Big

Big was released in 1988 and directed by Penny Marshall. Rather than simply retelling the plot, the film is worth revisiting for the characters, conflicts and ideas that give its story its identity.

Technology, Friendship and Family emerge through what the characters face and the choices they make, giving the story more to explore beyond its immediate plot. Joshua "Josh" Baskin, Susan Lawrence and Young Josh Baskin do not begin the film seeing one another clearly, and watching those first impressions break down is a big part of why Big still works.

Thirteen-year-old Josh Baskin tries to impress a girl by going on a carnival ride but is rejected as he is too short.

Dejected, he inserts a coin into an antique fortune-teller machine called Zoltar, and makes a wish to be "big". That detail matters because it shapes the way the characters initially see one another.

It dispenses a card stating "Your wish is granted," but Josh discovers the machine has been unplugged the entire time. From there, the film can concentrate less on explaining the setup and more on what happens between the people inside it.

Elizabeth Perkins plays Susan Lawrence. He soon attracts the attention of Susan Lawrence, a fellow executive, and a romance begins to develop, much to the dismay of her former boyfriend Davenport.

That relationship helps define Susan Lawrence beyond the immediate plot mechanics.

That family connection gives Susan Lawrence a clearer emotional stake in what happens.

Josh becomes increasingly entwined in his adult life by spending time with Susan, mingling with her friends, and entering into a steady relationship with her.

Big has more on its mind than the basic setup suggests. our relationship with technology sits close to the centre of the film, but it is explored through the characters rather than treated like a lesson.

friendship matters just as much. The film keeps challenging the assumptions its characters make about one another, which is where much of its emotional weight comes from. There is also plenty here about family and love. Those ideas overlap rather than sitting in separate boxes, which helps the movie feel like a story about people rather than a checklist of themes.

Big could hardly be separated from the decade that produced it. Released in 1988, it carries the attitudes, style and filmmaking rhythms of the 1980s without needing to announce them.

It also sits comfortably within the era's romantic comedy, coming-of-age, fantasy and drama filmmaking, even if the movie itself is more interesting than any single genre label suggests.

That is part of why it still appears in conversations about 1980s movies and 1980s romantic comedy movies. The film has become tied not only to its own story but to the wider memory of what 1980s movies felt like.

Watching Big now means seeing both what has lasted and what unmistakably belongs to 1988.

What still works best is the human material. Ideas around our relationship with technology, friendship and family have not stopped being relevant simply because the clothes, language and cultural references belong to another era.

Some moments inevitably land differently for a modern audience. Revisiting an older film properly means enjoying what still works without pretending every choice has aged equally well.

A large part of that staying power comes from the characters. Joshua "Josh" Baskin, Susan Lawrence and Young Josh Baskin are still useful shorthand for the personalities and pressures the film explores.

Big has lasted because people continue to recognise something in it. Nostalgia helps, but nostalgia alone does not keep a movie in the conversation for decades.