Plot
When a boy wishes to be big at a magic wish machine, he wakes up the next morning and finds himself in an adult body literally overnight.
Release Year: 1988
Rating: 7.2/10 (69,933 voted)
Critic's Score: 70/100
Director:
Penny Marshall
Stars: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia
Storyline A young boy makes a wish at a fairground machine to be big. He wakes up the following morning to find that his wish has been granted and his body has grown older over night. But he is still the same 12 year old kid on the inside. Now he must learn how to cope with the unfamiliar world of grown ups including getting a job, and having his first romantic encounter with a woman. What will he find out about this strange world?
Writers: Gary Ross, Anne Spielberg
Cast: Tom Hanks
-
Josh Baskin
Elizabeth Perkins
-
Susan
Robert Loggia
-
MacMillan
John Heard
-
Paul
Jared Rushton
-
Billy
David Moscow
-
Young Josh
Jon Lovitz
-
Scotty Brennen
Mercedes Ruehl
-
Mrs. Baskin
Josh Clark
-
Mr. Baskin
Kimberlee M. Davis
-
Cynthia Benson
Oliver Block
-
Freddie Benson
Erika Katz
-
Cynthia's Friend
Allan Wasserman
-
Gym Teacher
Mark Ballou
-
Derek
Gary Howard Klar
-
Ticket Taker
(as Gary Klar)
Taglines:
Yesterday Josh Wanted Everything In Life - Girls...Money...Cars... Today, All His Wildest Dreams Have Come True!
Release Date: 3 June 1988
Filming Locations: 435 Greenmount Avenue, Cliffside Park, New Jersey, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $18,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: AUD 612,644
(Australia)
(19 November 1988)
Gross: $114,968,774
(USA)
Technical Specs
Runtime:|
(extended edition)
Did You Know?
Trivia:
To give star Tom Hanks an idea of how a 12 year-old would behave, director Penny Marshall filmed each "grown-up" scene with David Moscow (Young Josh) playing Tom Hanks's part, who then copied David Moscow's behavior.
Goofs:
Plot holes:
The morning after Josh gets "big", he tries to convince his mom that he is really her son. He tells her that his birthday is November 3. Later, we see a milk carton with a "missing" advert on the side about Josh, which says his birthday is 1st January.
Quotes: Josh:
What's this? Scotty Brennen:
Pay day. Josh:
[Opens up the envelope and looks at his check]
A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN DOLLARS? Scotty Brennen:
Yeah. They really screw you don't they?
User Review
This movie captures the innocence of youth beautifully
Rating: 10/10
I saw this film again yesterday for what must now be the tenth or so time
and it's a film that makes me stop whatever I'm doing and immerse myself in
the unfolding story. Never mind the fact that I am by now familiar with the
premise, which incidentally far exceeds similar ones of the genre released
at this time - Vice Versa and 18 Again (the latter being truly
dire).
I think this is one of Hanks' finest hours and see it as the pinnacle of
his
early pre-90's career. His later performance in Philadelphia would eclipse
this role, although this was obviously more serious in its
message.
It takes real talent to act the young boy in the body of a thirty something
and Hanks' copes admirably, from the comical leaping around the bedroom
when
he is trying to put on the jeans of the child on discovering his
transformation to the child-like reaction displayed on Perkins' advances
toward him. He captures the essence of youthful innocence both in the
company of his younger peers and older 'work' colleagues.
Elizabeth Perkins complements the performance of Hanks' and it seems a
shame
that on searching the database that her career perhaps hasn't mirrored the
success of Hanks' since making 'Big'.
I don't know why, but I always shed a tear at the end of the film. Perhaps
it is the longing in all of us to want to return to the days of our youth
and that we cannot turn back the clock as one can in the imaginary world of
film.
As I grow older, and watch my children grow-up it makes me realise that
time
is a precious commodity and that life is a gift that should be cherished
and
nurtured carefully. This film somehow reinforces these
feelings.
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