Big (1988)

Big is a coming-of-age-&-then-regretting-it tale. In the beginning, it's sappy, stupid & generic…but once Hanks shows up? Pure gold. This definitely isn't hanks best movie, but it's maybe his greatest performance; he's so great at being a kid, but is even better as kid pretending to be an adult. They so perfectly captures the sweet mischievousness and naïve awkwardness of a teenage boy in an adult world.

Every child ever born on this earth, at some point in his/her life, wants to experience life as a grown-up before their time. Well, this comical little film shows what would happen if one of those children were to get their wish.For a short synopsis, this film tells the story of a 13-year old boy, Josh, who loses the "girl of his dreams" due to his short stature and lack of adult characteristics (such as driving). So, in a moment of self-pity, Josh makes a wish on a carnival game machine that he wants to be "big". The next morning, Josh wakes up with is 13-year old mind in the body of a 30-year old, and hilarity (and some emotional drama) ensues for the rest of the film.Tom Hanks, one of the few truly great actors of our day, plays the "old Josh", and really does carry this film in what turned out to be the start of his brilliant leading-role career. Hanks absolutely nails the silliness and mannerisms of a young teenager, which makes for some hilarious physical and situational comedy. Plus, the script is also very conducive to his acting, as the plot feeds into the mentality of a child (I mean, what could have possibly been a better job for the old Josh than Toy Tester?!). Whether Hanks is failing to convince his mother that, at heart, he is still 13, goofing around with his best buddy, or trying to maintain an adult romantic relationship, Hanks is brilliant in every nuance of the character.A particularly touching scene comes towards the end of the film, when the Old Josh must decide whether he wants to revert back to childhood. As he walks through his old neighborhood, he observes the simple moments that make childhood great, such as playing in a pile of leaves, a junior-high class picture, or starting a pick-up baseball game. I'll leave you in suspense as to what Old Josh decides to do, but suffice it to say that the scene will have you wondering whether you would have made the same choice.I don't consider this film to be one of my all-time favorites, thus the 4-star rating instead of five, but it is a very engaging little film that can be enjoyed by pretty much all ages. Children will love Hanks' crazy antics, while adults will appreciate Hanks' performance and be drawn into the conundrum he ultimately faces.

Of course, the premise sets up the possibility for an actor to either succeed or fail. If we don't buy into the innocence and the joy of a little boy, it isn't going to happen. By Tom Hanks being cast here, a mediocre script is brought to life. This was later a Broadway play, and when I saw it, I felt a bit cheated. Then it dawned on me that I was so involved in Hanks portrayal that the actor I was watching, as gifted as he was, was a step down. The plot, of course, involves a boy who maintains his childish being in a man's body. The man has choices in his world where the boy did not. Someone could fall in love with him in a romantic way. He, naturally, is clueless and this is bewildering. I remember Peter Sellers in "Being There." They are what they are and their environment is in conflict with them. Yet they don't have the intellectual wherewithal to change to adapt. A very nice movie. Unfortunately, a shameless commercial for F.A.O. Schwartz. But that's only a minor point.

I finally got around to watching BIG purely because it's one of the biggest movies of the 1980s. I should not that I'm not really a huge fan of family comedies like this, so if this is your type of thing I'd add at least a couple of stars to my rating which comes from someone who isn't the target audience.BIG is one in a sub-genre of movies about kids who have the chance to be, well, big. Instead of going down the body-swap route, this film simply has a child version of Tom Hanks making a wish at a fun fair and waking up, adult-sized, the next morning. It's as straightforward as that, with all of the fish-out-of-water hijinks that ensue (taking the form of a child trapped in an adult world).What I liked about this film is that it turns out to be rather touching and with an interesting subtext that explores the loss of innocence and the importance of the formative childhood years. In some ways it evokes a lot of nostalgia in the audience, as well as identifying with us adults who sometimes feel like we're still kids ourselves despite our advancing years. Tom Hanks gives a sweet and likable turn as the lead, but matching him are Robert Loggia (ever the scene-stealer) and Elizabeth Perkins, whose transformation is quite eye-catching. The dancing sequence with Loggia and Hanks is the undoubted highlight here.