Big

Have you ever had a really big secret?

1988 • 104 min • Fantasy · Drama · Comedy

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Synopsis

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.

Our family guide

Best from age 8

Movie Knight Score

4111 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
72 Audience · 4109 · 49%

When a 13-year-old boy wishes to be big, he wakes up in the body of an adult. He must navigate the grown-up world, including a new job and relationships, while still being a kid at heart. This leads to humorous and heartfelt moments as he tries to find his way back to his true age.

Violence & peril: 1/10
Language: 2/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 2/10
Romance & sensuality: 3/10
Scary moments: 1/10

Heads up

Kissing and adult affection
Some mild suggestive dialogue
Brief drinking at social events

What it models well

Embracing innocence
The value of play
True friendship
Responsibility

Talk about it after

What it means to be an adult
The challenges of growing up too fast
Honesty in relationships
The importance of staying true to yourself

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Big. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Top billed cast

Director: Penny Marshall • Crew: Anne Spielberg, Gary Ross

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Oh, if only I was still young enough to wish I was older! That’s the problem facing the young “Josh” (David Moscow) who just wants to get all the school and puberty malarkey over and done with. Well a strange looking slot machine called “Zoltar” offers him a wish in return for his quarter.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Love this movie growing up. Everytime I went to a fair I was always hoping to find a machine like this. Still one of my favorite movies of all time.
Andre Gonzales, TMDB Community