Big is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Penny Marshall, and stars Tom Hanks as adult Josh Baskin, a young boy who makes a wish to be “big” and is then transformed to an adult overnight. The movie also stars Elizabeth Perkins, David Moscow (as young Josh), John Heard and Robert Loggia.
This is a clever, fun-filled, funny and cute film. It has inspired other films with similar plots like 13 Going on 30 and Little, which box office hits, but not nearly as well received as Big. This movie has all the elements that make it such a wonderful film, humor, entertainment, cleverness, romance, drama, emotions and heart. It is one that can be watched over and over without getting old. Tom Hanks is absolutely perfect in this role, as is David Moscow, both adding teenage adorableness, making this movie an enjoyable watch for both teens and adults alike.
Josh discovers as a kid what it’s really like to be an adult, doing it childlike, bringing both advantages and disadvantages. He gets a job as a toy designer, most kid’s dream job, but has trouble with his relationship with Susan Lawrence (Perkins). After telling her that he is really a child, Susan takes it as a fear of commitment and ignores his statement. He lives like the person he really is, a boy in a man’s body, having an apartment filled with kid-like things, from a trampoline, to a pinball machine, to bunk beds. Susan starts to fall for Josh, who shows her how to have more fun in life, when at first she is embarrassed by him and his naivety. He for the first time starts to fall for her too, until he has to go back to being a boy.
This film is laugh out loud funny, heartwarming and heartbreaking. It does have mild sexual innuendos, a few scenes showing drinking, mild violence and quite a bit of harsh language, so not for younger viewers. The storyline of this film is so creative and better than any movie it has inspired, the acting is superb, just overall a wonderful motion picture that lets out your every emotion. Not a dull moment, entertaining for beginning to end. No wonder it was made into a Tony nominated stage musical. A true masterpiece. 13+ 5/5
Nice pick!
Remember the “body switch” craze off-shoot with the parent and kid trading bodies via a some type of magic trinket?
There was Like Father, Like Son with Kirk Cameron, which got knocked off as Vice Versa with Fred Savage. Then there was the rom-com change-up with Jimmy Smiths in Switch . . . but I think that was more a reincarnation flick and not magic junk that did it.