User reviews

Harry and the Henderson is an adventurous movie about A big foot like monster.

This movie is non-stop fun and misadventure. Its an 80's family gem that is under looked.

Recommendation: For anyone doing projects about hunting and animal life awareness. This move does shed some light on it in a light way.

Dracula had his movie. Frankenstein had his movie. The mummy, the wolfman, and even the creature of the black lagoon had a movie. So why not Bigfoot? Sure, Bigfoot is not on the level of the aforementioned monsters but he has earned his spot in folklore-he's earned his movie.

Harry and the Hendersons was his movie. He could've opted for scary but instead he opted for funny and it was a score.

Harry, played by Kevin Peter Hall, was minding his own business in the woods when he was hit by a car. The driver of said car, George Nathan Henderson (John Lithgow), thought it would be very lucrative if he brought Harry home with him. Perhaps he could sell him to a lab or something for a big payday. What George didn't know was that Harry wasn't dead and when he woke up he was very hungry, very annoyed, and very discombobulated.

But Harry was a nice guy. Even though he was about 7 feet tall and maybe 500 pounds, he didn't take that opportunity to hurt the Hendersons. Sure he damaged the house a bit but that was pure clumsiness. In fact, they developed a very sweet and precious bond that was wrapped in l funny moments. Harry was not like the other monsters.

This film clearly was inspired by the success of "ET" and "Alf" (which debuted just a year earlier). The stories are so similar...except that the nice creature is HUGE.

A family is on vacation and dad is out shooting critters with his young son. On their way home, they hit a Sasquatch! They think he's dead and tie him on the roof...which makes no sense because you see his legs sticking out and EVERY cop within 100 miles would soon stop them. But they don't and they take him home...where he wakes up and becomes like a member of the family who destroys almost everything. But since it's a movie, the family apparently doesn't mind all that destruction. In the meantime, an evil hunter (way overplayed by David Suchet) is looking to kill 'Harry'.

"Harry and the Hendersons" is an odd movie. While it's clearly intended for kids, the film has a lot of objectionable language. No f-bombs...but pretty much everything else. This really surprised me and while I wasn't offended (hey, I'm a big boy!), I wouldn't want young kids hearing that. And, when I say intended for kids, you can tell this is the case because some of the acting is incredibly over the top...like stuff you'd see on a Disney Channel or Nickelodeon show. Overall, I wasn't fond of the film but for older kids it's okay.

Also, I have no idea why, but I felt bad for the actress playing the daughter. She was incredibly nasty and impossible to like...and it was a thankless role for Margaret Langrick. Additionally, gun enthusiasts (especially hunters) might really want to think twice about seeing this one, as gun owners and hunters are mostly pretty terrible people in the movie.

I used to dislike this film. I disliked the mushiness, the story and even the sad parts. This movie was stuck on the shelf, covered in dust, forgotten.

Only days ago I pulled this movie out and decided to sit down and watch it, expecting the same mushy film that I saw years and years ago.

However, as I have gotten older I have a greater understanding of what this film offers me and people alike. In fact, it touched me so much to see how something that is often portrayed as scary was so gentle and caring.

From the introduction when Harry is first discovered (in a rather unfortunate way) to the end of the movie, the Hendersons learn that Harry is more human than they ever thought, and that he has a bigger heart than the human race combined.

Throughout the film, the effect that Harry has on people's lives is always seen. We as humans are so receptive to myth, legend and rumours. Yet, before the truth is given a chance to be known, we block our ears, close our eyes and run away.

The Hendersons, Jacques LeFleur -a hunter who has followed his trail for 25 years and Dr Wrightwood -a man whose life has been ruined by his dedication towards the study of Sasquatch, all gain a new perspective on life, as well as a new respect. Their original feelings of the "Beast" all quashed swiftly to realize that inside of it lay a big heart.

Harry's compassion, love for other beings and respect for life made this film an absolute delight to watch. I whole heartedly recommend this for anybody looking for a family film that not only warms the heart, but also teaches a lesson of who is really the monster on Earth.

The Henderson family of Seattle and I say that because this film was shot in Washington State are on a camping trip and heading home when John Lithgow hits something. Turns out to be a sasquatch, a really big Big Foot. They do exist.

What to do but the Hendersons bring him home quite unconscious. Since nobody has any history of dealing with them it takes awhile but Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, Margaret Langrick, and Joshua Rudoy;.all develop some rapport with Harry as they've taken to calling him.

Big as he is he's also not exactly house broken. The neighbors are bad enough, but the Hendersons also have to deal with a professional hunter in David Suchet. They get help from a retired scientist in Don Ameche.

Harry And The Hendersons is a nice if somewhat unbelievable fantasy. If Big Foot is out there I doubt he'll run into any of our species as nice as the Henderson family.

7'4" Kevin Peter Hall plays Harry and the makeup job they did on him earned an Oscar for the film. With all that makeup Hall gives a great performance with the camera catching differing expressions with his eyes. It's a great performance, better than the other players playing to an animated creation for instance.

Harry And The Hendersons is a nice fantasy and holds up well after 30 years.

The Henderson family adopt a friendly Sasquatch after accidentally running him over on a hunting trip, but have a hard time trying to keep him away from the authorities and an eccentric hunter who's determined to catch "Bigfoot".

What makes this film good really comes down to two things: nostalgia and the impressive work of Rick Baker. As a whole, it is not an amazing film, but it is a memorable one and had some cultural impact. And Baker's work (along with his crew) is incredible. The facial expressions? Kevin Peter Hall did not have a long career (sadly), but between this and the Predator, his reputation will be cemented forever.

Interestingly, some have said this film is like "E.T.", which is notable because Steven Spielberg was the producer. I can see what they're saying, with taking this foreign creature and making it part of your family. There are distinct difference and "E.T." is clearly the better film, but it's an interesting comparison.

This was a generally-entertaining comedy, and a typical modern-day morally- weak one because of its Liberal slants. What Liberal bias? Well, how about anti-hunting, anti-guns, the normal cheap shot at (Republican President) Ronald Reagan, a plug for evolution, a ton of OMGs, a lot of profanity including kids swearing, etc, etc.)

All of this Left Wing nonsense wasn't needed, either, as it could have been a solid family-oriented comedy and adventure. Take the cute and funny little kid (Joshua Rudoy?). He profanes three times. The first time, he apologizes and his father responds, "It's okay; it's close to what you meant, anyway." In other words, profanity from your little son is okay, according to th script writers.

Otherwise, it's a fun movie with a humorous gorilla "Bigfoot," a fast-moving story and you even get some nice Oregon woods scenery. There is just no excuse for the language in here, and this should have been rated PG-13. I laugh at the people who call this "good family fare." I haven't seen one movie yet with John Lithgow in it, that wasn't sleazy.

I've been looking for this movie forever on DVD, my copy on tape is long gone and I hate watching the cut version when it is shown on TV. I was so addicted to this movie as a kid, when our TV broke, I plugged headphones into the VCR so I could hear it. Whats sad is I watched it so many times that I didn't mind that there was no picture, I still knew what was happening because I watched it a least 60 times beforehand. I'm so happy its finally coming out on DVD because I have a kiddo on the way and I can't wait till they are old enough to watch it with me. If you have kids and want to watch a movie everyone will like this is a definite buy. It will be watched over and over and your kids will never get tired of it, which could possibly be a bad thing. I hope this was helpful, I tried not to mention anything about the plot because it best to watch it and form your own opinion.

Harry and the Hendersons was a childhood favorite that's still fun to watch today. The creature effects are fantastic, even if the story drags on a bit and the acting is pretty corny. And my kids enjoyed it, as well, so perhaps Harry's smiling face will carry on to another generation.

I'm sure this is entertaining for kids, but it's one of the few films that I literally couldn't watch. It's a textbook example of the "idiot plot." You keep on saying to yourself, "why would he/she do that? I wouldn't do that. Would you do that? That's really stupid." I didn't believe in the motivations for anything any character did, at any point. And after 30 minutes, I changed the channel.

You will fall in love with Harry and wish that Bigfoot / Sasquatch was real. A funny, endearing movie! There are several messages along the way: 1) Some humans are more beastly than animals; 2) Forgiveness is a powerful healer; and 3) Protect the wilderness, for it contains many wonderful things that are not always apparent to us. This movie is a family favorite!

'Harry and the Hendersons' is an 80's classic, no doubt. Watching this nowadays makes me appreciate the effort filmmakers put in to make a decent suit that a person could actually wear and utilize prosthetics. If this was made today, there is no doubt in my mind Harry would 100 percent be done with CGI. That's just the age we live in now, for better or worse.

This is a great family film with a good message, and that's coming from someone who hunts, though not a proponent of trophy hunting. You could say the film is anti-hunting, but I think it's more about respecting nature.

Who knows, maybe Bigfoot, Bookmis, Sasquatch, or whatever name you may call him, is out there in the woods. And maybe he is a lovable giant, or maybe he'd just like to rip your limbs off. Whatever the case, I'd still like to believe there's a 0.1 percent chance he's out there.

It comes as little surprise that HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS is a crushing work of sentimental tripe, given that it's been produced by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. Unlike the genuinely good family films of the 1980s, like THE GOONIES and THE MONSTER SQUAD, this reduces the cast to a screaming mess, a bunch of actors holed up in a house who spend the movie shouting and overacting for all their worth.

The subject of their consternation is the hulking bigfoot who ends up living with them for a time. While the bigfoot suit is admittedly impressive - as is the sheer size of the guy who plays it, the late Kevin Peter Hall, who also essayed the role of the Predator - the way he's turned into a bumbling, friendly giant is frankly embarrassing for this viewer.

I get that a lot of reviewers on here saw this as a kid so have a special place for it in their hearts; I'm the same with certain films despite their flaws. But coming into it as a cold-hearted adult, I'm afraid this is one for kids and kids alone; even the normally reliable likes of John Lithgow and David Suchet embarrass themselves in the overacting stakes. And from what I remember of it, the ensuing TV series is poor too with limited and repetitive jokes.

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........

The Henderson family consisting of husband and wife, George (John Lithgow) and Nancy (Melinda Dillon), and their two children teenage daughter Sarah (Margaret Langrick) and precocious young son Ernie (Joshua Rudoy), begin the drive back to Seattle from a camping trip when George inadvertently hits an animal with the car. Upon inspection, the animal is identified as Bigfoot (Kevin Peter Hall in suit, puppeteered by various) the legendary sasquatch of American legend. While Nancy and Sarah want to contact the rangers, George and Ernie think the creature could bring them fortune with the nature of the discovery. Upon return home, it turns out that the sasquatch is not actually dead and while initially afraid of the creature the family becomes amicable towards him, name him Harry, and must deal with the chaos he brings to their lives while a hunter named Jacques LaFleur (David Suchet) is eagerly in pursuit of the creature.

Harry and the Henderson was another entry in the many sci-fi/fantasy films that flooded multiplexes throughout the 80s trying to ape the success of E. T.. Initially written as a TV pilot by William E. Martin and Ezra D. Rappaport, the script eventually found its way to co-writer and eventual director William Dear who convinced the duo the premise would work much better as a feature film (though the duo would eventually revisit the premise as a TV series). After directing some work for producer Steven Spielberg on the TV anthology Amazing Stories, Spielberg was impressed enough with Dear's work that he inquired about any potential projects Dear would be interested in showing him. Dear showed Spielberg a portion of the script and some designs of Bigfoot which impressed Spielberg enough to setup development at Amblin Entertainment, but following disagreements with Dear over certain story elements Spielberg stepped back and shifted duties to Universal and took his name off the film (though his company was still credited allowing Universal to play up the Spielberg connection). Harry and the Hendersons was only a minor success upon initial release making $29 million in the United States against its $10 million budget but did well enough in the home video and international market. Harry and the Hendersons is a silly movie, but it's an enjoyably silly movie.

Despite the film being rewritten from the original TV pilot script, you can still see shades of sitcom DNA in the film down to the core family who share more than a few traits with typical family sitcom characters with the slightly selfish father, mother who's the voice of reason, mopey and sarcastic teenage daughter, and precocious pre-teen son. I In a way the Hendersons aren't too dissimilar from the Tanner family from the TV series ALF that was airing at the same time Harry and the Hendersons was released. Despite the roles not being especially meaty, the cast do have fun with their roles and their energy and timing leads to some solid comic friction against the chaos agent of Harry. The mixture of the late great Kevin Peter Hall's suit performance as Harry mixed with Rick Baker's Academy Award winning makeup work on Harry's face does a good job of bringing Harry to life with expressive features that hold up surprisingly well. David Suchet is also fun playing Jacques LaFleur as mixture of inspector Clouseau by way of Elmer Fudd.

Harry and the Hendersons is pure formula, but it's enjoyable formula that is endearingly silly even if it's not all that substantive. The movie delivers exactly what it promises with a lovable sasquatch wreaking havoc on an average family and while it's a simple premise they don't half-ass it.

One of the best family movies I have seen, very good and funny.

I thought this was a decent movie, clearly not great, but it did entertain and have a few laughs though I would have preferred the film to be 20 minutes shorter. Towards the end when Bigfoot went back to their house it felt like we were retreading the same ground when it was time to start wrapping up the film.

From this film we also learn that Bigfoots are Pescaterians, though in real life, if they do exist, they are said to eat meat such as deer. I like that this film is trying to be positive and preach about taking care of the environment and loving others, but saying Bigfoot wouldn't eat meat seemed kind of silly to me, surely he would be an omnivore just like most other primates.

In summary, a decent enough film, carried well by the skilled John Lithgow, and one which can be enjoyed by the whole family as there is nothing offensive or risque here. My rating: I'll be generous today and give it a 6/10.

Harry and the Hendersons is one of the first films I remember seeing in the cinema as a kid. It was 1987 and my uncle had just passed his driving test so he was well into driving places and the cinema just happened to be one of them.

Even though the film is only 110 minutes long, they still had an intermission halfway through, for some reason. And I swear, they actually had ushers coming round selling stuff before it started back up again. I believe that is the first and only time I have seen such old-fashioned picturehouse practices. But it makes my original memory of this film so much more nostalgic.

The Hendersons consist of wannabe artist/gun salesman dad George (that always brilliant John Lithgow), loving mum Melinda Dillon, a bratty daughter and a hyperactive son. On returning from a camping trip in the Pacific Northwest, they accidentally run into some sort of large furry creature on the forest road. Originally believing it to be a bear, George steps out of the car to prod it with his gun a few times. But the bear has man-like hands and George suddenly asks his family 'What if it's...HIM'.

Bigfoot! Think of how much he's worth! So they tie him to the roof of the car and drive him home, while George thinks of the best way of selling him. Later that night, he is curious as to how big his feet really are. So he sneaks down to the garage with a measuring tape only to find that he's no longer strapped to the roof of the car, but poking around in the kitchen fridge.

The Hendersons stand back as bigfoot (or Harry as he is later renamed) stomps around the house and garden investigating all their strange belongings. Though he doesn't care much for all the animal trophies hanging around everywhere. Freaking out, George tries to snipe Harry from through the bedroom window, but has a change of heart when he realises that Harry is just big, harmless oaf.

The best scenes of the film involve Harry making himself at home in the Henderson house. His mannerisms and body language are similar to a child warned to be on their best behavior while visiting old relatives. He constantly looks a bit nervous and uncomfortable but is always ready to grab you for a big hug.

Rick Baker deservedly took home an Academy Award for Best Make-Up Effects back in 1988 for this movie. Harry Henderson is an amazing character with a wonderfully wide range of expressions and emotions. All E.T. ever did was sit there looking bug-eyed. Not Harry though, you can't help loving him. I so want my own Bigfoot.

Even now as an adult I think this movie is still great. As a kid I remember feeling the panic and excitement when Harry got lost in Seattle and the half-crazed Bigfoot hunter Jacques LaFleur (David Suchet) doing lots of sleaziness in order to have him shot, gutted and sold to science. Forgive the repeated comparison, but to me it was more involving and fun than the man with the keys in E.T.

You just don't get family movies like this anymore. Back in the 80's Steven Spielberg's Amblin production company made loads of great family movies like Gremlins, Goonies, the Back to the Future Trilogy, Young Sherlock Holmes and Innerspace. They all had some kind high-concept spin that crud such as Like Mike and Crapper by the Dozen don't.

It was a great time to be a kid back in those days. We weren't cynical and jaded and hooked on Playstation like modern children. We still had a sense of adventure, a longing for the outdoors. Anything could be out there. Maybe Harry is actually bumbling around in the woods as I write this.

Like the Patterson/Gimlin film that inspired it, Harry and the Hendersons is one movie that will be timeless forever.

"Harry and the Hendersons" is a family movie in which we watch a family which while it is returning from a hunting trip in the forest its car hits an animal in the road. At first they fear that it was a man, but after they examine the body they find out that it's a "big foot". Thus, they take the body because they think that is dead but it is not and after that big foot becomes a friendly giant.

I liked this movie because it is an amusing movie and if you watch it I am sure that you will have a really great time. I also liked this movie because of the simply hilarious interpretation of Kevin Peter Hall who played as Harry. Another good interpretation made by John Lithgow who played as George Henderson and he was very good at it.

Lastly I want to tell you that "Harry and the Hendersons" is a funny movie with which you will have a great time and I am sure that if you have children then this movie you just have to watch.

HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS is a movie about a family that befriends a bigfoot. The plot sounds silly, but they must have pulled it off if they decided to make a movie out of it, right? Wrong.

I found nothing good in this film. Some children may find it amusing, I'm sure, but they would have done better to make another movie instead of this. It's really bad. Do not recommend.

An unlikely creature touches the hearts of a family in this underrated beauty. John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon and the rest of the cast all fit their characters perfectly. A wonderful chemistry of happy moments, sad moments and funny moments. The conclusion is both heartbreaking and heartwarming — not your typical family-film ending, but too perfect to be rewritten. The beautiful scenery of Washington State and the costume design are also to be admired. Joe Cocker's "Love Lives On" is the perfect song for this film's end credits. Followed by an inferior television series of the same name.

**** (out of four)

I usually avoid family movies . I find them too sappy and not really funny . This one is different . I had really nice time with it. From what I can remember the movie was successful enough that the made a TV series of it. Rick Baker rightfully won Oscar for makeup.

The movie has simple message and manages to deliver it to the audience without being preachy . The message is "Don't judge anyone by their appearance" and "Killing is wrong". The pro-life message works , because it doesn't feel here like some cheap sentimentality . The movie has heart and never becomes too sappy . It's also funny despite that most jokes are simple . My favorite is Harry learning to sit and the prisoners getting away from the stinking villain.

It was great to see John Lithgow ("Terms of endearment" ) in a non-villain role .It's also nice to have Don Ameche ("Trading places") in a movie and I was delighted to see David Suchet (TV series "Poirot") as a French hunter. The real star however here is Kevin Peter Hall ("Predator") who manages to give a charming performance under that suit.

I've never thought I say it about a family movie , but the ending was AWESOME. I regret that I haven't seen this one as a kid. If I have kids in the future , I will make sure they would watch this movie. I give it 2/10.