“It was called a Zoltar machine. It had this bobbing head, and it looked just like a devil. If you got a quarter in the devil's mouth, you could make a wish, and I did. So I made a wish to be big. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I changed into a grown-up, when I'm really just a kid.”
—Josh Baskin, Big (1988)
Big really nailed the tension of being a 13-year-old: relishing the relatively carefree liberty of still being a kid while pining for the apparent power and independence of adulthood. Besides the brilliance of Tom Hanks in the leading role and the warmth of Penny Marshall’s direction, this film succeeds because it’s a hybrid accelerated-coming-of-age-slash-wish-fulfillment story that centers...
Almost!
You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!
Already a subscriber? Sign in here