Big and Hairy

This is a movie where you won't recognize any of the actors and the sets and costumes look like they were either home made by the actors or cost $5 at Walmart. But none of that matters. This is a movie where Bigfoot joins a middle school basketball team. That is a movie worth seeing and laughing at.

I really did hate this movie. There just wasn't anything good about it. They've done the non-human playing basketball way too many times (eg. Teen Wolf, Air Bud). As much as I like sasquatch/bigfoots, I just can't like this movie. But I'm sure younger audiences would enjoy it.

In the grand tradition of Harry & the Hendersons and Air Bud, comes Big and Hairy, soon to be seen in an afternoon slot on a cable station near you. Much like Tammy & the T-Rex/Paper Brigade, B&H is one of those guilty pleasures you pop in the VCR when mama and papa bear are out getting plastered at the local pub.

Even though the lead characters name is Picasso, and some of the actors obviously skipped a few too many lessons, it's a good film for the young'uns. One particular casting flaw, however is in the form of Chilton Crane (who?) as Picasso's mom. She talks as though she's in a soap opera, walks like she has a pole lodged up her butt and makes really perplexed faces (note the scene where the family can 'hear something fishy'). She hit the films lowpoint, I just wish she'd hit herself. The BigFoot is pretty cool though, not as cheap as I'd expected. Underrated little gem, nice to see it received a DVD release.

6/10

While I didn't watch the entire movie, I did watch perhaps one half of it and it was pretty bad. However, I was totally fascinated by Richard Thomas. He plays such a strange offbeat, almost gay, out of control, over the top character. The hair,the clothes, the earring. Probably the best performance in the entire movie. I have seen Richard Thomas on stage and, of course, we all loved him as "John Boy" but this - this is so very out of character and unbelievable that I was compelled to watch and will probably pick up the last half tomorrow. And who were all the other actors - I hadn't heard of any of them nor have I ever seen them again.

Picasso, a middle school child of two artists, has just moved to an island in the northwest with his folks. He's unhappy that he can not seem to make friends, even when he joins the basketball team. His parents are sympathetic but try to reassure him that he will learn to fit in. Dad (Richard Thomas) is an artist working for the island's big company, a lawn ornament manufacturing plant. The plant's owner, a big basketball nut, comes to all of the middle school games. If the team loses, he goes ballistic. Picasso misses some free throws in an early season game that sends the team to the showers and diminishes his chances of making friends even more. However, Picasso meets "Ed", a Sasquatch youngster in the woods and arranges for him to play basketball with the team. With a great height and natural skill, Ed wins many games for the team. But, does Ed miss his folks and natural habitat? And, is it ethical for a different species to play with middle school boys? This is a fun, fantasy movie for children. Ed is a delight and charms in a big way. Thomas is just flat-out hilarious as the wild-haired, unconventional dad. All of the supporting cast, including Donnelly Rhodes as the plant owner, are inspired. Let's make it dittos for the storyline and sets. Do you wish to show your kids a good, clean time on a night with the family? Big and Hairy is a bigtime bonanza.