The Big Picture
“Film school prepared Nick for everything... everything but Hollywood.”
Synopsis
Recent film school graduate Nick Chapman is drawn to Hollywood in hopes of building on the success of his nationally award-winning student film. Studio executive Allen Habel offers him an enticing opportunity to direct his first feature, but as production begins, the realities of the industry start to encroach. Nick struggles to maintain control over his artistic vision as a series of compromises are made, and he fights to preserve his integrity amid the growing chaos of filmmaking.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 197+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Martin NicholsonShot by Jeffrey JurScored by David NichternDesigned by Joseph T GarritySound by Dody DornCostumes by Karen Patch
Box Office
1989 · Box office
📉 Underperformed — grossed 0.0× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$117K
Opening week (7-day): $48K
Peak 3 theaters
Re-release box office
- 20128 theaters
- $265K($382K today)
Domestic gross earned in theatrical re-release, by year · adjusted for inflation
Also known as
- Il grande registait
- (English)The Big Picture
- (Bulgarian)Великият филм
Release dates around the world3 countries · showhide
- United StatesJan 28, 1989
- United KingdomNov 30, 1990
- NetherlandsJan 4, 1991
Production & Distribution
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Cast & Crew
197 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Kevin Bacon
as Nick Chapman
Jennifer Jason Leigh
as Lydia Johnson
Emily Longstreth
as Susan Rawlings
J T Walsh
as Allen Habel
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
Supporting cast
52Alice Hirson
as Mrs. Chapman
Grant Owens
as Mr. Chapman
Fran Drescher
as Polo Habel
Suzy Cote
as Mindy Habel
Eddie Albert
as M.C.
June Lockhart
as Janet Kingsley
Stephen Collins
as Attorney
Roddy Mcdowall
as Judge
Robert Bauer
as Wounded Soldier
Vladimir Skomarovsky
as Man in Nick's Movie
C W Hemingway
as Joey
Holly Fields
as Daughter
Yvonne Peattie
as Mrs. Feldzar
Stan Ivar
as Charlie
David Hayward
as George
Caitlin Clarke
as Sharon
Nancy Valen
as Young Sharon
Wesley Pfenning
as Woman in Cabin
John Cleese
as Bartender
Richard Blake
as Abe Lincoln
Walter Olkewicz
as Babe Ruth
Scott Coffey
as Waiter
Bruce Kirby
as Businessman
Richard Belzer
as Video Show Host
Tom Maier
as Building Manager
Michael Jocum
as PEZ® People
Tim Landers
as PEZ® People
Martin Lund
as PEZ® People
Mike Miller
as PEZ® People
Novi Novog
as PEZ® People
Valen Watson
as Woman in Restaurant
Jennifer Karr
as Woman in Restaurant
Sue Ann Leeds
as Woman in Restaurant
Buddy Garion
as Man in Restaurant
Jim Pollack
as Man in Restaurant
Scott Williamson
as Restaurant Manager
Victor Steinbach
as Andres Vargiak
Arlene Lorre
as Cleopatra
George Rogan
as Security Guard, Nazi
Perla Walter
as Housekeeper
Pamela Morris
as Cheryl
Lulie Newcomb
as Receptionist
Patty Howeth
as Woman with Fridge
Beth Chamberlin
as Stewardess
Britta Wilson
as Stewardess
Suzee Slater
as Stewardess
Brad Zutaut
as Surfer
Matthew Eichler
as Piano Player
Nadine Lenore Patterson
as Twin
Elliott Gould
as Prosecutor - Trial of Janet Kingsley
Albert Litewka
as Movie Mogul
Martin Short
as Neil Sussman - Nick's Agent
Directors
1Writers
4Producers
5Other crew
129Pat Tagliaferro
(as Patrick Tagliaferro), as Patrick Tagliaferro
Beth Bergeron
adr editor
Doc Kane
adr mixer
Jonathan Klein
apprentice sound editor
Dea E Hickox
assistant accountant
Martha Pilcher
assistant location manager (as Martha C. Pilcher)
Damian Ganczewski
assistant production coordinator
Bill Zullo
assistant property master (as William Zullo)
Janelle Showalter
assistant sound editor
Lily Diamond
assistant sound editor
Stephanie Lowry
assistant sound editor (as Stephanie Ng)
Debra Baumann
assistant: Christopher Guest
Parents Guide
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