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List Price: $14.98
Features
• NTSC
In Theaters : 03 June, 1988
DVD Release : 04 February, 2003 |
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Big description
A perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting, and direction, Big is the story of a 12-year-old boy who wishes he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross (Dave) and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious issues of sex, work, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the accent is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkable in the lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work. --Tom Keogh |
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Big: Extended Edition Review
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When it was first released in 1988, "Big" instantly became one of my favorite films. 20 years later, I can still say the same thing. This film not only "holds up" well, it is still a timeless classic. It is the story of 12 year old Josh Baskin, who wishes he were "big" after being humiliated at a carnival for not being tall enough to ride an attraction in front of the classmate that he has a crush on. His wish is granted by the arcade machine, Zoltar, and the next morning, he wakes up as a 30 year old (Tom Hanks). He's kicked out of the house by his mother, who thinks he is a pervert who has broken in. To make matters worse, he can't reverse the wish for at least another 30 days. On the advice of his best buddy, Billy (Jared Rushton), he gets a job in New York City to pass the time and earn some money to live on. Josh quickly moves up the ladder at MacMillan Toy Company, and also attracts the attention of Susan Lawrence (Elizabeth Perkins), who has made a habit of sleeping with the new up-and-coming executives. The longer he inhabits his 30-year old body, the more he grows away from his childhood buddy, Billy. However, the day of reckoning eventually comes when he must make a choice.
Hanks & Perkins give outstanding performances; instead of "playing" a 12 year old, Hanks actually becomes one. His innocence is totally believable. Perkins plays the part of the ambitious Susan to perfection, and she is the perfect love interest for Hanks. Talk about chemistry!
This 2-Disc Edition gives you 2 versions of the movie; one is the theatrical version, and the other is an Extended Cut (note: NOT a director's cut...just an extra 20 minutes or so added back in). Skip the extended version; it adds nothing, and if anything slows the pacing down and adds sub plots that are meaningless (example: Billy's shrewish mother, played by Frances Fisher). The picture is wonderful; good detail and color. The sound is extremely disappointing. A 2 channel stereo mix? Where's the 5.1? In this day and age, hard to believe they couldn't have put together a nice surround mix for this one. It would really be fantastic in the Billy Idol limo scene!
There is an interesting "commentary" track by the writers/creators of "Big," Gary Ross & Anne Spielberg. Although extremely interesting, this would have been better as an audio-only supplement. A nice commentary that corresponds with the picture by director Marshall or Hanks would have been better. The track consists of current interviews with Ross & Spielberg (yes, Steven's sister) who introduce vintage audio tapes that they made while they brainstormed the idea of what would become "Big." The tapes do not correspond to what you see on your screen. Yes, it is interesting, but after awhile, it gets somewhat annoying having to listen to Gary continually talk over Anne and not letting her ideas be heard. It does appear that much of the movie that we know and love came from Anne, who quietly (and thankfully) persisted with her vision.
Disc 2 includes deleted scenes with commentary by director Penny Marshall. For one of her first movies, she does an excellent job. As did Anne, she had a vision of what the film and especially Hanks' performance should be and she stuck with it, despite the risks (example: at least 3 other age-change movies were ready for release before "Big" would be finished). There are a number of featurettes: "Big Beginnings", "Chemistry of a Classic", AMC Backstory, "The Work of Play," and "Carnival Party Newswrap" (a vintage film showing the wrap party for "Big."). There is a fair amount of overlap in all the extras, as Marshall, Ross, and Spielberg are the main contributors. Still, plenty of interesting tidbits; we came this close to seeing Robert DeNiro in the lead role. It is also interesting to hear the young stars of the film, David Moscow (young Josh) and Jared Rushton, discuss the filming. Perkins also gives some fun insights as well. Theatrical trailer and TV Spots round out this edition.
Overall, a nice set, but there is definitely room to grow for the next outing of this classic film. |
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