Highly underrated. All aspects of the movie were interesting from the leads combo (Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson!!!) to the whole premise (A birding competition? What?!). The message that the movie delivers is sure to make you feel happier. Family, love, friendship, passion for a calling, and wonderful scenery that inspires a yearn to tour America instantly. You've got all that in one movie that is guaranteed to leave you smiling by the time the credits roll in. Please give it a chance. In today's world where vice, vengeance, and sex sells, it is fantastically refreshing and hopeful. ------- Pardon me. I need to fill the last line. I do not see how forcing viewers to write unnecessary, redundant commentary would help anyone.

This is a film about bird spotting. A three way race to see the most birds in one year.I switched this on with some trepidation, mainly because of the cast. I was expecting lots of zany antics and was sure at some point Jack Black would jump out of a pond with a plastic duck on his head. This did not happen.The film is gentle, restrained and articulate.The story is very plain, don't expect any action or any belly laughs. This restraint works well against the backdrop of bird watching. The writers go to lengths not to poke fun at the "Birders" which was quite refreshing.The main themes look around motivation of people with obsessive hobbies and their relationships with those outside their hobby.This isn't going to make it in to my DVD collection but I do recommend it for a watch. Don't expect too much and you won't be let down.

I had higher expectations of this movie. First of all, it's classified as comedy when it's not. The three big stars, Martin, Wilson and Black can do a better comedy than this. I do not object to the idea of being a birdie geek, because everyone is a geek somehow. I had expected the three stars to be more into birds' life. I had expected to see more lovely, fascinating birds that I had never seen before. But that just didn't happen. It was kinda shallow. Just a group of guys go after birds wherever they are to win the title 'Birder of The Year'. As simple as it might sound, it could have been fancier on screen with much more effort. It's still OK to watch. Actually better than a lot of movies - Just don't expect much out of it. It's not comedy. If there's a message to be told in this movie, it's that there's a price you have to pay in order to get what you want. It sends out a message to those who waste their lives going after their pleasure , without paying attention to other important things in their lives.

Great feel good movie, ruined by an all star cast?I remember seeing the poster for the movie in theaters a while back. I don't know weather I missed it cause of a limited release or weather they decided not to release the movie at all.Either way this was the second time a movie starring Jack Black just up and disappeared from the box office, the other one was Envy which also starred Ben Stiller.Anyway, a movie starring such comic juggernauts as Black, Steve Martian, and Owen Wilson, should not have gone away so quietly, but it did.Especially a decent film like this one. Black, Martian, and Wilson play three bird watchers going for The Big Year, in which they travel across North America spotting as many birds as they can. Black and Martian become friends attempting to beat the record of spotted birds held by Wilson. Each man has a personal interest in changing their lives through the hobby of bird watching. Each story perfectly compliments the other and makes for an uplifting film about following your dreams. I'm not sure if Bird watching counts as a sport, but the movie has that essence of a good Underdog becomes Triumphant type of vibe. But the fault of the film maybe is it's stars. Three men known for being funny yet the movie was not really that funny. It was quirky do to the subject matter and it was semi humorous but not to the point that it justifies who's in it.But whatever fault in stopping this movie from being a box office draw should not stop anyone from seeing this this hidden gem.