Throwback Thursday-Big (1988)

When we are kids, there is mystique about being a grownup. We think that we will be wealthy, carefree and have no one to tell us what to do.

Then we grow up and the fantasy is quickly shattered.

In Big (1988), Josh (David Moscow) is a young boy who is tired of being a kid. He wants to be an adult. Josh makes a wish to grow up at a magical wish machine. He wakes up the next day in the form of Tom Hanks.  Josh begins to enjoy the perks of adulthood, but he will also learn about the grey areas and the not so carefree aspects of being an adult.

This movie is a very interesting because it appeals to a wide range of audience members. The adults will remember what is was to be a kid (and sometimes wish they could be a kid again) and the kids might begin to understand that being an adult is not as cracked up as it seems.

I recommend it.

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The Critics Were Wrong- Honey (2003) and Coyote Ugly (2000)

In the early 2000’s, Hollywood starting cranking out movies about young women who had dreams of careers in entertainment, but their dreams were stymied by life’s circumstances.

In Honey (2003), Honey Daniels (Jessica Alba) has dreams of becoming a professional choreographer.  Michael Ellis (David Moscow) is a record producer who can make her dream a reality. But when Michael wants more than a professional relationship, Honey finds that her career maybe over before it has begun.

Are the critics wrong? Yes and no. Is the movie predictable and too reliant on dancing to move the plot forward? Yes. But at the end of the day, the movie is fun and harmless. Sometimes we need a movie that is fun and harmless.

In Coyote Ugly (2000), Violet Sanford (Piper Perabo) is an aspiring singer/songwriter who has just moved to New York City. Unable to start her career, she takes a job bar tending at Coyote Ugly. The owner, Lil (Maria Bello) is initially unsure about the new hire, but Violet soon comes out of her shell, both a singer/songwriter and a bar tender.

Are the critics wrong? Again, yes and no. Is Violet’s story new? Absolutely not. But Coyote Ugly is one of those movies that is perfect for a rainy weekend afternoon. It’s not Shakespeare and it’s far from Oscar worthy, but it’s not a bad way to kill a couple of hours.