What It's About:

Penny Marshall's comedy/fantasy concerns Josh Baskin, a boy whose carnival ground wish to be "big" comes true one morning when he wakes up as a young man (Hanks). Telling his incredible secret only to best friend Billy (Jared Rushton), Josh goes out to navigate the adult world, and his native intelligence and refreshingly simple outlook on life win him success. But does Josh want to stay big and miss out on the rest of his childhood- and if not, how can he return to his former life and size?

Why I Love It:

Irresistible film brings off far-fetched premise with warmth and charm. Hanks excels as man-boy Josh, and Robert Loggia is also terrific as the toy magnate who mentors him. But it's John Heard who has a comic field day playing Paul, a suspicious, resentful colleague who loses ground professionally and personally to Josh, as both his boss and girlfriend Susan (Perkins) reject him for this wunderkind who came out of nowhere. Don't miss the priceless scene where Josh and Susan have their first "sleep-over".