Big
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Big is a 1988 comedy film which tells the story of a teenaged boy who is aged to adulthood by a magical fortune telling machine. It stars Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton, David Moscow, Jon Lovitz and Mercedes Ruehl. The movie was written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, and directed by Penny Marshall.
The movie takes place partially at Rye Playland amusement park in Rye, New York.
Contents |
Characters
The main characters are:
- Josh Baskin - (Tom Hanks and David Moscow) a 13-year-old boy who magically becomes an adult overnight, although he retains his boyish charm and inexperience. As an adult, he gets a job at MacMillan's toy company.
- Susan Lawrence - (Elizabeth Perkins) Josh's beautiful and intelligent coworker at the toy company.
- MacMillan - (Robert Loggia) Josh's boss at the toy company.
Plot
After being humiliated while trying to impress an older girl at a carnival, Josh goes to a wish/fortune telling machine, called Zoltar Speaks, in the shape of a gypsy and wishes that he were "big." The next morning, Josh wakes up to a reflection in the mirror he does not recognize: a full grown man's reflection. He leaves his family, rents an apartment in Manhattan, and gets a job at the MacMillan Toy Company. With his boyish charms and insight into what would sell to kids, he quickly rises up the ranks of the toy company. As he does so, a romance with one of his fellow employees, Susan Lawrence, begins to develop. As Josh sees his friendship with his 12-year-old best friend, Billy Kopecki, start to fade as his relationship with Susan begins to grow, he is faced with a choice: return to his old life with his family and friends, or stay as an adult with Susan. Ultimately, he rejoins his best friend and together they find the Zoltar machine and wish him little again.
Acclaim
Big was received with almost unanimous critical acclaim.[1] It was (and still is) generally considered the gold standard when it comes to movies in which a child is trapped in an adult's body.[2] Many critics praised Tom Hanks for his "believable" and "adorable" performance.[3]
Big was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Tom Hanks) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay.
Broadway musical
In 1996, Big was musicalized for the Broadway stage. It featured music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr., and a book by John Weidman. Directed by Mike Ockrent, and choreographed by Susan Stroman, it opened on April 28, 1996. It was nominated for five Tony awards (Best Book, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, Best Actress in a musical (Crista Moore), and Best Featured Actor in a musical (Brett Tabiesel). It closed after 193 performances on October 13, 1996, and is generally considered an unsuccessful production.
