The Big Year (2011)

The Big Year is screening at the Austin Public Library Milwood Branch on Tuesday, August 25, from 6 PM to 7:45 PM. It's part of the branch's movie night series, so it's a free screening in a public space rather than a ticketed theater run.

The Big Year is a gentle comedy based on the 2004 novel of the same name. It follows a group of birding enthusiasts who spend a year hunting for elusive and rare wild birds, and the cast is a heavy-hitting comedy lineup: Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, John Cleese, and Jo Beth Williams. It's rated PG for mild amounts of sex, profanity, and drug use, so it's pretty easy viewing. If you've ever had a hobby that bordered on an obsession, you'll probably recognize the type of people this movie is poking fun at.

The Milwood Branch itself has a bit of a story. It opened on July 26, 1997, after years of advocacy by neighborhood organizations and a 1992 bond election that approved the funds. The facility is 8,266 square feet and sits on more than seven acres of wooded land, which is a nice bit of irony for a movie about birdwatching. Out front, you'll find Lori Norwood's sculpture Learning to Fly, part of the Austin Art in Public Places program.

It's a free screening, and registration isn't required to attend, so you can just show up. The library is at 12500 Amherst Dr, and the movie runs from 6 PM to 7:45 PM on Tuesday, August 25.