Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- droll
- quirky
- lazy sunday
- film night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize the film as an amusing and incisive Hollywood satire, despite objections to its fantasy sequences and clichéd plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nick's dream project is progressively altered through studio concessions until its original artistic identity disappears.
Studio executive Allen Habel and other filmmaking professionals embody the film's critique of Hollywood business culture.
Nick's rising profile seduces him into betraying Susan, Emmet, and his own filmmaking ideals.
Contemporary criticism specifically identifies the film's fantasy sequences as a defining stylistic feature.
Films like The Big Picture, and why
The Player
satirical Hollywood setting, filmmaking-industry subject, and droll comedy
For Your Consideration
show-business satire, eccentric industry characters, and comedic critique of creative compromise
State and Main
Hollywood filmmaking milieu, romantic entanglements, and tension between artistic ideals and commercial pressure
Movie Details
- Director
- Christopher Guest
- Release Date
- 1989-09-15
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (111)
Cast
- Kevin Bacon
- Emily Longstreth
- J.T. Walsh
- Teri Hatcher
- Michael McKean
- Jennifer Jason Leigh
- Kim Miyori
- Dan Schneider
- Jason Gould
- Tracy Brooks Swope
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Big Picture about?
- A newly celebrated film student discovers that Hollywood can turn artistic ambition into personal and creative self-betrayal.
- What is The Big Picture like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Big Picture as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Big Picture violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Big Picture.
- What did critics think of The Big Picture?
- Critics broadly recognize the film as an amusing and incisive Hollywood satire, despite objections to its fantasy sequences and clichéd plotting.
- Which films are like The Big Picture?
- Films with a similar feel include The Player, For Your Consideration, and State and Main.
- How long is The Big Picture?
- The Big Picture runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Big Picture?
- In United States, The Big Picture is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
