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:

A wonderful new comedy

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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

Debra Winger was original considered for the Susan Lawrence role but could not take the part because she was pregnant at the time. She recommended Elizabeth Perkins.

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Goofs

When Susan chases after Josh after he runs out of the meeting, she just misses the elevator doors closing. She pushes the down button to call another elevator, but it was already lit - there's no reason for it to be lit when a descending elevator has just closed and left and nobody else is there to push the button.

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Quotes

Scotty Brennen: See that girl over there in the red? Say "hi" to her and she's yours. She'll have her legs around you so tight you'll be begging for mercy.
Josh: Well, I'll stay away from her, then.

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Connections

Spoofed in Family Guy: The Story on Page One (2000)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Keeping Your Inner-Child

This charming, sweet, hilarious gem of a film works because Tom Hanks makes you believe he actually is a small boy in the body of an adult.

The interesting trick of what makes the story appealing is not so much the magic that the boy gets his wish to be "big." It's that once he is in an adult, he has to navigate the adult world with the mind of a child -- and ultimately realizes that he is missing something if he makes the leap from boy to man without going through all the fun and the struggle in between. There are several other films that have the boy-to-man switch, but none of them have the depth of understanding about human nature that this film portrays.

The story is wonderfully written and directed, and Tom Hanks is a star. The film made me laugh, and it made me cry. What more can you ask of one movie?