Big - A Movie Review

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"Big" is a fantasy comedy that was released in 1988. CAST Tom Hanks - Josh Baskin David Moscow - 12-year-old Josh Baskin Elizabeth Perkins - Susan Lawrence Robert Loggia - Mr. MacMillan John Heard - Paul Davenport Jared Rushton - Billy Kopecki Jon Lovitz - Scotty Brennen Mercedes Ruehl - Mrs. Baskin Josh Clark - Mr. Baskin Josh Baskin is 12 years old and lives with his parents and his baby sister, Rachel in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. One day he is standing in line for a carnival ride when an older, cute girl that he knows from school strikes up a conversation with him. He gets up to the entrance to the ride; and he's shorter than the wooden cutout that determines if you can go on the ride; and he can't ride the Super Loops. He is humiliated. Moments later he puts a coin in a Zoltar fortune telling machine and wishes that he was big. A card comes out that says, "Your wish is granted". Josh is shocked when he sees that the machine is not plugged in. When Josh wakes up the next morning he is a 35-year-old man in body only. He must leave home because his mother thinks that he kidnapped her son. When he goes to find the Zoltar machine, the field is empty and the carnival has moved on. He finds his friend, Billy, and finally convinces him that he is 12-year-old Josh. They learn that it could take weeks to find the carnival and the Zoltar machine; so Josh must find a place to stay and a job. He finds a cheap room in New York City. Tom Hanks plays the boy-within-the-man role very well. The movie was written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg and directed by Penny Marshall. The budget for this film was $18 million with box office receipts of $151.7 million. Reviews were generally favorable. It ranked #23 on "Bravo's 100 Funniest Movies", 2000 - #42 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Laughs", 2008 - AFI's 10th best film in the fantasy genre, 2008 - Empire Magazine's one of "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time". "Big" was the first feature film directed by a woman to gross over $100 million. This movie gives all of us a little insight into human nature. If only we could be adults with a little bit of childish enthusiasm still intact. This is a great movie and one that I've watched several times; and it's one that I'm sure you will enjoy. I give this movie my recommendation. This movie is rated PG. Photo Credit: Pixabay