Be careful what you wish for because it might come true and you might live to regret it. This seems to be the cautionary message at the center of this enjoyable film, which we saw when it made its debut in 1988. Watching it a second time, still holds our attention as the director, Penny Marshall, clearly takes us for a ride with Josh, as he becomes a man before hand.
Josh, the New Jersey boy who is unhappy by being excluded of some fun things because of his age, asks Zoltar at the fair, for a wish which he is told has been granted. Imagine Josh's surprise the next morning waking up in the body of a grown up. His whole world comes crashing down on him. With the help of his best friend, Billy, he escapes to Manhattan, where he will go unnoticed.
The young man is in for a rude awakening, but his child-like attitude opens all the doors for him. When he applies to work at MacMillan's toys, he is a happy boy that has been given a candy. Because Josh is genuine, he will rise to the top at the firm and even find love with Susan, an executive woman that falls for his charming way and innocence.
The film is made more enjoyable by Tom Hanks. He is perfect as Josh, a boy at heart, with no malice. Elizabeth Perkins makes a good Susan. Jared Rushton plays Billy, the loyal friend. Robert Loggia is the owner of the firm. John Heard appears as Paul an executive who sees his star downgraded by the arrival of Josh.
Highlights of the film have to be the F.A.O. Schwartz sequence where Josh and Mac play on the floor piano and the party scene where Josh eats beluga caviar!
Great film for all ages thanks to Penny Marshall and the magic she created with this film.
Big
1988
Action / Comedy / Drama / Family / Fantasy / Romance
Big
1988
Action / Comedy / Drama / Family / Fantasy / Romance
Plot summary
When a young boy makes a wish at a carnival machine to be big—he wakes up the following morning to find that it has been granted and his body has grown older overnight. But he is still the same 13-year-old boy inside. Now he must learn how to cope with the unfamiliar world of grown-ups including getting a job and having his first romantic encounter with a woman.
Uploaded by: OTTO
August 24, 2023 at 05:00 AM
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There's no place like home!
Remember when we used to want to be big?
Ah, those were the days. All of us have done it. Wished we were older, so we could do more. Well, in the movie "Big", a child's wish to become big comes true.
Josh is a boy who is not tall enough to ride a roller coaster at a theme park. Humilated in front of a girl he likes, he goes to a "fortune telling" machine, and wishes he could be bigger. He wakes up the next day as a man. When everyone he knows throws him out of their lives, except his best friend, he goes into the adult world. Just by knowing what kids want in toys, he becomes a success in a toy company. He also manages to get a girl wanting him(even though he is completely oblivious to it). All he wants is be himself again.
9/10
child within Tom Hanks
Josh is a regular kid. He can't get the girl. He can't even get on the amusement ride because he's too short. So he makes a wish upon a carnival Zoltar machine. He just wants to be big, and the next morning he wakes up as an adult. The only person who believes him is his best friend Billy.
It's a nice premise. Certainly age changing is not a new idea for stories. Nevertheless, it is well written. Director Penny Marshall shows herself to be a very capable director. However this is all dependent on Tom Hanks. He really digs up his inner child with this impersonation of a 12 year old. The joy in his performance is unmistakable. Dancing on the roll out piano is the classic movie scene. Tom Hanks really excels playing around with Jared Rushton or acting childish around the unsuspecting adults.