The Big Picture 1989

Critics score:
90 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Vincent Canby, New York Times: A consistently genial, intermittently funny send-up of the current Hollywood scene as demonstrated by the rise and fall of an award-winning film student. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: [A] hilariously canny 1989 satire about contemporary filmmaking in Hollywood. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: You keep rooting for this Hollywood sendup to make it, even as the bad ideas start gaining on the good. Read more

Nigel Floyd, Time Out: The movie references may strike some as in-jokey, but Guest's likeable film has enough jaundiced sideswipes and lighter chuckles to see it through its slacker spells. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: Befitting two of the co-authors of This is Spinal Tap, Guest and Michael McKean, The Big Picture displays a keen eye for the silliness of film biz customs, lingo and attitudes. Read more