Gigantic (2002)
89%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 1 nomination
Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns is a documentary that follows the quirky and beloved band, They Might Be Giants. While some critics found the film to be flabby and excessive, others praised it for its fun and touching portrayal of the band’s journey. As a highly intelligent and verbose critic, I must say that the film is a modest amusement that captures the essence of the band’s unique sound and personality. The live footage is particularly enjoyable, and the interviews with the Johns are refreshingly witty. While it may not be the most groundbreaking music documentary, Gigantic is a comforting and pleasant watch that will leave you humming their unshakable tunes for days.
Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns is a documentary that follows the quirky and talented duo, John Flansburgh and John Linnell, as they navigate the music industry. Critics have mixed feelings about the film, with some calling it “engrossing” and “oddly touching,” while others find it “flabby” and “excessive.” But let’s be real, if you’re a fan of They Might Be Giants, you’re going to love this movie. It’s like a behind-the-scenes look at your favorite band, complete with witty interviews and live footage. And if you’re not a fan, well, you might still find it comforting and pleasant. Plus, who doesn’t love a good rib-nudging every now and then?
Production Company(ies)
B S B C I P Lorimar Film Entertainment,
Distributor
Cowboy Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, some sexual content and violence
Year of Release
2009
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 42m
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Language(s):English, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 20, 2004 Wide
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, music, They Might Be Giants, AJ Schnack, Shirley Moyers, cult success, brainy, idiosyncratic, pop, Peter Travers, Liam Lacey, Michael Booth, Mark Brown, Erik Lundegaard, James Sullivan, Martin Scribbs, David Cornelius, Kim Morgan, Gregory Weinkauf, Kevin John Bozelka, Bill White, Neptune Frost, 18 1/2, H.P Lovecraft’s Witch House, Stay Prayed Up, 11th Hour Cleaning, Sh*t Saves the World, Final Caller, Girl in the Picture, Hello, Goodbye, Everything in Between, Confessions from the Hart, The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus, The Sea Beast, Moon, 66 Questions, Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel, Incantation, The Road to Galena, Dangerous Liaisons, Jewel, Warriors on the Field, Fair Play, John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Dan Miller, Danny Weinkauf, Dan Hickey, rated PG-13, $160.6K box office gross, reviewed by Rolling Stone, Globe and Mail, Denver Post, Denver Rocky Mountain News, Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Low IQ Canadian, eFilmCritic.com, Oregonian, New Times, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Worldwide gross: $165,888
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $229,276
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,909
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 25,003
US/Canada gross: $102,704
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $141,948
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,600
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,294
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,227
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,616
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
John Linnell – Self
Dan Miller – Self
Danny Weinkauf – Self
Dan Hickey – Self
AJ Schnack – Director
Director(s)
AJ Schnack
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Shirley Moyers
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (8)
August 14, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
Prepare yourself for nights wandering around the house singing unshakable tunes.
October 3, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
The flabby, fawning film Gigantic comes across as 102 minutes of rib-nudging by one of the duo’s annoyingly self-satisfied connoisseurs.
September 12, 2003 | Rating: 1.5/4
Michael Booth
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
Predictably, Flansburgh and Linnell are the saving grace of the movie, both in their interview segments (refreshingly witty, although the editing could have been tighter) and particularly in the live footage.
September 12, 2003 | Rating: B-
Mark Brown
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
Tries to be as irreverent and bouncy as a song by its subject, and succeeds for the most part.
August 15, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Erik Lundegaard
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
A modest amusement.
August 8, 2003 | Rating: 2/4
James Sullivan
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Gigantic documents how much work goes into the making of twee music.
May 14, 2004
Martin Scribbs
Low IQ Canadian
Gigantic may not be as different a music movie as it thinks it is, what with its by-the-book fluffiness. But that’s OK, really, since it’s a fun watch anyway.
January 2, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com
Engrossing, fun and oddly touching, Gigantic makes you wish the best for these guys.
October 31, 2003
Kim Morgan
Oregonian
Comforting and pleasant.
August 24, 2003
Gregory Weinkauf
New Times
Suffers the same banal fate of most band documentaries. It’s essential for rabid fans but even ordinary ones will live rich and meaningful lives without ever having seen one minute of it.
August 21, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/4
Kevin John Bozelka
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
As a film, Gigantic is excessive and poorly structured.
August 15, 2003 | Rating: C+
Bill White
Seattle Post-Intelligencer…
Plot
Do we ever get what we want? Brian sells mattresses in a warehouse store. His father and older brothers have material success; he wants a child. He’s applied to adopt a baby from China. A man who appears homeless seems to be stalking Brian with violent intent. He meets Happy, the daughter of a rich, quirky customer. She doesn’t stick to anything, but she and Brian hit it off, except for her vomiting when she learns about his adoption idea. He wants her to meet his family, and there’s a call about the adoption. What will Happy do?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features interviews with the members of They Might Be Giants, including John Flansburgh and John Linnell.
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