Big (1988)

When a boy wishes to be big at a magic wish machine, he wakes up the next morning and finds himself in an adult body literally overnight.

Director:

Penny Marshall

Writers:

Gary Ross, Anne Spielberg

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hanks	...	Josh
Elizabeth Perkins	...	Susan
Robert Loggia	...	MacMillan
John Heard	...	Paul
Jared Rushton	...	Billy
David Moscow	...	Young Josh
Jon Lovitz	...	Scotty Brennen
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Mrs. Baskin
Josh Clark	...	Mr. Baskin
Kimberlee M. Davis	...	Cynthia Benson
Oliver Block	...	Freddie Benson
Erika Katz	...	Cynthia's Friend
Allan Wasserman	...	Gym Teacher
Mark Ballou	...	Derek
Gary Howard Klar	...	Ticket Taker (as Gary Klar)

Storyline

A young boy makes a wish at a fairground machine to be big. He wakes up the following morning to find that his wish has been granted and his body has grown older over night. But he is still the same 12 year old kid on the 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. What will he find out about this strange world?

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Plot Keywords:

wish | job | friend | best friend | toy | 

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Taglines:

You're Only Young Once But For Josh It Might Just Last A Lifetime.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 June 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Quisiera ser grande

Filming Locations:

435 Greenmount Avenue, Cliffside Park, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$114,968,774 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gracie Films, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 130 min (extended edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Sound)

Color:

Color (DuArt) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The offices of an actual advertising agency on 23rd Street in the Chelsea district in New York City was used for the scenes involving the fictitious MacMillan Toys Company, which were very hard on both the film crew and the actual workers of the agency. The location fee of $25,000 was donated to the American Craft Museum by the agency and Twentieth Century-Fox.

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Goofs

When Josh and MacMillan are on the giant piano, the crowd behind them changes a lot between shots, e.g. a young girl in the background is seen to sit on her dad's lap twice. Also, the boy in the sweater disappears, then reappears in time to applaud at the end of the song.

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Quotes

Motel Clerk: Hey Angel, get out of that bathroom now.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Wolverine/Ghosts of Girlfriends Past/Battle for Terra (2009)

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Soundtracks

"WELCOME TO OUR WORLD OF TOYS"
Written and Performed by Bobby Gosh
Courtesy of Bygosh Music

User Reviews

Big classic, big enjoyment

I don't even dare to guess how many times I've seen "Big" but if you ask me to watch it with you I'll be glad to join you anytime. Still, after hugely successful smash hits like "Forrest Gump", "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Green mile" this remains to be one of Tom Hanks' greatest movies ever. Not only that but it's definitely one of the funniest films of the 80's. It's timeless, entertaining, moving, splendidly written and stylishly directed classic. If you haven't seen this marvelous 14 year old first rate comedy try to find it out as fast as you can. Tom Hanks is spectacular!