Thirty years ago this summer, 12-year-old Josh Baskin uttered a secret wish to a carnival fortune-teller machine and made movie history as he grew up overnight, turning director Penny Marshall's "Big" into a box-office smash and one of the defining films of the 1980s.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Big," Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Twentieth Century Fox are bringing its magic back to movie theaters throughout the country as part of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series.
"Big" will play in more than 700 movie theaters on Sunday, July 15, and Wednesday, July 18, at 2 and 7 p.m. each day, through Fathom's Digital Broadcast Network. Local theaters participating are AMC East Ridge 18, Regal Hamilton Place and the UEC 14. Film times are subject to change; patrons should check with their local theater to make sure the film is showing before departing home.
This special presentation will include pre- and post-film commentary by TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz.
Tom Hanks stars as the 30-year-old Josh, whose desire to leave childhood behind and become a grown-up comes with consequences he never imagined, leading to an adventure that takes him into Manhattan, where he becomes an executive at a toy company.
For his role, Hanks received his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. The film's screenwriters, Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, were also nominated for their work.
The movie co-stars Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton, David Moscow as Young Josh and Mercedes Ruehl as his worried mother.
"'Big' is the film that really cemented Tom Hanks' place as a superstar, and it's easy to see why – it's one of the sweetest and most charming comedies ever made, and it's a real pleasure to bring such a beloved film back to movie theaters as a summertime treat thanks to our partnership with Turner Classic Movies," said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events vice president of studio relations.
Tickets for "Big" can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.