The Big Year Page #8

Fine. Give me the tank.

Come on, come on. Give me the tank.

All right.

- Go get that bird. Go ahead. Go!

- All right.

Go on!

Look, you have every reason to be

really upset about the baby thing.

- Yeah. Yeah.

- That was terrible.

I know. I think in the heat of the moment,

I just plain choked,

but you got to give someone

a second chance.

- No.

- How can you say you love me and not

- be willing to try...

- Because, Kenny, it's a good thing

that I wasn't married to Gandhi or Mozart.

'Cause I just need to be with a guy

who'd rather be with me

- than with anything else.

- Jess, you are. Really.

Sure. As long as there's no

egret or owl or pelican or...

No, come on! Give me a break, Jess!

- Hold it! That's this year, then it's over!

- It's every year, Kenny.

- No!

- I know you.

I know that right now you're in pain,

trying to think how you're gonna get

on your flight to Phoenix

- without looking like a jerk.

- No. No. No, I'm really in pain

because I really love you,

and I'm scrambling to make this work.

Enough not to go to Arizona?

I have to go to Arizona.

Why? Why?

Because 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

he's the greatest birder of all time.

And he's not.

This is what I'm great at!

This is what I'll be remembered for!

No one remembers who comes in second.

I know. I know.

What are you doing?

You idiot, how could you just

leave him there?

God dang it!

Dad?

Dad!

Dad, are you okay?

A-well-a, everybody's heard about the bird

Bird, bird, bird, b-bird...

- Hello?

- Hey, Brad!

It's me. There's a Pacific storm coming in.

A big one!

This could turn it around for us, buddy.

Huh? What?

Is today...

I don't believe it!

How could you not know?

Didn't your wife mention

it was Thanksgiving?

She doesn't like to rub it in

when the holidays roll around

and she knows I'm in a motel somewhere,

sitting around in my boxers.

Same thing happened last Fourth of July.

Okay, Fourth of July is one thing,

but Thanksgiving!

Make the next left.

Hey, Mr. Computer Genius Guy,

don't you have a calendar on that thing?

Didn't your folks tell you?

All my dad talks about is that damn owl.

Remind me to come over

to your house on Christmas.

We're trying to catch Bostick,

and you're our only...

Were you gonna say "hope"?

That pig's doing another Big Year?

It was epic! Four Siberian species,

two from China and one from Japan!

All right, so what's your total?

- 734, Dad.

- Whoo!

A new record. I'm gonna kick his ass.

"Bostick didn't have his usual cocky air.

"He was intense, tired, all-business.

"Frankly, he looked like a guy

who was trying to catch up."

So what do you think?

He's heard it through the grapevine

that Annie took us out on Thanksgiving.

Annie made sure of that.

So, yeah, maybe he's scared.

On the other hand, maybe he's shooting

for some ridiculous number

and won't slow down till he gets there.

What's a ridiculous number?

I mean, the guy is crazy!

Silent night

Holy night

All is calm

- Here. Try fork.

- Okay, thank you. Thanks.

Hey. You want to...

You guys want to come sit with me?

I feel bad you're working on Christmas.

Come on.

Why you here? Why not with family?

Snowy owl, Chan.

Been up and down the Sax Zim Bog

looking for him.

It's the only breeding bird in

North America that's eluded me.

I'd like to see the birds of China one day.

- You know anything about that?

- Peking duck.

- Merry Christmas Eve.

- Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Hey, Barry. Happy holidays.

You and Jenny in Saint Barths

again this year?

Not exactly.

We all had to cancel our vacations.

Looks like we've been out-shriked.

- What?

- We're being bought by 3M.

Yeah, here's the thing, Stu.

You may want to sit down for this.

Looks like Simon Ross

is stepping down as CEO

and they want you to take over.

Stu, you started this company

in your garage.

You made it something big.

Now you have the chance to run

one of the biggest companies in the world.

It's what they call a lot of money.

But more than that, obviously,

your Big Year, it's coming to a close.

Do you really want to face the abyss?

The answer is yes, Jim.

Yes, you'll do it?

Yes, I want to face the abyss.

- No! Stu. Stu.

- No, no, no, no! Don't say that!

Don't say something you don't mean.

But I do mean it.

I really do.

I think we need to come there

and show you this offer face-to-face.

Absolutely!

Can't do it, guys.

Got to help a friend find a bird.

Those freaking birds!

Hey, when are you gonna tell me

what we're chasing?

We're going on a wild goose chase!

A goose with little pink feet.

You're crazy! Have you noticed the snow?

- That goose is in Scotland by now.

- You would think so, wouldn't you?

But my friend Jeff Shaw swears

he saw it up here yesterday.

Just out of curiosity,

what's Jeff Shaw smoking?

'Cause I'd like to get me some of that!

Wait! Wait! Did you hear that?

Pink-footed goose. I heard it!

Come on!

There. There.

Huh? Oh!

Looks like somebody's found a warm place

to spend the winter.

Wow.

- What does that give you?

- 741!

That, my friend, is a very Big Year.

Hey.

...five, four, three, two, one!

Happy New Year!

- Hey, look who's here, man!

- Oh, my God, Ray!

Hey, guys!

And never brought to mind

We'll take a cup of kindness yet

For auld lang syne

A-well-a, everybody's heard about the bird

Bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word...

Hello?

- Whimbrel.

- Yep.

I just...

I just wanted to say happy New Year.

Happy New Year to you.

What are you doing?

Oh, watching TV by myself.

Darren and I broke up.

I am so sorry to hear that.

Did you just do a victory dance?

No. Maybe. Yes, I did. I did.

Well, not a victory dance

so much as a dance of celebration.

Have you seen the results?

They're in?

Okay. Did I win?

Bostick got 755 birds, Brad.

No!

Son of a b*tch! I... That's...

That's shocking.

I know, it's not quite human.

But you are second! How amazing is that?

A full-time job and you're second?

And? You're third?

Fourth. What can I say?

I waited too long to do it.

No, you didn't. Don't say that.

Then you would have done it

some other year.

And really, we won.

What do you mean?

We won, Stu!

I don't know how else to put it.

I don't just mean I wouldn't have

come in second without you.

Although that's true.

I mean, I don't know, he got more birds,

but we got more everything.

Do you know what I mean?

Yeah, I do.

Thank you, Stu. Have I said thank you?

Hey, for what?

- Congrats.

- Take care, buddy.

Yep.

Looks like you'll be spending the weekend

with the second best birder in the world.

Bostick!

Five months later, the sooty shearwater

begins his migration all over again,

flying north to Hawaii.

Completely retired now, Stu spends

the summer hiking in the Rockies

with Little Stu, who seems to share

his grandfather's passion.

Hey, look at that.

That's a male goldfinch.

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