Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Click Here

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

Big (1988)

Director: Penny Marshall

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

It's no fun being in your early teens, especially if you're none too tall. So thinks Josh Baskin, having been denied a ride on a fairyground superloop. But neither is being a kid in a grown-up body so hot, as Josh discovers after a carnival wishing-machine grants the change overnight. What do you do when Mom doesn't recognise you, and thinks you're your own abductor? How do you get a job when you can't drive and have no social security number? And when you do find work with a toy-design company, how do you cope with board meetings, office rivalries, and swish staff parties? Marshall's movie may be a mite predictable, but it's genuinely funny, thanks partly to Hanks' engagingly gauche and gangly performance as the overgrown Josh, and partly to a script that steers admirably clear of gross innuendo. Much of the humour derives from Josh's inability to comprehend adult life; much of its charm from the way his forthright innocence steadily revitalises those around him. Admittedly, this latter theme makes for an ending oozing with saccharine sentiment; but until then Marshall, Hanks, and his co-stars seldom put a foot wrong.

Author: GA 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend
Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Click Here

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

Has Michael Mann lost it?

Has Michael Mann lost it?

Adam Lee Davies mourns the passing of a major Hollywood talent as Michael Mann's 'Public Enemies' sees the great director running on empty

Why 'Ice Age 3' is really for adults

Why 'Ice Age 3' is really for adults

Tom Huddleston takes a look at a selection of films which bring adult problems to a pre-teen audience

Is this Summer 2009's best film?

Is this Summer 2009's best film?

The French filmmaker Claire Denis speaks to Dave Calhoun about her new film, '35 Shots of Rum', a tender portrait of a father-daughter relationship in Paris

The Informant: trailer preview

The Informant: trailer preview

Steven Soderbergh is at it again, this time with a screwball corporate caper starring Matt Damon called 'The Informant'. View the trailer here...

Rudo y Cursi: interview

Rudo y Cursi: interview

Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna talk to Time Out about their highly entertaining new comedy, 'Rudo y Cursi'

An open letter to Peter Morgan

An open letter to Peter Morgan

Tom Huddleston penned an open letter to Peter Morgan offering some friendly dos and don'ts for the new Bond movie

Outdoor film screenings in London 2009

Outdoor film screenings in London 2009

Derek Adams offers a guide to the best places to see films outside in London this summer

50 essential sci-fi films

50 essential sci-fi films

With 'Star Trek' making serious waves, we thought it would be a perfect time to select 50 must-see sci-fi films






The City made easy in association with Sony Ericsson W715