Big (1988)
Josh Baskin is a 12-year-old boy who makes a wish "to be
big". The next day, he wakes up in the grownup body of Tom
Hanks. He goes to New York, gets a job in a toy company and even
gets a girlfriend (Elizabeth Perkins) - all the while acting like
a typical 12-year-old.
At the start of the film, Josh is still a 12-year-old New
Jerseyite, madly in puppy love with an older blonde girl. Josh and
best friend Billy head for a local carnival, where right in front
of his blonde goddess and a crowd of older kids, Josh is refused
admission to a carnival ride because he's too little.
Humiliated, Josh tries the "Zoltar Speaks" machine,
which offers him one wish. He wishes he were big.
The next morning, Josh wakes up to find his wish has come true.
Naturally, Josh's mother doesn't believe this grown man is her
son, forcing Josh to run from home screaming. Billy does believe
him, and convinces Josh to head for New York City, where big
people go to play.
Josh scores a data entry job at a toy company, but after a
kid-to-kid-at-heart bonding session with company owner Mac
MacMillan at FAO Schwartz (the famous giant piano keyboard
sequence), the man-boy is promoted to VP of product development.
He soon moves into a gorgeous Manhattan apartment, complete with a
pinball machine and giant indoor trampoline.
Fellow exec Paul doesn't like the new guy, but Susan slowly
warms up to Josh's innocent charms. From an adult perspective,
things look pretty rosy for big Josh, but Josh doesn't see things
from an adult perspective. Big has its advantages, but Josh just
wants to be himself again.
Big's sweet, childlike nature won over audiences young and old,
who made the film one of the biggest hits of the year. The movie
also helped turn Tom Hanks - who was nominated for an Academy
Award for his performance - from the gifted goof of Splash
and TV's Bosom Buddies into one of the biggest leading men
in Hollywood.
|
