Not a follower of competitive birding? Never actually heard of it before? Neither is a requirement to appreciate the absolute joy that is the 2011 comedy “The Big Year.” Based upon Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mark Obmascik’s 2003 book, “The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession,” the film chronicles the adventures of three men – wealthy New York executive Stu Preissler (Steve Martin), professionally unfulfilled computer programmer Brad Harris (Jack Black) and shrewdly competitive housing contractor Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson) – as they traverse North America in the hopes of spotting the most species of birds in a single year, thereby winning the annual “big year” competition. The tale is inspired by the actual events of the 1998 contest, which, as the Aspen Daily News reported, “turned out to be the biggest of big years,” with the three birders at the center of the story “far outpacing other competitors and seeing more than 700 species apiece — the only such occurrence on record.”
Obmascik was compelled to cover the unique competition and its even more unique competitors as a sort of “escape from the darker world he found himself in as a reporter,” according to the Daily News. Indeed, “The Big Year” is an undeniably feel-good story about the unlikely friendships that develop when random individuals come together over a deep love of a shared hobby.
Though not a box office success (it grossed a meager $7.7 million worldwide), the film, currently streaming on Disney+, is definitely worth a binge. Featuring an all-star cast of Hollywood heavyweights that, along with the headliners mentioned above, includes Rashida Jones, Jim Parsons, Anjelica Huston and Dianne Wiest (among many others), the production is endlessly fun, heartwarming and uplifting – not to mention chock full of stunning backdrops.
Shot over the course of 55 days in 100 different locations, filming took the cast and crew from the Yukon Territory to Joshua Tree to the Florida Keys, with the far-flung landscapes serving to fully enmesh viewers in the adventures of the various big year competitors as they journey the Americas in search of different bird species. As director David Frankel is quoted in the movie’s production notes, “I think we captured the experience of being on the road for a year with these characters.” Jack Black further likened the shoot to “like a decade’s worth of travel crammed into one month.”
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Image Credit: 20th Century Studios -
Image Credit: Rob Palm Although countless striking vistas are showcased throughout the film, one spot stands out amongst the rest. Set amidst a sea of towering pines and enveloped in gorgeous yellow cedar timbers, the sprawling log cabin belonging to Stu and his endlessly supportive architect wife, Edith (JoBeth Williams), is a true show-stopper!
Purported to be located in Vail, Colo., in real life the envy-inducing pad sits on a pristine 5.7 acres about 75 miles north of Vancouver at 1351 Alta Lake Rd. in Whistler, British Columbia. In “The Big Year,” the place is said to have been designed by Edith, but it is actually the work of the Dennis Maguire Architect firm, with the exquisite log work fashioned by Brent McIvor Log Builders. Originally known as “Stonewood” and later as “Cedarstone Lodge,” the pad was completed in 2000 and is comprised of four bedrooms and six baths in a spacious 5,335 square feet. (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
And now the architectural marvel can be yours as it just hit the market! Repped by Rob Palm, a longtime area realtor/resident and former president of the Real Estate Association of Whistler, and Dylan Layzell of Whistler Real Estate, the dwelling is being offered for $6.799 million CAD, about $5.2 million USD. And it truly is the stuff of dreams!
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Image Credit: Rob Palm A masterpiece of design inside and out, the property is awash with ravishing log detailing as far as the eye can see! Just beyond the threshold sits the bright and expansive main living area. Capped by a towering vaulted ceiling and flooded with natural light, the inviting space is a showplace of impeccably crafted woodwork with inlaid hardwood flooring, a massive stone fireplace, a grand staircase and a plethora of built-ins dotted throughout.
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Image Credit: Rob Palm The fine craftsmanship continues into the adjacent eat-in kitchen, a handsome enclave featuring custom cabinetry, open ceilings, a handsome red and blue tiled backsplash, built-in wine storage and a slew of professional appliances.
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Image Credit: Rob Palm Upstairs, you’ll find the owners’ suite, a lavish retreat outfitted with such luxuries as a fireplace, a sitting area, a custom-built walk-in closet and an attached bathroom with limestone flooring, a standalone copper tub and a stone shower.
Virtually no detail was overlooked in the home’s design. The pad even comes complete with in-floor radiant heating throughout the interior and exterior (in the three-car garage, as well!) for those cold Whistler winters.
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Image Credit: Rob Palm The dwelling’s lush surroundings are a wonderland of mature foliage, massive lawns, wraparound decks, a hot tub, a stone sauna and a 1,000-square-foot covered light-strung entertaining space boasting a fireplace.
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Image Credit: 20th Century Studios -
Image Credit: Rob Palm Though the residence is only featured in a handful of relatively brief segments in “The Big Year,” it certainly leaves an impact! A true masterstroke of design, its protruding cedar logs and woodsy aesthetic are showcased beautifully throughout the film.
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Image Credit: 20th Century Studios -
Image Credit: Rob Palm The interior is so majestic and exquisitely fashioned, in fact, that when it first appeared onscreen, I assumed it was a set created by the expert hands of a seasoned production designer. But it is all gloriously real – from the gorgeous open stairwell to the rounded timbers to the forested vistas!
The log cabin to end all log cabins, the residence is easily one of the most picturesque movie houses of all time!