The Next Big Thing (2002)

41% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
34% of users liked it
(1,260 ratings)

P.J. Posner directs the romantic comedy The Next Big Thing. Struggling painter Gus Bishop (Chris Eigeman) gets involved in a scam to make it into the cutthroat New York art world. Con man Deech Scumble (Jamie Harris) dreams up the identity of Geoff Buonardi (inspired by the name of Chef Boyardee),… More P.J. Posner directs the romantic comedy The Next Big Thing. Struggling painter Gus Bishop (Chris Eigeman) gets involved in a scam to make it into the cutthroat New York art world. Con man Deech Scumble (Jamie Harris) dreams up the identity of Geoff Buonardi (inspired by the name of Chef Boyardee), an outsider war veteran artist. The fictitious Buonardi becomes Gus' alter ego personality, and soon his paintings become an overnight success. This scam leads Gus toward a romance with art critic Kate (Connie Britton), who, of course, does not realize that Geoff is really Gus. Soon, Gus is being pursued by a private eye (Mike Starr) and a rich art vixen (Janet Zarish), who both desperately want to meet the mysterious artist. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: P.J. Posner, P J Posner
Written By: P.J. Posner, P J Posner, Joel Posner
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: May 29, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Oct 29, 2002
Studio: Castle Hill Productions

Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
A feeble and tedious satire on the New York art scene.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Squandering a potentially juicy subject for ridicule, the film simply doesn't have the wit necessary to do it justice, relying instead on obvious jokes and stereotypical characterizations.
Lawrence Van Gelder, New York Times
A deftly satisfying, comically coherent sendup of the world of art.
Ed Park, Village Voice
The concept is simple, even irresistible, but Posner's dishearteningly unsophisticated treatment itself rings false.
Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal International
The female characters, with the exception of Britton, tend toward vulgar and the men register at various degrees of obnoxiousness.
Jack Garner, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
An amusing, light-hearted satire of a Manhattan art world.
Jon Popick, Planet Sick-Boy
The send-up here is relatively weak
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Irritatingly cutesy and self-satisfied on top of it all, making the picture something of an endurance test besides being a misfire.
Gregory Weinkauf, New Times
The movie's rife with types ... but any story's a good story if it's told well, and this one is, with chuckles to spare.
Kim Williamson, Boxoffice Magazine
[Eigeman's] driving insistence to reach some meaningful point with his Gus pushes The Next Big Thing into otherwise undeserved success.
, E! Online
Hardly the next big thing to hit theaters.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The sweet romantic comedy overwhelms the satirical bitterness, producing a fluffy, pleasant, instantly forgettable picture that feels more than a little behind the times.
Rachel Gordon, Filmcritic.com
Set amongst the spoiled and the starving in New York, The Next Big Thing pits artistic intelligence against a pleasantly simple love story
Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve
A clever, amusing parody of the New York art scene that's about something much bigger.