Big (1988)

This is the film that cemented Tom Hanks as A-list talent even before he moved away from comedy. Watching this film for the first time in over a decade, it’s not hard to see why both Hanks and this film became so popular. Big takes an emotionally honest look at the struggles that come with growing up by plunging its main character into adulthood overnight. The growing pains may be fantastical but they are familiar enough to make one ponder just how we survive that transition at slow-speed.

When 12-year-old Josh Baskin makes a wish to be big on a carnival fortune teller machine, he gets much more than he bargained for. The next morning he wakes up with the body of a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). Unable to explain his transformation to his freaked-out mother, Josh has no one to help him but his best friend Billy (Jared Rushton), who believes Josh’s tale. Together, they find Josh a job and an apartment in New York City while Billy tracks the carnival so Josh can reverse the spell. As Josh climbs the ranks at a toy company he finds it harder to live a double life and struggles to choose between which one matters most to him.

Sometimes these sorts of one-trick-pony films irk me for being completely reliant on one actor to carry the entire film. More often than not, you find this kind of overreliance on a star player in biopics and very weighty dramas requiring the kind of stirring passion and powerful oratory skills that are now clichéd for the most part. With Big, however, we have a delightful break from the norm. This film has to rely on its main star to keep the illusion of a child in a man’s body alive but the illusion being preserved is every bit as important as the performance that Hanks delivers.

The age-change conceit wasn’t exactly fresh when Big hit theaters but most films using it involve two people switching bodies and aimed for easy laughs. Few if any actually involved a full-body transformation or contain subtle commentary as our youthful protagonist comes of age in an adult’s body. Big never takes the easy way out and that matters. Credit goes to the writers for crafting such an emotionally real film. Director Penny Marshall deserves plenty of credit herself for keeping that emotional honesty alive in Josh Baskin.

Tom Hanks pumps all the right youthful energy and naivety into his performance. All of his mannerisms, reactions, and gestures are exactly what a child would do, which adds to the humor of his most expressive scenes. Even when the character starts to drift into accepting adulthood as his reality, there is enough 12-year-old body language to remind us that Josh does not belong there yet.

There are a few clunky story elements that have to be aired, lest you think this film is perfect. Obviously the fantastical storyline is pure fiction and some of the things Josh does to get by in the adult world are hard to swallow. Even in the 1980s, I have a hard time believing a major company would hire someone without discovering a bogus social security number, a falsified degree, and made-up references. Then there is the really-icky-if-you-think-about-it romance between Josh and a colleague.

Even still, this film has enough innocence and fun to make up for these kinds of details. Big manages to say a lot of insightful things about both childhood and adulthood without getting preachy or cliché. That makes for a pretty impressive 104 minutes. The world of children and adults seem light-years apart, yet this film reminds us that some aspects of both are closer than we think or would like to admit. The emotions are the same but we hold them in check better and feel those emotions about different things. Big defies the Hollywood coming-of-age film odds and smashes through the cynicism of adulthood. The fashion and technology are dated but this film is timeless and could not possibly be remade without losing some of the magic. Leave this one alone, Hollywood.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Oliver & Company (1988)

At times, I have been extremely patient and generous to Disney animated films. I recognized little advancements and stylistic qualities amidst the monotonous package films of the 1940s. I accepted lackluster films such as The Sword in the Stone and The Black Cauldron as, at the very least, entertainment. This however, is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

An adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist (which I have not read), Oliver & Company is the story of an orphaned kitten (voiced by Joey Lawrence) looking for a home. Initially taken in by a petty thief named Fagin (Dom DeLuise) and his pets (voiced by Billy Joel, Cheech Marin and more), Oliver falls into the lap of luxury when a young rich girl named Jenny adopts him. Fagin’s loan shark boss (Robert Loggia) looks to exploit the situation for monetary gain, forcing Oliver and his friends to band together to protect Jenny, and each other, from danger.

This film is by no means a disaster. Children will more than easily plop down in front of the TV and take this in like candy. It’s got cute animal characters, funny antics, and songs. What’s not to like? First, there are a few too many characters, leaving most flat and forgettable. Second, the songs are all equally forgettable. Third, the animation is weaker than any of the films preceding it.

Disney probably thought they had a winner on their hands. They had the vocal talents of a bunch of stars popular with adults and all the cuteness needed from the animal characters to make kids want to see the film. Too bad it turned out to be style over substance. Given the films modern setting, I understand the decision to have Billy Joel, then one of the hottest songwriters around, do the music. The problem with going the ‘modern’ route with the music is that it all feels very dated now. The beauty of Disney’s best songs is that they possess a timeless quality. Oliver & Company is missing that.

By far, the worst element of this film is the animation. The main characters all look fine but the background images are a borderline abomination to the name Disney. There is little in the way of crisp lines, definition or depth. What’s left is a mish-mash of pastels running together in loosely-defined shapes. At times, the scenery reminded me of what the world looks like when I take my eyeglasses off. While I understand that Disney has every right to adjust and change their animation style over time, standards have been set for their animation quality over the years. Too much divergence from that standard is a bad thing.

Is this film still entertaining? Yes. It’s difficult to not enjoy a Disney film. Oliver & Company simply is not as enjoyable any of the films that came before it. With a plot that drags in places to help hide how thin it is, Disney commits the cardinal sin of cinema- it bores you at times. Add on top of this some dark content that might upset some youngsters and you have the first Disney film that is only ‘okay.’ They had an astounding 50-year run of good and great films, so it’s about time Disney stumbled.

RATING: 2.75 out of 5