A
comedy from
1988 directed by
Penny Marshall. Written by
Gary Ross and
Anne Spielberg. The cast includes
Tom Hanks,
Elizabeth Perkins,
Robert Loggia,
John Heard,
Jared Rushton,
David Moscow,
Jon Lovitz, and more.
Have you ever had a really big secret?
Josh Baskin (David Moscow/Tom Hanks) is a young boy, probably about 13 (I don't remember exactly), and is going through the usual problems young men go through. He is starting to notice girls and not having much luck. He has problems at school, bullies and what not. He wants to be bigger so he won't get harassed by other kids, he wants his life not to suck so bad (don't we all). A carnival passes through town and Josh goes. While playing video games he notices a Fortune Telling Machine/Make a Wish Machine. He half-heartedly gives it a try. He wishes to be big. Josh gets his wish and walks up the next morning a grown man. Now he must learn what it means to be "big".
The concept of this movie is nothing new, but there are some cool scenes as Tom Hanks (the adult Josh) gets to act like a kid in an adult's body. There are some touching dramatic scenes and a love interest. And of course Josh learns being "big" isn't all he thought it would be and he should enjoy being a kid and the experiences of growing up. I will say Tom Hanks nails the role of being a kid suddenly grown up. You didn't get the sense that he was an adult acting like a kid, but genuinely was a kid with an adult's body.