Big (1999, DVD)

There's one thing I find absolutely terrifying about Hollywood, is that they remake movies. Bad movies to be remade, are understandable because the filmmakers can improve on a concept not executed thoughtfully. But a good movie to be remade can be questionable. Of course not all remakes are bad and some don't need remaking at all. A film should simply stand on it's own two feet without any touches. Big is one of those films that hopefully, won't get remade but given how the film industry remakes everything including the upcoming Bad News Bears (which in my opinion, looks surprisingly promising given the team behind it), it's only when.

For me, Big was a part of my childhood which I consider a favorite movie since it's essentially a family movie through the eyes of an adult, who used to be a kid. Josh Baskin (David Moscow) is an adolescent with hopes of being older than he is, and one fateful wish turns him into that very being (Tom Hanks). Of course he's a kid in an adult's body but he has to live life as an adult, which leads to some amusing scenes with Josh trying to escape his house. One inspired part is when Josh awakens, only to find himself in a pair of superhero tighty whities, wondering why his pajamas are no longer on him (he outgrew them), just as he makes the big discovery. Josh relocates to New York City with the help of his teenaged best friend, Billy (Jared Rushton). It's ironic that between the two of them, Billy is the mature one given the circumstances. So Josh creates a new life for himself with his friend's help, gets a job working for a big toy company, and even falls in love with an icy toy executive with a heart of gold (Elizabeth Perkins).

I don't want to give too much away but Big is a great film that certainly has adult overtones. Combined with the occasionally sophomoric humor and sweet performance by Tom Hanks, is a genuine feel good movie about getting a taste of adulthood by skipping a generation. Through Josh, we see a young man becoming a man as he is introduced to real life: the dangers of the city, career choices, maturity, sex, and romance. In the film's first act, there's no question that Josh is still a teenager underneath, exhibited by his sometimes outrageous behavior and his lifestyle (Billy helps him movie into a nice apartment, designed to look like an arcade). He's a sweet kid who just happens to be thirty, but eventually he grows up to be an adult in his personality.

There's a lot to be said about Big underneath, besides it being a sweet film. It's about the desire for all the kids in adults to want to relive that past. But through Josh's eyes, we get to see how opportunities can be missed in our lifetime by growing up too fast. Only with Josh, he doesn't enjoy those chances because of his wish. Eventually Josh takes himself much too seriously, which leads to a riff between he and Billy who is forced to remind him that it was just a wish he made. Besides that, there are some good scenes particularly with the most memorable part featuring Josh and his fatherly boss (Robert Loggia) jumping on a life size piano to a familiar tune at the NYC Fao Scwartz. I visited this location and suffice to say, it wasn't as big as I thought (of course that's a movie and this is reality). Added by a good cast who all turn in first rate performances like Elizabeth Perkins' character, who no doubt deserves redemption from the cold relationship with her prick boyfriend/co-worker (a memorable John Heard). Eventually Perkins' character lets her guard down and reveals layers to her character that seemed inaccessible by nature, but thanks to Josh, he helps unlock that.

But Tom Hanks is the star of the show as this was part of his "Regular Guy" period in films like The Money Pit and The Man With One Red Shoe. He's a likable actor playing a likable part, and Hanks imbues a nice sentimentality in Josh by embracing his character arc with earnestness and maturity. The character may start off as cartoonish but you have to realize, it's a teenager in a man's body trying to become an adult. As his best friend Billy, Jared Rushton was a fixture of the late 80's to early 90's as an actor. Rushton's character is a likable guy as well and someone you do sympathize with, given how true a friend he is to Josh as he looks out for him 110%. As a whole, this is a nice, enjoyable affair for the whole family to watch where the only scary elements are growing up and missing out on what's important in life: yourself.