Big (1988)

Extremely charming comedy starring Tom Hanks as Josh, a 13-year-old boy who – because of some vague magic that takes place with a fairground fortune/telling machine – wakes up in an adult’s body. His mother won’t believe it’s really him, so he’s forced to join the adult world, working for a toy company. He also begins a romance – his first – with the cynical Susan (Elizabeth Perkins), who is transformed by his good nature and innocence.

It’s an extremely sophisticated film that understands how children and adults think. Hanks is absolutely perfect in the role. His body language and facial expressions uncannily reflect those of a child, so you totally believe in the unlikely scenario. There’s a real poignancy to it, too, because the characters are so well-written. You can feel Josh’s conflict when he wants to return to his childhood world just as he’s laying down roots and finding his way among adults. 

Big explores the idea of the “child” in all of us and asks how we can grow up without losing sight of that. There’s a huge emotional intelligence in the writing and direction, and Hanks – sometimes taken for granted – should be applauded for conveying it so effectively.

I enjoyed the film when I was young, but I got so much more out of it as an adult.

Beaches (1988)

Bette Midler is middling in this musical comedy drama that’s neither funny nor dramatic. 

Beaches tells the story (in flashback) of two childhood friends who keep in touch by writing letters and meet up again as adults. Cecilia Carol (“C.C.”) Bloom (Midler) is a singer who finally makes it big, while Barbara Hershey plays her pal Hillary, a well-to-do lawyer. When Hillary gets ill, C.C. abandons a headlining concert to drive a long distance to be by her side.

The film is also a sort of musical, with Midler performing several songs. The problem is that I found her singing and acting completely devoid of appeal. She’s like a cut-price Barbra Streisand with none of the charm or charisma. 

If you like Midler’s voice and brash persona, you’ll probably love the film. If you don’t, you’ve had it. The big “emotional” conclusion doesn’t move you because the characters don’t seem real enough. It’s difficult to believe they would ever have been friends, such is the lack of chemistry. The film also fails to chronicle C.C.’s rise to fame. We’re shown at the beginning that she’s a big star because she’s sold out a stadium show, but there’s nothing about how she made it to that point. Indeed, the storytelling is oddly patchy throughout, with too much time given to certain events and then significant happenings skipped entirely. Did they simply film the first draft of the script, before someone could take a look at the pacing and rhythm?

Beaches is also notable for especially weak and underwritten male roles. I know the focus is meant to be on the two women, but did their boyfriends and husbands really have to be so one-dimensional?