The Big Year

The Big Year (2011) is David Frankel's comedy you can watch online on iFILM. Three men are hooked on birds and spend an entire year crisscrossing North America to spot and log as many species as they possibly can.

The rules of a "big year" are loose: whoever counts the most birds in twelve months wins, on the honor system alone. This season is rare, with El Nino pushing unusual species toward U.S. shores, and three rivals chase every one of them. A young coder, played by Jack Black, gambles his job and his love life on the hunt. A retiring tycoon, Steve Martin, keeps sneaking away from the boardroom. And the reigning champion, Owen Wilson, will let his marriage crack before he loses the record. The longer the chase runs, the clearer it gets that this was never really about the birds.

The cast fills out with Brian Dennehy, Rosamund Pike, Rashida Jones, Jim Parsons and John Cleese. A gentle, low-key film about people who found their odd obsession. Stream The Big Year (2011) online on iFILM.