Harry and the Hendersons

I used to dislike this film. I disliked the mushiness, the story and even the sad parts. This movie was stuck on the shelf, covered in dust, forgotten.

Only days ago I pulled this movie out and decided to sit down and watch it, expecting the same mushy film that I saw years and years ago.

However, as I have gotten older I have a greater understanding of what this film offers me and people alike. In fact, it touched me so much to see how something that is often portrayed as scary was so gentle and caring.

From the introduction when Harry is first discovered (in a rather unfortunate way) to the end of the movie, the Hendersons learn that Harry is more human than they ever thought, and that he has a bigger heart than the human race combined.

Throughout the film, the effect that Harry has on people's lives is always seen. We as humans are so receptive to myth, legend and rumours. Yet, before the truth is given a chance to be known, we block our ears, close our eyes and run away.

The Hendersons, Jacques LeFleur -a hunter who has followed his trail for 25 years and Dr Wrightwood -a man whose life has been ruined by his dedication towards the study of Sasquatch, all gain a new perspective on life, as well as a new respect. Their original feelings of the "Beast" all quashed swiftly to realize that inside of it lay a big heart.

Harry's compassion, love for other beings and respect for life made this film an absolute delight to watch. I whole heartedly recommend this for anybody looking for a family film that not only warms the heart, but also teaches a lesson of who is really the monster on Earth.

Harry and the Hendersons was a childhood favorite that's still fun to watch today. The creature effects are fantastic, even if the story drags on a bit and the acting is pretty corny. And my kids enjoyed it, as well, so perhaps Harry's smiling face will carry on to another generation.

Dracula had his movie. Frankenstein had his movie. The mummy, the wolfman, and even the creature of the black lagoon had a movie. So why not Bigfoot? Sure, Bigfoot is not on the level of the aforementioned monsters but he has earned his spot in folklore-he's earned his movie.

Harry and the Hendersons was his movie. He could've opted for scary but instead he opted for funny and it was a score.

Harry, played by Kevin Peter Hall, was minding his own business in the woods when he was hit by a car. The driver of said car, George Nathan Henderson (John Lithgow), thought it would be very lucrative if he brought Harry home with him. Perhaps he could sell him to a lab or something for a big payday. What George didn't know was that Harry wasn't dead and when he woke up he was very hungry, very annoyed, and very discombobulated.

But Harry was a nice guy. Even though he was about 7 feet tall and maybe 500 pounds, he didn't take that opportunity to hurt the Hendersons. Sure he damaged the house a bit but that was pure clumsiness. In fact, they developed a very sweet and precious bond that was wrapped in l funny moments. Harry was not like the other monsters.

'Harry and the Hendersons' is an 80's classic, no doubt. Watching this nowadays makes me appreciate the effort filmmakers put in to make a decent suit that a person could actually wear and utilize prosthetics. If this was made today, there is no doubt in my mind Harry would 100 percent be done with CGI. That's just the age we live in now, for better or worse.

This is a great family film with a good message, and that's coming from someone who hunts, though not a proponent of trophy hunting. You could say the film is anti-hunting, but I think it's more about respecting nature.

Who knows, maybe Bigfoot, Bookmis, Sasquatch, or whatever name you may call him, is out there in the woods. And maybe he is a lovable giant, or maybe he'd just like to rip your limbs off. Whatever the case, I'd still like to believe there's a 0.1 percent chance he's out there.

It's hard to find a good "all around" family movie. If it's something the kid will like, best bet, the parents will hate it. And if it's something mom and dad like, the kids will hate it. Harry and the Hendersons is one of the few family movies that the entire family enjoys! With a PG rating, the movie has just enough action, drama, suspense, and comedy to keep each member of the family interested. An interesting fact: The only character who curses in the entire film is the little boy? Except for hearing the word sh*t two or three times, the rest of the movie is clean for the whole family to enjoy.