September 22, 2025 • 15 mins
Ronald Young Jr. reviews A Big Bold Beautiful Journey by himself…
RYJ thinks this film thinks itself to be more poignant than it actually is
RYJ - 2.99 of 5 stars
Follow me on IG, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, and Letterbxd - @ohitsbigron
Available in theaters
Starring Colin Farrell, Margot Robbie, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Waller- Bridge, Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Billy Magnussen
Written by Seth Reiss
Directed by Kogonada
For more information about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey check out this link
Support Leaving the Theater on Patreon using this link
RYJ thinks this film thinks itself to be more poignant than it actually is
RYJ - 2.99 of 5 stars
Follow me on IG, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, and Letterbxd - @ohitsbigron
Available in theaters
Starring Colin Farrell, Margot Robbie, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Waller- Bridge, Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Billy Magnussen
Written by Seth Reiss
Directed by Kogonada
For more information about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey check out this link
Support Leaving the Theater on Patreon using this link
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
A man and a woman meet at a wedding. They
fancy each other, but they don't leave together. But they
do meet again as their GPS intersects their paths and
prompts them to continue together on a big, bold, beautiful journey.
I'm Ronald Young Junior, and I'm leaving the theater.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
In all right, this is Ronald, and I am leaving
(01:12):
the theater after seeing A Big, bold Beautiful Journey. A Big, Bold,
Beautiful Journey written by Seth Rice, directed by cog Nada,
starring Colin Ferrell, Margot Robbie, Kevin Klein, Phoebe waller Bridge,
Lily robb Jody Turner Smith and Billy Magnuson per Usual.
(01:34):
For complete cast listing, you can go to the link
in our show notes. It is just me today. A Big, Bold,
Beautiful Journey, if you've seen from the previews, is about
a man and a woman played by Colin Ferrell and
Margot Robbie. They find themselves both of them attend a
wedding they meet each other. They both got there by
(01:56):
magical means, in that they both went to a place
called the car Rental Agency rented nineteen ninety five, Saturn
Sedan's and met there with the GPS. They meet each
other there. It looks like it's a real wedding. They
mentioned that they both live in the city. They don't
specify what city it is, and it's all it's all magical.
(02:21):
And then eventually they're separate on the journey, they run
into each other and then together they start doing kind
of a this is your Life thing, which I guess
is kind of a dated reference unless you are my age,
But essentially they take them each other on a tour
of each other's lives by the car directing them the
(02:41):
GPS and the car directing them to stop at different
parts of their life. That kind of were the defining
moments for where they are now romantically, with one of
them being kind of feeling like the right one hasn't
come along yet and the other one feeling like they're
just unlucky in love and it's a big bowl, beautiful
(03:02):
journey to love.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
This is a romance film. Let me just say this.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I just watched Highest to Lowest today more on that
in the credits, and one of the critiques I had
of that film is that it got worse as it continued,
and this film has the same problem. There are two
metrics that I'm beginning to understand that I judge films on.
(03:28):
The first is rewatchability. Do I want to watch this again?
The second is is this movie getting better or worse
as it continues. This is another film that, as it
continues gets worse because when it started, I was along
for the magical ride. I was along for the surrealism
(03:50):
and the ways in which they weren't explaining much about
how they, or rather how the powers that be in
the film had as much knowledge or power.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Over their dirtys.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I wasn't really asking questions about the doors that were opened,
or how they went through them, or how any of
that worked. It doesn't really This film doesn't really want
to explain any of that. It really wants to examine
the ways in which we love one another and the
ways in which we kind of feel like we failed
(04:32):
in the past, and the ways that may define who
we are today. This really is a film that's kind
of firmly positioning itself for me and my peers. So,
if you're in your late thirties mid forties and your
single or you're dating, this is a film that's aimed
(04:53):
at you, and you could watch this, but I don't
think it quite sticks. Like I know someone who watched
this would definitely cry while watching it, but I don't
know if when it ended it would have landed for her.
And I'm saying that because there are parts of this
(05:15):
film where I was and you know, I take notes
when I watch films if I don't really don't want
to forget something. And I remember as it started, I
remember thinking, this movie is dumb, but I'm having a
good time, and then I wrote, it's a bit boring
at times when it gets monology, which was like, there
were several times in the film when it got pretty monology.
(05:36):
But then there were some nuggets I was taking from them,
and this one where it said I'd prefer to feel
nervous with you than feel nothing alone. Wow, I mean,
I think I sat with that one, and because I
thought that before, I've always thought I'd rather, I've had
the thought I'd rather struggle.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
With you than.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Then be peaceful alone, or or some version of that
where it's like I am, I would much rather live
in conflict with someone that I love than the idea
is like the feelings, and it nails that idea several
times it nails nuggets like that, and I think that
(06:26):
could trick you into thinking that this film is good.
I mean, I looked up the Rotten Tomato score. No
one's being tricked, so maybe it wouldn't into thinking that.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Man, it's low. I think it's like thirty seven percent.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
And then there was one later that says, I think
we could be content together and in love because I'm
in love with you, And I remember thinking that's not
super romantic, but it's it's said in a romantic setting
and in a romantic way. It's set in a romantic tone,
if you will, So you could be fooled into thinking,
oh my.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
God, that's so sweet, and I'm like, eh, is it so?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
And I remember at one point watching this and feeling
like it just felt like it was a bunch of
acting exercises rather than an actual film with a plot,
meaning that there's parts where it just felt like someone
put them into a scenario and told Colin Farrell and
(07:29):
Margot Robbie to act, and they did. They clocked in.
Everyone in this film clocked in to do their jobs.
But it's poorly written. There's not much story there. There's
the conflict is there from the beginning and throughout it's
never quite resolved. There is kind of a big realization
(07:51):
moment at the end of the film that I feel
like doesn't land. I don't think that they actually realized
anything before they moved into what is the natural next
part of the film, or a romance film, which is
when you end up together. I think if you're going
to talk about this type of conflict, the right way
(08:13):
to do this is Past Lives. Past Lives did a
great job at this. That movie makes me sad. I'm
getting kind of choked up thinking about it right now,
but it nails it. This idea of what was the
life I could have had if I made a different decision,
(08:35):
And I think that's what impacts me more than this
actual film does. Don't get me wrong, I think the
construction of this film makes it a bad movie. But
I think the parts of this film are pristine and good.
And there was probably a moment in here where I
(08:55):
was going to rate this higher than I did, but
it just didn't quite jump the hurdles, so it ends
up probably being lower than.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It could be because of that.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Now, the question is did I like this better than
I liked The Long Walk? For instance, and I just
watched something else that I completely forgot about. Y'all will
probably see it. But I also gave that two point
seventy five whatever it was. Oh Cought Stealing another one?
Where did I like those better than I liked this?
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Well?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I think I don't think. Yeah, I would not watch
A Cought Stealing again, and I would not watch A
Long Walk again, and I probably won't watch A Big, Bold,
Beautiful Journey again. But if I had to watch the
three of them, I would watch them in this order,
A big bold, Beautiful Journey, then a log walk, then
(09:55):
the log Walk, than Cought Stealing. So I think I'm
content to give this movie probably at two point nine
to nine. There were parts of it that I would
watch again. I enjoyed seeing Colin Farrell. I enjoyed seeing
Margot Robbie, and I enjoyed seeing Phoebe waller Bridge. I
enjoyed hearing Jody Smith McPhee, I enjoyed seeing Kevin Klein.
(10:22):
But outside of that, just I think a movie that
does something like this a little bit better, I think,
is The Adjustment Bureau, where it plays with the idea
of possibilities of your life based on decisions that you're making.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
I love that. That's my jam. I love that.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I'm working on a show called Heartbreaker, which I'm doing
live in February, and I think about this all the time.
Have I made the right decision? Am I unhappy because
of all the bad decisions I've made? I think about that.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
All the time.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
So yeah, yeah, I think this is probably about a
two point nine to nine of five stars. Won't watch
it again. Didn't necessarily love it, but obviously I loved it.
I liked it better than the last couple of things
I saw. The last mistake I want to point out
that this movie made before I get to the credits,
is the title A big, bold, beautiful Journey is a
(11:19):
terrible name for this film. This film is very abstract.
It should have went with an abstract title GPS, the Journey,
a journey, even a bold journey. I don't think it
was any of those things. I don't think it was big, bold,
or beautiful. I think it was a pretty contained story.
So I think naming it something like The Doors or
(11:45):
something else that just feels a little bit more abstract
would have probably served this film better, because I think
the expectation is set that this is going to be
a wondrous journey, and it is absolutely not that. So
two point nine to nine of five stars and with
that leaving the theater is a production of Oh It's
Big Round Studios. I mixed this episode. Today is Sunday.
(12:09):
This morning, I woke up, I did Sunday school, and
then I watched Highs to Lois, and then I recorded
a video episode of On the Couch that is only
available on Patreon. That's right, you can only see that
review on Patreon. As soon as I leave here, I'm
going to grasp some groceries. I'm gonna take them home.
I'm probably gonna eat a snack, and then I'm going
(12:30):
to edit both this episode, which you're listening to right now,
and Highest to Lowest, which is only available on Patreon.
Do y'all hear what I'm saying. I'm out here grinding hard,
and I've decided to make On the Couch a fully
Patreon based podcast that is also video. That's right, I'm
gonna record On the Couch on my couch on video.
(12:53):
I'm very excited about that. So for those of you
that are in the Patreon you are getting a lot
more offerings right now trying to do a better job
at that because I'm also using this as kind of
my play area to figure out video. I want to
get better, I want to get locked further in, I
want to learn how to edit better, I want to
shoot better. All of that and the opportunities I have
(13:14):
to do that and to give more content is in Patreon.
Patreon helps leaving the theater to exist, and it's supportive
of oh It's big Ron studios. It is important if
you find yourself spending money on legacy media outlets and
not necessarily on things like independent media, especially in a
(13:34):
time like this when we're talking about free speech being
under attack and the idea of people not necessarily feeling
like they can say what they want to say because
of who the stakeholders are. Give to patreon dot com
slash leave in the Theater. If you're a regular listener
of this show and you've never joined the Patreon, now
is the time to do it. It is important, it
(13:56):
is helpful. We are continuing to grow the audience, we
are continuing to improve the product every week. I hope
this is a very downtime for movies, and I'm still
putting out reviews and I think that should be important
to you. So if you want to support Leaving the Theater,
the best way to do that is go to patreon
dot com slash leave in the Theater or go to
(14:16):
the link in our show notes. Show art from Heather Wilder.
Theme music by the mysterious break Master Cylinder. For more
information about a Big bowld Beautiful Journey, check out our
show notes. You can follow me on Instagram, blue Sky, TikTok, threads,
or letterbox at Owiz Bigron. That's at h it S.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
B I, g r o N.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
You can find out more about this show and other
Owis big Ron Studio shows by following us on Instagram.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
At Owitz big Ron Studios.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Leaving the Theater will be back soon.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Thanks for listening.
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
A man and a woman meet at a wedding. They
fancy each other, but they don't leave together. But they
do meet again as their GPS intersects their paths and
prompts them to continue together on a big, bold, beautiful journey.
I'm Ronald Young Junior, and I'm leaving the theater.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
In all right, this is Ronald, and I am leaving
(01:12):
the theater after seeing A Big, bold Beautiful Journey. A Big, Bold,
Beautiful Journey written by Seth Rice, directed by cog Nada,
starring Colin Ferrell, Margot Robbie, Kevin Klein, Phoebe waller Bridge,
Lily robb Jody Turner Smith and Billy Magnuson per Usual.
(01:34):
For complete cast listing, you can go to the link
in our show notes. It is just me today. A Big, Bold,
Beautiful Journey, if you've seen from the previews, is about
a man and a woman played by Colin Ferrell and
Margot Robbie. They find themselves both of them attend a
wedding they meet each other. They both got there by
(01:56):
magical means, in that they both went to a place
called the car Rental Agency rented nineteen ninety five, Saturn
Sedan's and met there with the GPS. They meet each
other there. It looks like it's a real wedding. They
mentioned that they both live in the city. They don't
specify what city it is, and it's all it's all magical.
(02:21):
And then eventually they're separate on the journey, they run
into each other and then together they start doing kind
of a this is your Life thing, which I guess
is kind of a dated reference unless you are my age,
But essentially they take them each other on a tour
of each other's lives by the car directing them the
(02:41):
GPS and the car directing them to stop at different
parts of their life. That kind of were the defining
moments for where they are now romantically, with one of
them being kind of feeling like the right one hasn't
come along yet and the other one feeling like they're
just unlucky in love and it's a big bowl, beautiful
(03:02):
journey to love.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
This is a romance film. Let me just say this.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I just watched Highest to Lowest today more on that
in the credits, and one of the critiques I had
of that film is that it got worse as it continued,
and this film has the same problem. There are two
metrics that I'm beginning to understand that I judge films on.
(03:28):
The first is rewatchability. Do I want to watch this again?
The second is is this movie getting better or worse
as it continues. This is another film that, as it
continues gets worse because when it started, I was along
for the magical ride. I was along for the surrealism
(03:50):
and the ways in which they weren't explaining much about
how they, or rather how the powers that be in
the film had as much knowledge or power.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Over their dirtys.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I wasn't really asking questions about the doors that were opened,
or how they went through them, or how any of
that worked. It doesn't really This film doesn't really want
to explain any of that. It really wants to examine
the ways in which we love one another and the
ways in which we kind of feel like we failed
(04:32):
in the past, and the ways that may define who
we are today. This really is a film that's kind
of firmly positioning itself for me and my peers. So,
if you're in your late thirties mid forties and your
single or you're dating, this is a film that's aimed
(04:53):
at you, and you could watch this, but I don't
think it quite sticks. Like I know someone who watched
this would definitely cry while watching it, but I don't
know if when it ended it would have landed for her.
And I'm saying that because there are parts of this
(05:15):
film where I was and you know, I take notes
when I watch films if I don't really don't want
to forget something. And I remember as it started, I
remember thinking, this movie is dumb, but I'm having a
good time, and then I wrote, it's a bit boring
at times when it gets monology, which was like, there
were several times in the film when it got pretty monology.
(05:36):
But then there were some nuggets I was taking from them,
and this one where it said I'd prefer to feel
nervous with you than feel nothing alone. Wow, I mean,
I think I sat with that one, and because I
thought that before, I've always thought I'd rather, I've had
the thought I'd rather struggle.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
With you than.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Then be peaceful alone, or or some version of that
where it's like I am, I would much rather live
in conflict with someone that I love than the idea
is like the feelings, and it nails that idea several
times it nails nuggets like that, and I think that
(06:26):
could trick you into thinking that this film is good.
I mean, I looked up the Rotten Tomato score. No
one's being tricked, so maybe it wouldn't into thinking that.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Man, it's low. I think it's like thirty seven percent.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
And then there was one later that says, I think
we could be content together and in love because I'm
in love with you, And I remember thinking that's not
super romantic, but it's it's said in a romantic setting
and in a romantic way. It's set in a romantic tone,
if you will, So you could be fooled into thinking,
oh my.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
God, that's so sweet, and I'm like, eh, is it so?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
And I remember at one point watching this and feeling
like it just felt like it was a bunch of
acting exercises rather than an actual film with a plot,
meaning that there's parts where it just felt like someone
put them into a scenario and told Colin Farrell and
(07:29):
Margot Robbie to act, and they did. They clocked in.
Everyone in this film clocked in to do their jobs.
But it's poorly written. There's not much story there. There's
the conflict is there from the beginning and throughout it's
never quite resolved. There is kind of a big realization
(07:51):
moment at the end of the film that I feel
like doesn't land. I don't think that they actually realized
anything before they moved into what is the natural next
part of the film, or a romance film, which is
when you end up together. I think if you're going
to talk about this type of conflict, the right way
(08:13):
to do this is Past Lives. Past Lives did a
great job at this. That movie makes me sad. I'm
getting kind of choked up thinking about it right now,
but it nails it. This idea of what was the
life I could have had if I made a different decision,
(08:35):
And I think that's what impacts me more than this
actual film does. Don't get me wrong, I think the
construction of this film makes it a bad movie. But
I think the parts of this film are pristine and good.
And there was probably a moment in here where I
(08:55):
was going to rate this higher than I did, but
it just didn't quite jump the hurdles, so it ends
up probably being lower than.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It could be because of that.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Now, the question is did I like this better than
I liked The Long Walk? For instance, and I just
watched something else that I completely forgot about. Y'all will
probably see it. But I also gave that two point
seventy five whatever it was. Oh Cought Stealing another one?
Where did I like those better than I liked this?
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Well?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I think I don't think. Yeah, I would not watch
A Cought Stealing again, and I would not watch A
Long Walk again, and I probably won't watch A Big, Bold,
Beautiful Journey again. But if I had to watch the
three of them, I would watch them in this order,
A big bold, Beautiful Journey, then a log walk, then
(09:55):
the log Walk, than Cought Stealing. So I think I'm
content to give this movie probably at two point nine
to nine. There were parts of it that I would
watch again. I enjoyed seeing Colin Farrell. I enjoyed seeing
Margot Robbie, and I enjoyed seeing Phoebe waller Bridge. I
enjoyed hearing Jody Smith McPhee, I enjoyed seeing Kevin Klein.
(10:22):
But outside of that, just I think a movie that
does something like this a little bit better, I think,
is The Adjustment Bureau, where it plays with the idea
of possibilities of your life based on decisions that you're making.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
I love that. That's my jam. I love that.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I'm working on a show called Heartbreaker, which I'm doing
live in February, and I think about this all the time.
Have I made the right decision? Am I unhappy because
of all the bad decisions I've made? I think about that.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
All the time.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
So yeah, yeah, I think this is probably about a
two point nine to nine of five stars. Won't watch
it again. Didn't necessarily love it, but obviously I loved it.
I liked it better than the last couple of things
I saw. The last mistake I want to point out
that this movie made before I get to the credits,
is the title A big, bold, beautiful Journey is a
(11:19):
terrible name for this film. This film is very abstract.
It should have went with an abstract title GPS, the Journey,
a journey, even a bold journey. I don't think it
was any of those things. I don't think it was big, bold,
or beautiful. I think it was a pretty contained story.
So I think naming it something like The Doors or
(11:45):
something else that just feels a little bit more abstract
would have probably served this film better, because I think
the expectation is set that this is going to be
a wondrous journey, and it is absolutely not that. So
two point nine to nine of five stars and with
that leaving the theater is a production of Oh It's
Big Round Studios. I mixed this episode. Today is Sunday.
(12:09):
This morning, I woke up, I did Sunday school, and
then I watched Highs to Lois, and then I recorded
a video episode of On the Couch that is only
available on Patreon. That's right, you can only see that
review on Patreon. As soon as I leave here, I'm
going to grasp some groceries. I'm gonna take them home.
I'm probably gonna eat a snack, and then I'm going
(12:30):
to edit both this episode, which you're listening to right now,
and Highest to Lowest, which is only available on Patreon.
Do y'all hear what I'm saying. I'm out here grinding hard,
and I've decided to make On the Couch a fully
Patreon based podcast that is also video. That's right, I'm
gonna record On the Couch on my couch on video.
(12:53):
I'm very excited about that. So for those of you
that are in the Patreon you are getting a lot
more offerings right now trying to do a better job
at that because I'm also using this as kind of
my play area to figure out video. I want to
get better, I want to get locked further in, I
want to learn how to edit better, I want to
shoot better. All of that and the opportunities I have
(13:14):
to do that and to give more content is in Patreon.
Patreon helps leaving the theater to exist, and it's supportive
of oh It's big Ron studios. It is important if
you find yourself spending money on legacy media outlets and
not necessarily on things like independent media, especially in a
(13:34):
time like this when we're talking about free speech being
under attack and the idea of people not necessarily feeling
like they can say what they want to say because
of who the stakeholders are. Give to patreon dot com
slash leave in the Theater. If you're a regular listener
of this show and you've never joined the Patreon, now
is the time to do it. It is important, it
(13:56):
is helpful. We are continuing to grow the audience, we
are continuing to improve the product every week. I hope
this is a very downtime for movies, and I'm still
putting out reviews and I think that should be important
to you. So if you want to support Leaving the Theater,
the best way to do that is go to patreon
dot com slash leave in the Theater or go to
(14:16):
the link in our show notes. Show art from Heather Wilder.
Theme music by the mysterious break Master Cylinder. For more
information about a Big bowld Beautiful Journey, check out our
show notes. You can follow me on Instagram, blue Sky, TikTok, threads,
or letterbox at Owiz Bigron. That's at h it S.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
B I, g r o N.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
You can find out more about this show and other
Owis big Ron Studio shows by following us on Instagram.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
At Owitz big Ron Studios.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Leaving the Theater will be back soon.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Thanks for listening.
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