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Film 'The Big Year' Portrays Misplaced Priorities

The movie The Big Year is a film about two birders, Brad Harris (Jack Black) and Stu Preissler (Steve Martin), who try to defeat an arrogant, cut-throat, world record holder named Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson) in a year-long bird-spotting competition.

While the contestants travel extensively in their quest to be the number one birder, Brad and Stu continue with their personal lives. Kenny, on the other hand, devotes all his time to birding, which produces an enormous strain on his marriage. Finally, after Kenny fails to meet his wife Jessica for an important doctor's appointment, Jessica affirms her love for Kenny but says she doesn't want to be married to him anymore. In this scene, Kenny scrambles to make things work while Jessica insists he'll never change.

"Now come on, give me a break, Jess," insists Kenny, "that's this year, and then it's over."
"It's every year!" shouts Jessica, "I know you! I know that right now you're in pain trying to think how you're going to get on your flight to Phoenix without looking like a jerk."
"No, no," Kenny pleads, "I'm really in pain because I really love you, and I'm scrambling to make this work."
"Enough not to go to Arizona?" asks Jessica.
"Well, I have to go to Arizona," Kenny answers.
"Why? Why?" Jessica asks.
"Because," Kenny answers, "right now there's a guy out there named Stu with 730-plus birds, and if I don't get out there, people could say that he's the greatest birder of all times—and he's not! This is what I'm great at; this is what I'll be remembered for. No one remembers who came in second."
Jessica, slowly shaking her head yes, replies, "I know. I know."

Kenny wins the Big Year with 755 birds. Stu and Brad realize they've won far more—family, friendship, and integrity.

Preaching Angle: Most people don't ruin their lives with a birding obsession, but is there something in our lives that has become an idol, like Kenny's quest, something that's undermining our relationship with God and others? Being the best birder in the world might seem trivial, but are our idolatrous pursuits any less trivial?

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