production gets rolling, corporate reality begins to intervene: Nick is unable to control a series of compromises to his high-minded vision, and it's all he can do to maintain his integrity in the midst of filmmaking chaos.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Stream

Rent The Big Picture on Fandango, or buy it on Fandango.

Critics 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 the only option.

Read Critics Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Feb 2, 2016

[A] hilariously canny 1989 satire about contemporary filmmaking in Hollywood.

Go to Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 11, 2009

Befitting two of the co-authors of This is Spinal Tap, Guest and Michael McKean, The Big Picture displays a keen eye for the silliness of film biz customs, lingo and attitudes.

Go to Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Feb 9, 2006

The movie references may strike some as in-jokey, but Guest's likeable film has enough jaundiced sideswipes and lighter chuckles to see it through its slacker spells.

Go to Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Mar 23, 2020

2/4

...generally feels like a short that's been awkwardly expanded to feature length...

Go to Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Mar 21, 2016

B

A genial and funny satire/comedy about an up-and-coming student filmmaker.

Go to Full Review

Ralph Novak

People Magazine

Feb 2, 2016

Partly romance, partly fantasy, partly satire on what passes for life in Hollywood -- and all charm -- this movie even has a perfect title.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jan 27, 2019

The best comedy movie ever made!

Ron P

Nov 14, 2018

The Big Picture lacks punch and just sort of tags along to a happy ending. Kevin Bacon plays a hotshot director who wins a short film and is soon inundated by offers from agents and studios. He is slowly forced into the whole high class debauchery laden Hollywood life and looses interest in his old friends and girlfriend only to realize his mistake and recover by the end. There are some jokes and Kevin Bacon is always nice to watch but you can give this one a miss.

See more

Draco S

Oct 3, 2018

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.(Unknown Bacon film on the process of filmmaking).

See more

Rey M

Jul 17, 2018

There is a reason this film directed by Christopher Guest is barely known. It lacks punch and just sort of tags along to a happy ending. Kevin Bacon plays a hotshot director who wins a short film and is soon inundated by offers from agents and studios. He is slowly forced into the whole high class debauchery laden Hollywood life and looses interest in his old friends and girlfriend only to realize his mistake and recover by the end. There are some jokes and Kevin Bacon is always nice to watch but you can give this one a miss.

See more

Leia L

Jun 28, 2018

his 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.

See more

Hermione M

Jan 3, 2018

Christopher Guest's Hollywood comedy is funny but predictable.

Read all reviews

Christopher Guest

Director

Kevin Bacon

Nick Chapman

Emily Longstreth

Susan Rawlings

J.T. Walsh

Allen Habel

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Lydia Johnson

Martin Short

Neil Sussman

Arthur 2: On the Rocks

13%

30%

Arthur 2: On the Rocks

Watchlist

Easy Money

56%

58%

Easy Money

Watchlist

Happy, Texas

81%

55%

Happy, Texas

Watchlist

Club Paradise

11%

35%

Club Paradise

Watchlist

Fatal Instinct

14%

41%

Fatal Instinct

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Kevin Bacon’s Best-Reviewed Movies

View more photos

Synopsis

Hollywood beckons for recent film school grad Nick Chapman, who is out to capitalize on the momentum from his national award-winning student film. Studio executive Allen Habel seduces Nick with a dream deal to make his first feature, but once production gets rolling, corporate reality begins to intervene: Nick is unable to control a series of compromises to his high-minded vision, and it's all he can do to maintain his integrity in the midst of filmmaking chaos.

Director: Christopher Guest
Producer: Michael Varhol
Production Co: Aspen Film Society
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $33.1K
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings