Fantasy romcom has language, smoking, age gap concerns.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
some
Several brand names are used and mentioned. Household items include Pepto Bismol, Nyquil, New York Giants memorabilia and clothing, a Pepsi vending machine, etc. Characters attend a Yankees game. Times Square ads include Toshiba, Sony, Coca-Cola, etc. Toy company executives discuss Mattel, Fisher-Price, Transformers, and GoBots.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Susan smokes frequently. Adults (including Josh, in his adult appearance) drink alcohol at parties.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
"F--k" is used once. Characters say "s--t," "damn," "bastard," "hell," and "a--hole." In a brief scene, a man angrily mutters to himself, "kill the bitch."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
A woman unknowingly dates a 13-year-old in the body of an adult man, which raises ethical concerns. They go on dates and make out, and sex is implied after she unbuttons her shirt to reveal a bra (he gently cups her breast), and they kiss. A man pulls down his pants to reveal briefs (played for comedy). Boys and men occasionally talk about women like sex objects ("See that girl over there? Say hi to her, and she's yours. She'll wrap her legs around you so tight, you'll be begging for mercy.").
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Two men fight, resulting in a bloody nose. Other scenes are played for comedy: After Josh changes into his adult appearance, his mom chases him with a knife, not realizing he's her son. Gunshots and screaming are heard from a window in a sleazy motel. Josh is sometimes scared/worried.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Appreciate your childhood while you're young, and don't lose the ability to find the fun and wonder in everyday life once you grow up. Integrity and empathy will bring you more happiness than lies, selfishness, and greed. On the other hand, the film blurs lines of consent.
Positive Role Models
a little
Josh learns why it's better to enjoy childhood than it is to rush into being a grown-up. His perspective helps those around him rediscover their own happiness. Susan starts out as cold and businesslike but eventually remembers why fun and joy matter.
Diverse Representations
a little
The film centers around a White male character, but -- as directed by Penny Marshall and co-written by Anne Spielberg -- its portrayal of romantic lead Susan is slightly more nuanced than in most 1980s romcoms. In minor roles, Black and East Asian characters briefly appear as bank tellers, police officers, students, etc. But during a scene in a sleazy motel that's meant to depict New York City as dangerous, with gunshots and screaming heard, a neighbor loudly argues on the phone in Spanish, implying that Latino men are "scary."
Parents need to know that Big is a 1980s fantasy romcom starring Tom Hanks as a 13-year-old boy named Josh who makes a wish that he was bigger -- and magically wakes up in the body of an adult. Strong language includes one use of "f--k," plus words like "s--t," "a--hole," and "bitch." A grown woman dates Josh, assuming he's an adult, which raises various ethical concerns. They go on dates and make out, and sex is implied after she unbuttons her shirt to reveal a bra, and they kiss. A main character consistently smokes cigarettes, and adults drink at parties. A child who's forced to grow up too quickly is exposed to corporate life, sex, and other adult matters. A fistfight results in a bloody nose, and gunshots and screaming are heard through a window. The film encourages viewers to have fun, tell the truth, and be kind to others no matter your age. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Why does there need to be an implied sex scene between the adult and the adult whom we know is actually a child. In fact that adult is someone we have grown to care about and trust in the movie and continue to trust and see as good by the end. Do we not see how confusing this is for children or young teens who are watching this film? I’m sorry, but this is a completely inappropriate film, although funny and with actors we know and love. If this was truly a film for kids ( even teens), then please spare us the sexual and implied content between the adult and the child. I actually find this beloved film quite disturbing. Yet another 80s family movie with some inappropriate adult content slipped in but defended because it’s a classic.
Disney+ has it rated as PG, while that doesn’t mean no cussing there is a use of the F-word and scenes that I would consider borderline pushing the PG boundary.
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.
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?
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?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
