Harry and the Hendersons (1987)

The Henderson family adopt a friendly Sasquatch but have a hard time trying to keep the legend of 'Bigfoot' a secret.

Director:

William Dear

Writers:

William Dear, Bill Martin (as William E. Martin)

Stars:

John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, Margaret Langrick

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Lithgow	...	George Henderson
Melinda Dillon	...	Nancy Henderson
Margaret Langrick	...	Sarah Henderson
Joshua Rudoy	...	Ernie Henderson
Kevin Peter Hall	...	Harry
David Suchet	...	Jacques Lafleur
Lainie Kazan	...	Irene Moffitt
Don Ameche	...	Dr. Wallace Wrightwood
M. Emmet Walsh	...	George Henderson Sr.
William Ontiveros	...	Sgt. Mancini (as Bill Ontiverous)
David Richardt	...	Dirty Harry Officer
Jacqueline Moscou	...	DMV Clerk
Laura Kenny	...	'Mouse' Woman
Richard Arnold	...	'Mouse' Spouse (as Richard E. Arnold)
Sean Morgan	...	Jerry Seville

Storyline

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, but when they examine the "body" they find it's a "bigfoot". They think it's dead so they decide to take it home (there could be some money in this..). As you guessed, "it" isn't dead. Far from being the ferocious monster they fear "Harry" to be, he's a friendly giant. In their attempts to keep Harry a secret, the Henderson's have to hide him from the authorities and a man, who has made it his goal in life, to catch a "bigfoot".

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Plot Keywords:

hunter | kindness | change of heart | compassion | bigfoot | 

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Taglines:

According To Science, Bigfoot Doesn't Exist.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 June 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Harry and the Hendersons

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$29,760,613

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$49,998,613

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, DreamWorks, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, some characters in the film are based to varying degrees on actual figures in the search for Sasquatch. "Jacques LaFleur" (David Suchet) is a nod to the late Canadian Rene Dahinden, and "Dr. Wallace Wrightwood" (Don Ameche) combines some qualities of John Green, Peter Byrne and the late Dr. Grover Krantz.

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Goofs

At the end, when Harry is going back to the forest, the dog can be seen barking but no sound of barking is audible.

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Quotes

Jacques LaFleur: We both spent our whole lives chasing after that beast and we both had to stare at ourselves in the mirror every morning and keep repeating, "I am not a fool. I am not a fool." Only you finally BLUNK.
Dr. Wallace Wrightwood: I finally opened my eyes.
Jacques LaFleur: [climbs in his truck] We'll find out soon enough.
[drives away]
Dr. Wallace Wrightwood: Go for it, Jacques-o! Raise a ruckus. God knows I can use the business.

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Crazy Credits

In the the thank you section of the credits, there is a thank you to Bigfoot.

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Connections

Referenced in Assault of the Sasquatch (2009)

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Soundtracks

Your Feet's Too Big
Written by Ada Benson and Fred Fisher

User Reviews

A great feel good family movie!

WE happened to catch this movie again on the PAX channel and start getting completely captivated once again by its funny scenes, and Harrys reaction to everything he encounters, from the family to the things in the house and its eventual feel good conclusion! I think one of the most touching scenes is when he encounters a deer head mounted on the wall and knocks out a hole in the wall to look for the hind part of the deer.......makes one wonder why people like to hunt in the first place, especially seeing it from Harry's perspective.......well, sit back and enjoy the movie, you will be glad you did, and have a kid or two with you..........OK? shar from oHIo........