Harry and the Hendersons (1987)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

William Dear

Writers:

William Dear (written by)
Bill Martin (written by)

Release Date:

5 June 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy

Tagline:

When you can't believe your eyes, trust your heart.

Plot:

Returning from a hunting trip in the forest, the Henderson family's car hits an animal in the road. At first they fear it was a man...

Plot Keywords:

Bigfoot | Animal Rampage | Bad Smell | Seattle Washington | Freaked Out

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

John Lithgow	...	George Henderson
Melinda Dillon	...	Nancy Henderson
Margaret Langrick	...	Sarah Henderson
Joshua Rudoy	...	Ernie Henderson
Kevin Peter Hall	...	Harry
Lainie Kazan	...	Irene Moffat
Don Ameche	...	Dr. Wallace Wrightwood
M. Emmet Walsh	...	George Henderson Sr.
Bill Ontiverous	...	Sgt. Mancini
David Richardt	...	Dirty Harry Officer
Jacqueline Moscou	...	DMV Clerk
Laura Kenny	...	'Mouse' Woman
Richard Arnold	...	'Mouse' Spouse
Sean Morgan	...	Jerry Seville
Nick Flynn	...	Stuart

Also Known As:

Bigfoot (Philippines: English title)
Bigfoot and the Hendersons (UK)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Index, Washington, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

Bill Martin (IV), who co-wrote the screenplay for "Harry and the Hendersons," wrote songs for Harry Nilsson's "Harry" album and is pictured (wearing a bear suit) inside the album's cover. Martin says that the character "Harry" in the film is named after Harry Nilsson.

Goofs:

Continuity: The Henderson's station wagon is clearly already damaged in the close-up of it hitting Harry. The headlight cover is already open instead of coming open in the crash, and damage to the left front panel is grossly exaggerated and inconsistent with hitting Harry the way they did.

Quotes:

[George's father had changed George's kind drawing of Harry to make Harry look like a vicious monster]
George Henderson Sr.: How's that for an arthritic old shooter, huh?
George Henderson: What the hell did you do that for? It's my drawing! Why'd you change it?
George Henderson Sr.: Cool down, George, it's just a piece of cardboard.
George Henderson: Not to me. It means something to me! Can't you see that he means something to me?
George Henderson Sr.: What the hell are you talking about?
George Henderson: The hell with it! I quit!
[Storms out]
George Henderson Sr.: Over this? You can't quit! We're too busy! Hey, what the hell's the matter with you?

Movie Connections:

References Claws (1977)

Just as good as E.T.!

I really love this movie! It's one of the best I've seen in a long time. I'm sure I'll watch it over and over. To me the best movies are movies that make you laugh and make you cry. "Harry" is a classic family show, one I'll save for the grandchildren. My children love it as much as I do. John Lithgow gives one of his many excellent performances. I also love "Third Rock".

Harry is good, too. His facial expressions are great!

It would be wonderful to see a sequel to "Harry". Something with Harry and his family hosting a human? I recommend this movie to anyone with children. It's just as good as "E.T."