Big (film)
| Big | |
|---|---|
 Promotional film poster for Big. | |
| Directed by | Penny Marshall |
| Written by | Gary Ross Anne Spielberg |
| Produced by | James L. Brooks Robert Greenhut |
| Starring | Tom Hanks Elizabeth Perkins Robert Loggia John Heard |
| Cinematography | Barry Sonnenfeld |
| Music by | Howard Shore |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates | June 3, 1988 (USA) |
Running time | 104 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18,000,000 (est.) |
Big is a 1988 comedy film about a teenage boy who is aged to adulthood by a magical fortune-telling machine. It stars Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton, David Moscow, Jon Lovitz and Mercedes Ruehl. The movie was written by Gary Ross, with Justin Schindler, and Anne Spielberg. Penny Marshall directed.
The movie takes place partially at Playland amusement park in Rye, New York, in the United States. In the movie, young Josh is supposed to live in Cliffside Park, New Jersey
Tom Hanks was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role.
The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
This film is number 23 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".
Plot
Template:Spoiler After being humiliated while trying to impress an older girl at a carnival, Josh goes to a wish/fortune-telling machine, called Zoltar Speaks, in the shape of a gypsy wizard and wishes that he were "big." The next morning, Josh wakes up to a reflection in the mirror he does not recognize: a full grown man's reflection.
When his mother sees him, she drives what appears to be a menacing intruder out of her house, then finding Josh gone, believes he has been kidnapped. In desperation, Josh corners his 13-year-old best friend Billy Kopecki, and convinces him of his true identity (by singing a secret song only they know). With his help, Josh rents a cheap room in Manhattan, and gets a lowly data-entry job at the MacMillan Toy Company.
In a memorable scene, he meets the company's owner, MacMillan, checking out the products at the FAO Schwarz toy store, and impresses him with his childlike enthusiasm. They end up playing a duet together on a giant foot-operated electronic keyboard, performing Chopsticks and Heart and Soul. This earns Josh a promotion to a dream job for a kid: testing toys all day long and getting paid for it. With his insight into what sells to children, he quickly rises up the corporate ranks.
He soon attracts the attention of the beautiful, ambitious Susan Lawrence, a fellow toy executive, and a romance begins to develop, much to the annoyance of her current boyfriend, Paul. In time, Josh sees his friendship with Billy start to fade as his relationship with Susan begins to grow, and he is faced with a choice: return to his old life with his family and friends, or remain an adult with Susan. Ultimately, he decides to return to his normal life and seeks out the Zoltar machine, wishing himself back to childhood.
There were apparently two different endings filmed. In the much more common one, Susan catches up to Josh before he makes his wish. Josh tries to convince her to join him, but she isn't willing to relive her adolescence again. They part, with a hint that they may meet later, when he has grown up. In the other ending, after Josh has reverted to his right age, he and Billy are in class when the teacher introduces a new girl who looks exactly like Susan, only younger.
Acclaim
Big was received with almost unanimous critical acclaim[1], and is a popular example of the genre in which a child is trapped in an adult's body.[2] Many critics praised Tom Hanks for his "believable" and "adorable" performance.[3]
Big was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Tom Hanks) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay.
Broadway musical
In 1996, Big was musicalized for the Broadway stage. It featured music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., and a book by John Weidman. Directed by Mike Ockrent, and choreographed by Susan Stroman, it opened on April 28, 1996.
For more information, see Big, The Musical.
Trivia
- The keyboard scene was parodied on a Simpsons episode, where Homer plays an off-key rendition of "Rock Around The Clock" and a near-perfect rendition of the Simpsons main theme at the toy store.
- In an episode of the Family Guy entitled "The Story on Page One" Stewie is angry about being so small and stumbles upon a Zoltar Speaks machine from the movie. When Stewie says "I wish I was BIG" Zoltar responds with a card that reads "I wish I could weigh people."
- In the popular Game Boy Advance games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, there is a TV inside the house of the main character, and if you face it the main character will say: "There is a movie on TV. Two men are dancing on a big piano keyboard. Better get going!"
- Debra Jo Rupp (who played Kitty Forman on That 70's Show) makes one of her first screen appearances as Josh Baskin's assistant "Ms. Patterson".
- In the episode of Newsradio entitled Arcade there is an homage to Big at the end of the episode. Video of scene on Putfile
- In real life, Billy and Josh are the same age.
- Robert DeNiro, Robin Williams and Harrison Ford were all considered for the role of adult Josh.
- The Zoltar machine was recently featured in a Microsoft Windows Live Messenger online ad campaign.
- Steven Spielberg was the initial director of the film, but dropped out and Penny Marshall took over.
- The original ending for this film included a scene in which Josh is in class, and a "new girl in school" is brought into the classroom. Her similarity to 'Elizabeth Perkins' and a reaction shot from Josh imply that this is Susan, having also become young. The scene was cut after poor response in test screenings.
- In the scene at Josh's apartment he was wearing a pajama with Gundam mechas and a mant of the Thundercats.
- In another scene Billy Idol playing can be seen on the tv.
See also
