The Big Year – Steve Martin gives birders some street cred

Besides the iPhone 4S, another great thing rolls out tomorrow: The Big Year! Steve Martin will be giving one of our favorite hobbies some serious street cred! Owen Wilson and Jack Black will certainly add their own style of fun and snark. I’m really looking forward to it.

Too bad they didn’t cast these good looking real life birders in the movie!

Grab some popcorn and some bird seed and enjoy the show! 😀

Addendum:

We missed opening day, but Gail and I saw The Big Year on day two, and it did not disappoint! Maybe it’s because we are birders ourselves, but we could relate to all of it! Of course Hollywood exaggerates everything, but we all know and expect that.

Steve Martin was his usual lovable self. Owen Wilson and Jack Black gave surprisingly toned-down performances, actually showing more of their acting chops. Who would have guessed I would ever like Jack Black in a semi-serious role!? There were many other good actors in smaller roles. Rashida Jones shines with her natural, girl-next-door attitude and beauty.

But it was really all about the birds! Appreciation, fascination and obsession! I am happy to say I truly understand that.

Gail and I just agreed that in the future, if I ever see a first year in retirement, we will do a Big Year of our own. What a great thing for our bucket list! 😀

13 thoughts on “The Big Year – Steve Martin gives birders some street cred”

  1. Hi Ferd I’m here via Jennifer’s blog. I like the idea of bird watching but have yet to tackle it with any degree of seriousness. One day, maybe.

    1. Hi Elisabeth! Thanks for stopping by!

      Start up easy:
      1. Get decent birding binoculars. I suggest 8 x 42 optics, just right for most birding situations. Gail uses a Vortex 8 x 42 waterproof, but there are good cheaper (and much more expensive) models out there. Do a search for best birding binoculars.
      2. At the bookstore, find a guide for your backyard birds.
      3. Purchase a good birding field guide. We use The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. (If you are on the west coast like Jennifer, you want the “Western” guide, of course.) The Rocky Mountains generally divide east from west.
      4. If you like it, hook up with your local Audubon Society club.

      You’ll be glad you did. It’s a hobby that gets you outdoors, hiking, and gets you in touch with more and more aspects of our environment, because it’s all connected.

  2. The movie is a definite must see! Although I’m not ready for binoculars I have really enjoyed my backyard birds this year.
    Soooo… are you in the line up for your new phone???? LOL

    1. Dawn, as much time as you spend outdoors, you would really enjoy a nice pair of binoculars!
      And YES, I did upgrade to the iPhone 4S on the first day it was available! How did you guess!? 😉

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