Have you ever had a really big secret?|Jun. 03, 1988|United States|104 Min.|PG
Genre: Comedy;Drama;Family;Fantasy;Romance
Description: Twelve-year-old Josh Baskin lives with his parents and younger sister, Rachel, in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. One day, while trying to impress an older girl named Cynthia Benson at a carnival, Josh is told he’s too short to ride the Super Loops. Frustrated, he inserts a coin into an old antique fortune-teller machine called Zoltar and wishes to be “big.” The machine dispenses a card that says, “Your wish is granted,” but Josh is startled to realize the machine was unplugged the entire time.
The next morning, Josh wakes up to find he has transformed into a fully grown adult. Realizing the Zoltar machine actually granted his wish, he tries to find it again, only to discover the carnival has moved on, leaving an empty field. When he returns home, his mother mistakes him for a stranger threatening her son and refuses to listen to his explanation. Scared and confused, Josh turns to his best friend, Billy, and proves his identity by singing a secret rap only the two of them know.
With Billy’s help, Josh learns it will take at least six weeks to locate the Zoltar machine again. In the meantime, he rents a small room in New York City and starts working as a data entry clerk at the MacMillan Toy Company. While shopping at FAO Schwarz, Josh impresses the company’s owner, Mr. MacMillan, with his childlike enthusiasm and insight into toys. The two bond over playing a duet on the store’s walking piano, performing “Heart and Soul” and “Chopsticks.”
MacMillan invites Josh to a high-profile meeting with the company’s executives to pitch a new toy idea. During the meeting, Josh’s honest critique of the toy as not being “fun” shocks the team but sparks a wave of fresh ideas. His creativity earns him respect, but it also draws the resentment of Paul Davenport, the project’s lead. As Josh navigates his new life as an adult, he must find a way to return to his true self while balancing the challenges of his unexpected transformation.
Cast director: Penny Marshall
Cast actor: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton, David Moscow, Jon Lovitz, Mercedes Ruehl, Josh Clark, Allan Wasserman
Original name: Big