Big Eyes

In the 1950s, Walter Keane becomes a national celebrity and talk show fixture after he pioneers the mass production of prints of big-eyed kids, and uses his marketing savvy to sell them cheaply in hardware stores and gas stations across the country. Unfortunately, he claims to be the artist. That role is actually played by Margaret, his shy wife. She generates the paintings from their basement while Walter simply ads his signature to the bottom. The ruse breaks up their marriage, and when she tries to make it known that she authored the paintings, they end up in a court battle after Walter calls her crazy. The case culminates in a dramatic courtroom showdown. The judge puts up two easels, side by side, and challenges each of them to start painting. Walter begs off, blaming a shoulder injury, while she dashes off her familiar big-eyed creation.