Have you ever had a really big secret?
When a young boy makes a wish at a carnival machine to be big, he wakes up the following morning to find that it has been granted and his body has grown older overnight, but he is still the same 13-year-old boy inside. Now he must learn how to cope with the unfamiliar world of grown-ups, including getting a job and having his first romantic encounter with a woman.
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Character
Classical in form, warm, effortless and earnest.
- classical in formformally daring
- warmbleak
- effortlessdemanding
- earnestironic
- resolvedopen-ended
Who loves it, who doesn't
91 profiled raters. Loved most by The Comfort Seekers; disliked most by The Provocateurs.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is Big better than Awakenings?”
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“Is Big too gentle for its own good?”
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“Is Big too earnest?”
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Ask the title
A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Video reviews
From critics we follow, and from curators here.
Best of the Worst: The Vineyard, The Big Sweat, and Scarlet Warning
RedLetterMedia · Apr 2026
The Holiday Rom-Com Problem: Formulaic Fun Hiding Some Big Issues? | Compilation
The Take · Dec 2025
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Cast
- Tom HanksJosh
- Elizabeth PerkinsSusan
- Robert LoggiaMacMillan
- John HeardPaul
- Jared RushtonBilly
- Jon LovitzScotty Brennen
- David MoscowYoung Josh
- Mercedes RuehlMrs. Baskin
- Harvey MillerPersonnel Director
- Debra Jo RuppMiss Patterson
Crew
- Penny MarshallDirector
- Anne SpielbergWriter
- Gary RossWriter
- Barry SonnenfeldDirector of Photography
- Howard ShoreOriginal Music Composer
- Barry MalkinEditor
- James L. BrooksProducer
- Robert GreenhutProducer
Where to watch
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Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Curator Co. Other media included when they land close.
Sixteen Candles 198483% alikeBoth classical in form, effortless, warm.
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Top Hat 193582% alikeBoth warm, classical in form, effortless.
Woman of the Year 194281% alikeBoth classical in form, warm, effortless.
The Reivers 196981% alikeBoth classical in form, warm, effortless.
Sabrina 195481% alikeBoth classical in form, warm, effortless.
Hobson's Choice 195481% alikeBoth classical in form, warm, resolved.
The Barkleys of Broadway 194981% alikeBoth classical in form, effortless, warm.
Young Sheldon 201779% alikeSeries · Both classical in form, warm, effortless.
Series · Both classical in form, warm, effortless.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Curator Co.
