How can you not love Big? This is a Tom Hanks classic and one of the movies for really showing what a big deal at the box office he could be. I am a huge fan of Tom Hanks and while I love the more dramatic stuff that he does and, in all honesty, he can pretty much do anything. I have a massive soft spot and love for the likes of Big, The Burbs (my all-time favorite Tom Hanks movie), and Bachelor Party from the 80s and early 90s.
How to Download Big
Big was released on June 3, 1988. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Also, make sure you catch other Tom Hanks movies such as A League of Their Own, Sleepless in Seattle, or Forrest Gump.
The Movie Review
Released in the late 80s, Big is a movie that is just so “80s” in pretty much every regard. The fun thing about Big is that this is a movie that we can all pretty much relate to. Many of us when we were kids wished we could be grown-ups as being a grown-up seemed like so much more fun than being a kid.
Tom Hanks plays the role of a 12-year-old kid called Billy. I would argue that Billy is the most famous of all the roles Tom Hanks played in the 80s. While at a carnival, Billy is denied access to a ride because he is too short. Hey, being small and wishing you were “bigger” is something that many kids go through!
The Magic of Zoltar
After the disappointment of not getting on the ride, Billy comes across the famous Zoltar machine and wishes to be big. Billy is given his wish, but the Zoltar machine is not plugged in, revealing that it has magical powers. Shortly, Billy realizes that he is now a full-grown adult and goes to his best buddy who he manages to convince he is Billy and not some old weirdo!
The carnival has moved on and Billy and his friend figure out they have around 6 weeks until it shows up somewhere else. In the meantime, Billy is living a great life as a grown-up. Billy manages to get a job with a toy company where he becomes a big deal and he even gets a love interest. You know when I watched Big as a kid, I never questioned this, but looking at it now as an adult, it is a kind of weird aspect of this movie.
The Magic of Zoltar
Billy does really well in his grown-up life, but he starts to wish that he was a kid again and eventually actually wants to be 12 again. There are so many fun moments in Big, the scene with the big floor piano is one of the most memorable movie scenes of the 80s. Even if someone has not seen Big, they are at the very least most likely familiar with that scene.
Timeless Appeal
I have probably seen Big at least 10 times since I was a kid and it is a movie that I always have a lot of fun with. It is charming, it is funny and it also has some very relatable stuff. Billy wishing he was an adult and then adult Billy wishing he could go back to being a kid again are things that are very relatable. If you want a fun feel-good movie from the 80s, Big is one that is pretty damn hard to top. Also, while this is an 80s movie, I got my son to watch this a few years back and he loved it too so it is pretty timeless.
