The Big Picture *** (1988, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Emily Longstreth, J T Walsh, Michael McKean, Teri Hatcher, Martin Short, John Cleese) – Classic Movie Review 7893

Director Christopher Guest’s winning 1988 comedy The Big Picture stars Kevin Bacon as award-winning film school graduate Nick Chapman, who arrives at the office of horrible movie boss Allen Habel (J T Walsh) desperate to make his first big picture.

But young Bacon finds that he can resist everything except temptation – a sexy starlet, a luxury car, a house in Beverly Hills – and loses his friends, true love and self respect.

The Big Picture is a most entertaining satirical comedy and gentle morality fable, but with a sharp bite at the Hollywood hand that feeds it, full of funny in-jokes about the movies and film people.

Bacon’s toothy charm makes the hero endearing and there are smirking appearances from Martin Short as his grasping agent and John Cleese as a cynical barman.

The Big Picture may be a little picture but it is a big delight.

Also in the cast are Emily Longstreth, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael McKean, Kim Miyori and Teri Hatcher.

Writers: Michael Varhol (story and screenplay), Christopher Guest (story and screenplay) and Michael McKean (screenplay).

Christopher Guest is married to Jamie Lee Curtis since 1984, with two children, daughter Annie Guest and son Ruby Guest, and he is the brother of actor Nicholas Guest.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7893

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