Common Sense Media Review
Fantasy romcom has language, smoking, age gap concerns.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Big
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 35 parent reviews
Parents say that the movie, while humorous and entertaining, contains content that is highly inappropriate for a PG rating, featuring explicit language, nudity, and complicated adult themes, particularly surrounding the relationship between a child and an adult. Many reviewers express discomfort with the portrayal of a 13-year-old engaging in sexual situations, deeming it unsuitable for younger audiences and sparking discussions about its messaging.
- inappropriate content
- confusing themes
- adult language
- not for kids
- humorous yet troubling
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 80 kid reviews
Kids say the movie presents a fun and heartwarming story led by Tom Hanks, but it contains significant mature themes and strong language that make it unsuitable for younger audiences. Many reviews express concerns about its PG rating, citing sexual innuendos, drug references, and profanity, suggesting that it is best suited for teens and above, ideally with parental guidance.
- mature content
- strong language
- inappropriate for children
- good story
- fun performances
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Fed up with being little, 13-year-old Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) makes a wish to be BIG at a fair's mechanical fortune-telling booth -- and wakes up the following morning in a grown man's body. Stunned by what's happened, Josh flees across the bridge to New York City with his friend Billy (Jared Rushton) to track down the fair and wish himself back to normal. In New York, Josh stumbles into a computer operator job at MacMillan Toys. His insightfulness gets him promoted overnight and draws the attention of corporate executive Susan (Elizabeth Perkins). As their relationship develops, Josh begins to mature and settle into his adult skin, making it unclear whether he'll ever come clean and return to his original life and body.
Is It Any Good?
This heartwarming, funny movie does something inventive with the familiar plot of someone getting magically transplanted into someone else's body. Big is grounded by a strong, earnest performance from Hanks, who would go on a few years later to win back-to-back Oscars for Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). The scene in which Josh spends a night alone in a seedy New York City motel, fidgeting until he breaks into tears, makes his situation gut-wrenchingly believable. He's not just imitating the mannerisms of an awkward 13-year-old -- there's a profound innocence about him that's both vulnerable and irresistibly charming. David Moscow, playing the young Josh, is a terrific counterpart for Hanks, and Perkins looks appropriately bewildered by it all as the reluctant love interest. Penny Marshall directs with an uncharacteristically subdued hand, employing no camera tricks or overblown music. She lets the performers and the sharp script do the speaking, and the result is this memorable late-1980s hit.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Josh's experiences as an adult in Big. Why does he want to be big, and why does he ultimately decide he wants to return to his actual age?
If you could be any age, which age would you pick? Why?
What are the best things about being a kid? What are the advantages to being an adult?
How do the characters in Big demonstrate integrity and empathy? Why are these important character strengths?
For a film that's often cited as a family classic, there's quite a bit of mature content, including smoking, dating, and issues of consent. If the movie came out today, would it still be considered family-friendly? Have expectations for what's appropriate for kids changed since the 1980s?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 3, 1988
- On DVD or streaming : October 5, 1999
- Cast : Tom Hanks , Elizabeth Perkins , Robert Loggia
- Director : Penny Marshall
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Adventures , Competition , School ( Elementary School , High School , Middle School ) , Family Stories , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Integrity
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : January 2, 2026
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