Big (DVD) Review

12/05/2011 02:33

The film that propelled Tom Hanks to superstar status, Big is probably the funniest and most family-friendly films ever going to the big screen. Harboring its own unique charm, the movie wraps a compelling storyline around a cast of likeable characters to generate a film audiences will never forget. And, to finish it, Director Penny Marshall had become the first woman to direct your favorite shows grossing over one-hundred million dollars when Big was released in 1988 (that's a real Trivial Pursuit question I discovered that might come in handy someday)...

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When a suburban boy named Josh (David Moscow) attends an area carnival with his family, his young life's turned upside down in the event the girl he has a crush on is allowed over a rollercoaster while he learns that he is still too young. Distraught, the boy constitutes a wish on an antique arcade machine. He desires to be big, plus the machine spits out its answer over a small piece of cardboard, "Wish granted." Josh thinks nothing in the reply until he wakes up the next morning being an adult version of himself (Tom Hanks).

Run out of the house by his own mother, Josh turns to his best companion Billy (Jared Rushton) for help. But after convincing uncle, who's only ten-years-old himself, Billy can't provide much help except a smaller bit of cash and advice on getting a job. When Josh rents an apartment in New York City, Billy involves visit him periodically. While playing guns in the toy store FAO Schwartz, each run into MacMillan (Robert Loggia) founding father of a toy manufacturer. MacMillan hits them back with Josh (the two step dance a Chopin tune over a giant foot-operated piano inside an extremely memorable and famous scene), plus the toy titan immediately hires Josh to dedicate yourself his company in your neighborhood of toy-related research.

Climbing the corporate totem pole at MacMillan due to his vast insight into the toy preferences of children, Josh befriends Susan (Elizabeth Perkins), a top-level executive aiming to learn what makes Josh a really master of the boardroom. But Susan's search for Josh is not looked upon favorably by her colleague Paul (John Heard) who's spent his entire career kissing up to MacMillan only to have the inexperienced Josh appear outside of nowhere and become the boss's favorite. This conflict, in conjunction with the breakdown of Josh and Billy's relationship, causes the adult kid to wish he could be his young self once more...

One of the best scenes in the film is when Susan reveals to Josh she can't believe she's considering sleeping from his place. Josh replies by saying he is doing it all the time and give her the option of the most notable or the bottom bunk! Hanks really comes off being a kid trapped in an adult's body, this is why Big works so well. So well, in fact, that it became a moment comedy classic...

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Prior to Sleepless In Seattle, Forrest Gump, and Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks took Hollywood by storm in reference to his charming performance in this particular larger than life movie. Big is a feel-good comedy without any foul language, gratuitous violence, or endless explosions. It really retells the timeless tale of any young boy wishing to be grown and doing evolved things, only in this situation, the kid gets his wish. As one of the biggest blockbusters of the 1980s, Big is a definite must-see film. I wouldn't hesitate to determine it...