Anthony's Film Review

A creative story that takes interesting directions and makes us think about life...

The 1988 film Big is one of those movies that starts out with a what-if question about something not possible in reality, then carefully explores all of the events that would stem from that hypothetical situation occurring. There is the basic delight of seeing how creative and imaginative the storyteller is in laying it all out for us. But there's also the extra delight in presenting messages and lessons about life that we may not hear about as often through other ways. If a movie can achieve both of those, it's a sure winner.

The what-if question in Big is this. What if a 12-year-old boy who is unhappy about life because he is small and young wishes to become a big person, and that wish comes true? Josh Baskin, while at a carnival, makes the wish at an old Zoltar Speaks carnival amusement machine, and he wakes up the next morning as a 30-year-old man played by Tom Hanks. Immediately, the movie explores the initial consequences. First, he examines himself carefully in a bathroom mirror, doing so with confusion and curiosity. Then he realizes he cannot show himself to his mother. But in his efforts to hide from her, she does spot him, and she is convinced this man had kidnapped her son. So big Josh now has to run away.

Obviously, he cannot go to school like normal either. Yet, Josh's best friend, who is still a kid, realizes and understands what is happening. The plan from there is simple: locate the Zoltar Speaks machine to reverse the wish. But finding it is hard. Therefore, Josh has only one thing to do while he waits for that opportunity to reverse course. He has to live as an adult like any other.

I'd like to take a moment to talk about experiencing this film. This is considered a comedy-drama that has roughly equal amounts of both. The humor is pretty much subtle but will still keep you watching. The drama is not heavy melodrama, but there is enough seriousness in certain scenes to remind you of strong emotions for some characters. Big is really just a movie to watch things happen rather than feel like you're up close and along for the ride. But through it all, Tom Hanks demonstrates skill in playing a man with the heart and mind of a teenager, straddling both age groups fairly well.

So going back to the story, Josh manages to get a job at a toy company. His moments in the workplace allow us to observe two things. One, Josh's mildly childlike behavior seems noticeable enough to clash with customs of adult behavior, reminding us that growing up is mental, not just physical. Two, Josh's mildly childlike behavior reminds us that there is nothing wrong with having innocent fun even as an adult. This is especially true in the scene involving a giant floor piano that he plays along with an executive at the toy company, played by Robert Loggia. Also, Josh's childlike mind is suited for presenting new toy ideas that greatly benefit the company.

But then there is one situation where he finds himself not completely ready: romance. One lovely lady at the company named Susan, played by Elizabeth Perkins, finds herself attracted to Josh because of his creative toy ideas. The problem is that this kid hasn't quite hit puberty yet. Yes, there are moments where he examines her chest, but for the most part, he isn't too interested in love or sex. This creates some awkwardness that can be humorous or dramatic (and also a bit weird because you wonder if any intimate contact between the two would constitute statutory rape, just because Josh is still mentally a teen). There is a memorable scene where Susan enters Josh's apartment hoping to sleep with him, only to find that Josh would rather jump on a trampoline like a kid.

The movie is a satisfying journey about a kid discovering rather quickly what adulthood really requires. It leaves you with the inspiring lesson that life doesn't need to be rushed in one stage to get to the next. Everyone goes through life at the same pace and will eventually live through all of its stages. In other words, just enjoy being a kid, then enjoy being an adult, without forgetting to be a kid once in a while. The director of this movie, Penny Marshall, does a great job overseeing it all. This little movie about a big kid has a lot more heart than you'd expect.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Big, visit the Internet Movie Database.