The Big Year
Three obsessive bird‑watchers embark on a year‑long race to catalog the most species as an unprecedented migration floods North America, but their fierce competition forces them to confront what truly matters beyond the trophy.
“Everyone is searching for something.”
Synopsis
Three avid bird‑watchers devote a year to competing for the greatest number of species observed as El Niño drives an unusual influx of rare birds into the United States, only to realize that priorities extend beyond winning the contest.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 69+ 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 Mark LivolsiShot by Lawrence SherScored by Theodore ShapiroDesigned by Brent Thomas
Box Office
2011 · Box office
📉 Underperformed — grossed 0.2× 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
$8.2M
Opening week (7-day): $4.3M
Peak 2,150 theaters
Also known as
- Ein Jahr vogelfrei!de
- Drôles d'oiseauxfr
- Un anno da leoniit
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Cast & Crew
69 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Owen Wilson
as Kenny Bostick
Steve Martin
as Stu Preissler
Jack Black
as Brad Harris
John Cleese
as Narrator
Steve Martin Nm0000188
as Stu Preissler
Brian Dennehy
as Raymond Harris
Zahf Paroo
as Prasad
Anjelica Huston
as Annie Auklet
Stacey Scowley
as Vicki
Rashida Jones
as Ellie
Michael Karl Richards
as Vicki's Fiancée
Rosamund Pike
as Jessica
Supporting cast
46Dianne Wiest
as Brenda Harris
Kevin Pollak
as Jim Gittelson
Jobeth Williams
as Edith
Joel Mchale
as Barry Loomis
Anthony Anderson
as Bill Clemont
Corbin Bernsen
as Gil Gordon
Barry Shabaka Henley
as Dr. Neil Kramer
Tim Blake Nelson
as Fuchs
Jim Parsons
as Crane
Nate Torrence
as Ted Simkin
Steven Weber
as Rick
Paul Campbell
as Tony
Cindy Busby
as Susie
Greg Kean
as Computer Birder
Eva Bourne
as Birder's Daughter
Bill Dow
as Dr. Paul Elkin
June Squibb
as Old Lady
Craig Bockhorn
as Lawyer
Joey Aresco
as Frank Falucci
Ryan Caltagirone
as Frank Jr.
Al Roker
as New York Weatherman
Christopher Mann
as Security Guard
Jan Bos
as Local Newsman (High Island)
Kate Gajdosik
as Local Newswoman (High Island)
William Samples
as British Tourist
Scott Patey
as Birder (High Island)
Marci T House
as Troop Leader
Michael Bean
as Waiter
Christopher Redman
as Scott
Devon Weigel
as Karen
Andrew Wilson
as Mike Shin
Gabrielle Rose
as Mary Swit
Calum Worthy
as Colin Debs
Doreen Ramus
as CB Announcer
Terence Kelly
as Pete Shackelford
Steve Darling
as Anchorage Weatherman
Jon Frankel
as Anchorage Anchorman
David James Lewis
as Lanky Birder
Jesse Moss
as Darren
Kath Dugray
as Motel Manager
Morgan Brayton
as Ferry Ticket Seller
Sheelah Megill
as Nurse
Veena Sood
as Nurse Katie
Dee Jay Jackson
as Parking Attendant
Calvin Lee
as Chinese Waiter
Tshering Garie
as Chinese Waitress
Directors
1Writers
2Producers
3Other crew
6Parents Guide
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