Big

"Big" is a magnificent movie. Tom Hanks portrays a young boy trapped in the body of a grown man. Imagine one morning, to find yourself trapped in an unfamiliar body. Mr. Hanks creates a vivid character and plays a convincing role as a 13 year old boy who has to deal with the confusion of this sudden change. The child shines through the grown man throughout the movie, in classic scenes such as his first day on the job at the MacMillan Toy Company when he curls his legs underneath him to sit at his desk, and at the company cocktail party when the entire staff chuckles at his choice in tuxedo and his first reaction is to check the fly on his white-sequined pants. Also his nervousness and restlessness during a marketing meeting, and the way he holds up his hand and waits to be called on before making a comment, are all childlike actions. Such small details are what make the character so convincing and Tom Hanks pulls it off brilliantly.

This charming, sweet, hilarious gem of a film works because Tom Hanks makes you believe he actually is a small boy in the body of an adult.

The interesting trick of what makes the story appealing is not so much the magic that the boy gets his wish to be "big." It's that once he is in an adult, he has to navigate the adult world with the mind of a child -- and ultimately realizes that he is missing something if he makes the leap from boy to man without going through all the fun and the struggle in between. There are several other films that have the boy-to-man switch, but none of them have the depth of understanding about human nature that this film portrays.

The story is wonderfully written and directed, and Tom Hanks is a star. The film made me laugh, and it made me cry. What more can you ask of one movie?

What we're talking about is a wonderful fantasy comedy about the child, who sleeps in everyone's soul and waits to get free. Superbly written scenes follow each other, not to mention Tom Hanks' performance, which should have been awarded. He seems to me the only contemporary actor, who was able to play the role of a 13-year-old teenager, who becomes an adult from one day to another. Elizabeth Perkins and especially John Heard form a strong supporting cast and this time they really support Hanks' work. This film bothers to talk about more important things, like the loss of innocence, friendship and the first love, not just tells a story about a boy in the big city. This was Hanks' star-making role after a string of stupid comedies in the middle 80s and he deservedly became one of the biggest stars of the 90s. And don't forget, this was his first film in his "outsider" series: he made his biggest successes playing somehow outsider figures: Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump or the Cast Away. Go and see it, you won't be disappointed even if you think you've lost the child inside you...with the help of this film you will find it. Believe me.

For some reason this movie makes me well up with tears of joy every single second I'm watching it. I think it's the concept of adults discovering the children inside themselves. The simple innocence and well-meaning intent of josh baskins in this movie is like a magic elixir that changes everyone and everything he comes in contact with.

This movie is amazing because I saw it when it came out, when I was 13 years old, the same age as josh baskins in the movie, and I loved it then. It speaks to you as a child because it's completely realistic, everything is just the way a kid would see it. Most of the time when adults try to simulate what it's like to be a child, they fail miserably (see all the 80's anti-drug propaganda ads as an example). It takes an immense amount of creativity and sensitivity to be able to write something like this. But then when I see this movie as an adult, it speaks to me on a completely different level. This film is a lesson to adults as well as children. Don't miss out on the fun and spirit of life! Don't get to wrapped up in your petty concerns of status and materialism, just try to enjoy every moment the most that you can, because you'll never get another chance to relive each moment of your life.

Any of these fools that didn't like this movie are just that, they've probably missed out completely on the message because they can't remember what it was like to be a kid, to see the world as one big optimistic toy you're lucky to be able to play with. Think about that and see this movie again if you don't remember how amazing it is...

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Saw this movie again recently and found that it stands up well to repeat viewings. Tom Hanks meets a difficult challenge here - to convincingly show us how a twelve-year old boy would act if he were trapped in an adult's body and had to "pass" in a grownup world. He meets the challenge in spades, aided by a script that is by turns witty, clever, insightful, and touching, and by Penny Marshall's able direction. Much is added by Robert Loggia's sympathetic portrayal of Tom/Josh's boss, and by Jared Rushton as his friend Billy. The movie is much more than an exercise in slapstick or farce: it is really a disquisition on the wonder of childhood. In the end it is quite touching, if not moving, reminding us all of the innocence of youth and the aching sadness of recalling its loss. Too early to tell, but the film might very well be destined to become a classic.