More than anything else, 13-year old New Jerseyite Josh (
David Moscow) wants to be "big". That's the wish he makes at an odd-looking amusement pier fortunetelling machine. The next morning, Josh wakes up-only to discover that he's grown to manhood overnight! (At this point, the part is taken over by
Tom Hanks). Still a 13-year-old mentally and emotionally, Josh decides to hide out in New York City until he can figure out what to do next. He lucks into a job with a major toy company run by kid-at-heart McMillan (
Robert Loggia). By cannily bringing a child's eye view to McMillan's business, Josh rises to the top-and in process, he falls in love with fellow employee Susan (
Elizabeth Perkins). But he's still a kid, and he'd like to go back to his own world and own body. Written by
Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, Big proved a crucial success for budding director
Penny Marshall, who'd work harmoniously with Hanks again on the radically different
A League of Their Own. The cinematography was by Barry Sonenfeld, who went on to become a director himself with
The Addams Family. That Big was heavily reliant upon the input of
Tom Hanks and
Penny Marshall was proven by the failed attempt to turn the property into a Broadway musical. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide