Big Top Pee-wee (1988)

Pee-wee Herman is now a small-town farmer with a fiancée, but when a traveling circus comes to town, he finds himself falling for the trapeze artist.

Director:

Randal Kleiser

Writers:

Paul Reubens, George McGrath

Stars:

Paul Reubens, Penelope Ann Miller, Kris Kristofferson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Reubens	...	Pee-wee Herman (as Pee-wee Herman)
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Winnie
Kris Kristofferson	...	Mace Montana
Valeria Golino	...	Gina Piccolapupula
Wayne White	...	Vance the Pig (voice)
Susan Tyrrell	...	Midge Montana
Albert Henderson	...	Mr. Ryan
Jack Murdock	...	Otis
David Byrd	...	Deke
Mary Jackson	...	Mrs. Dill
Frances Bay	...	Mrs. Haynes
Leo Gordon	...	Joe the Blacksmith (as Leo V. Gordon)
Anne Seymour	...	Pearl
Kenneth Tobey	...	Sheriff
Jay Robinson	...	Cook

Storyline

In the sequel to "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", Pee-Wee Herman has had enough with the fame and constant media attention he received after the events of the first movie, so he's now a simple farmer living quietly in a small town. But after a big storm blows their way, a circus ends up at Pee Wee's farm. So he lets the circus stay at his farm for a while. The circus decides to put on a show with one lovable star, Pee-Wee! Also, a love triangle develops between Pee-Wee, his nice fiancée Winnie, who's the local schoolteacher, and mysterious loner Gina, the circus' attractive trapeze artist. The outcome of this subplot is somewhat unexpected.

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Plot Keywords:

circus | trapeze artist | trapeze | punctuation in title | hyphen in title | 

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Taglines:

Hero. Lover. Legend.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

22 July 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Big Top Pee-wee - La mia vita picchiatella

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,625,004, 24 July 1988

Gross USA:

$15,122,324

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,122,324

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite boasting similar lines and situations, as well music by Danny Elfman and the use of "Tequila" by The Champs, the film has no canonical lineage to Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986).

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Goofs

When the Sheriff enters Mr. Ryan's Store to tell everyone about the Storm, Otis switches from standing next to the Sheriff and Mr. Ryan between shots.

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Quotes

Mr. Ryan: [Sees Pee-wee reading a magazine in his store] I hope your planning to buy that magazine, Pee-wee. This ain't no Library.

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Crazy Credits

The film opens with the late 1950's Paramount logo.

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Connections

Features Let's All Go to the Lobby (1957)

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Soundtracks

Tequila
Written by Chuck Río

User Reviews

Poorly structured but just about funny weird and funny ha-ha often enough to watch

Pee Wee Herman is a laid back farmer on his rather unusual farm in small town America. He looks after his animals and has a tight security lab where he develops wonderful new plants and treatments. One day a storm hits his town and he finds himself helping out the inhabitants of a travelling circus. When the town shuns the circus, Pee Wee offers to put them up at his farm. However the strange and wonderful folks in the circus completely change his life, not to mention the impact beautiful acrobat xxx has.

First of all, here's a simple yardstick – if you dislike Reubens' sense of humour, then you'll dislike this film intently. If you like him then this should be OK. For the rest of us who fall somewhere in the `indifferent' camp, then this is passable but not much more than that. To discuss plot is unfair as that is not what this film is about. However some degree of narrative would have been nice. Beyond this the film becomes a series of little sketches with a common theme.

Of these, some work well and some don't. There is just about enough off-beat, imaginative humour to keep the film going. The majority of the scenes are amusing in a weird way, some are laugh out loud funny and some just don't work and drag a bit. Even if your sense of humour is this way inclined it may be a little thin to satisfy.

Reubens is OK, doing his usual camp clowning thing in that same suit. I don't dislike him and found him funny when he was in a good scene. Kris Kristofferson is simply a novelty here, he has nothing of substance to do other than be a famous face in a film. Golino is pretty but doesn't have much humour to bring. The potentially funniest character was the pig, but he didn't get anywhere near enough in the way of lines.

Overall this is one for fans, but those who are OK with Herman's humour may get a few laughs. However, for many, this will be just amusing and may not be worth spending 90 minutes on.