The Biggest Little Farm
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Videos & Photos
- Trailer 1 (02:29)
- Official Trailer (02:24)
Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
A testament to the immense complexity of nature, The Biggest Little Farm follows two dreamers and a dog on an odyssey to bring harmony to both their lives and the land. When the barking of their beloved dog Todd leads to an eviction notice from their tiny LA apartment, John and Molly Chester make a choice that takes them out of the city and onto 200 acres in the foothills of Ventura County, naively endeavoring to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind in complete coexistence with nature. The land they’ve chosen, however, is utterly depleted of nutrients and suffering from a brutal drought. The film chronicles eight years of daunting work and outsize idealism as they attempt to create the utopia they seek, planting 10,000 orchard trees and over 200 different crops, and bringing in animals of every kind– including an unforgettable pig named Emma and her best friend, Greasy the rooster. When the farm’s ecosystem finally begins to reawaken, so does the Chesters’ hope – but as their plan to create perfect harmony takes a series of wild turns, they realize that to survive they will have to reach a far greater understanding of the intricacies and wisdom of nature, and of life itself.
Cast
- John Chester
- Molly Chester
- Lydia Marie Hicks
- Matthew Pilachowski
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.7
19.1K
5.1K
4.7K
- Apr 27, 2019
Narrator: This is our pregnant pig that has intense diarrhea. Me, crying and feeling very seen: Representation matters.
Clayton WalterJan 18, 2020There is a trickery to documentaries involving animals that really makes me sick. It's impossible to see a cute animal and not coo and awww at the screen. The problem is, 9/10 times, this trick is used to cover up the fact that the documentary itself has multiple faults.…
Vanessa ArmstrongDec 3, 2019"Intent alone is not a protector." Monday night, I saw an inspiring documentary that my friends had raved about. It's about John Chester and Molly Chester who start Apricot Lane Farms with the help of investors and a goal to live in harmony with nature. It takes place…
Allison M. 🌱 - Dec 29, 2019
Two hippies with no farming experience find investors so they can start the farm of their dreams, relying heavily on staff and unpaid interns who never get interviewed. It feels somewhere between a how-to guide on forming a cult and a treacly, folksy account of farm livin’…
Adam WaldowskiJun 5, 2019Annoyed to the core by this jackass farmer's incessant and asinine voiceover, perhaps most of all when he expresses shock at his bonding with animals that will "become food." Or when he reveals that staring up at the Milky Way makes him feel small. This is a mind-numbing…
MattMay 27, 2019I needed this film, and I suspect many of you need it too. With the never-ceasing battery of bad daily news, it's refreshing to go back to the earth's life cycles and remember what makes it all worthwhile. I grew up amongst co-op farming hippies so none of this was…
StormofCuteness - Sep 14, 2019
When documentarian John Chester and his wife Molly bought an abandoned, 200-acre farm in California with the intention of working and harvesting the land as part of a natural ecosystem, Chester also kept a video diary of sorts of their efforts. You can feel the ungainly…
Josh LarsenMay 13, 2019There are some striking images in these hagiographic home movies of a couple's pursuit of creating a new Garden of Eden. I guess that's what happens when a cameraperson is the director/subject/narrator. But despite (or perhaps because of) the idealistic vision, I was…
Joel MaywardMay 9, 2022the cutest documentary abt a white suburban couple being the most subpar farmers u have ever seen bc interns do all the work and the funding comes from some rich dude, a dog named todd that is apprently omniscient and really wise, and a bunch of footage of dead animals
lily!
Queue Community Reviews
93%
Community 3,658
Top Reviews
- Donny G likedThe Biggest Little Farm
Feel good doc on sustainable farming
Mya lovedThe Biggest Little FarmJust watched this in a class today and I expected it to be just like all the other documentaries we watch in classes yk, but it was actually really good. I would totally recommend this if you’re looking for something education and inspiring to watch. warning, its a little sad.
Sherilee Nimon likedThe Biggest Little FarmA well made documentary about building a dream farm and all the ups and downs. Filming was fantastic, story was informative, touching, but a little too stuttered.
- Kate likedThe Biggest Little Farm
Inspirational story about the highs and lows of starting a sustainable and regenerative farm. More emotional than I was expecting but I liked it overall!
Vic likedThe Biggest Little FarmI watched this in class and I actually payed attention… in science class. That’s how you know it was good
Morgan likedThe Biggest Little FarmHad to watch this for apes overall not that boring very cool to understand how they ran their farm
- Bird lovedThe Biggest Little Farm
Fun, inspiring, and beautiful cinematography. Highly recommended!!
mya likedThe Biggest Little Farmi watched this in geography class at school!! it ate lowk
Benjamin Mersai lovedThe Biggest Little Farmsuch a beautiful way to farm, live and experience life.
Atom Users Reviews
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Reviews
- CECody Enos
A wonderful touching story about coexistence
SMShun MuroyamaFantastic Utopia, I've seen my imaginary vision in this film!
LSLou ScalmaniniAn amazing story of perseverance and dedication to a dream.
- BHBrenton Hanlon
Wonderful photography along with a inspiring story.
HLHyun LeeInspiring to see the vision of what should be come to life
KHKristin HeggenAbsolutely phenomenal! Every possible emotion during this movie.
- MLMichael Leahy
Even vegans should appreciate the care given the animals on this farm
RTRenee TrawnyMy (8 year old) son and I absolutely loved the movie. It was a moving story and very well done.
JBJessica BakerThe dream we should all be living..
Metacritic
May 15, 2019
Climate change is never explicitly mentioned in the documentary The Biggest Little Farm, one of the year’s best films, but it hangs all over the deep, rich story of the Chesters, a pair of hardscrabble idealists who move from the concrete jungle of Santa Monica to start a 200-acre, sustainable farm from scratch.
G. Allen Johnson
San Francisco Chronicle
May 9, 2019
If you’ve entertained “Green Acres”-inspired reveries on the joys of “farm living,” this documentary may rid you of them in short order. But it may also revive your wonder at the weird but ultimately awe-inspiring ways in which humans can help nature do its work.
Glenn Kenny
The New York Times
May 9, 2019
The Biggest Little Farm can at times feel like a larger, better-produced version of the kind of viral video that spreads on Facebook, equal parts uplifting and self-congratulating. It’s a self-contained film about a self-contained paradise.
Jake Coyle
The Associated Press
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