Big Goes Hollywood

One of the real joys behind the movie Big was that it effectively illustrated the intrinsic struggle between kids and adults. That is, kids always want to grow up faster and to be treated with respect and equality despite their age — so much so that they would forfeit their...

By John Linn

July 24, 2008

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One of the real joys behind the movie Big was that it effectively illustrated the intrinsic struggle between kids and adults. That is, kids always want to grow up faster and to be treated with respect and equality despite their age — so much so that they would forfeit their innocence in order to achieve it — while adults (or at least the ones I know) spend much of their time trying to dodge responsibility and are constantly searching for ways to act younger. As a result, children resent their parents’ freedom, while parents, having long since grown bitter and envious, blame their children for the loss of their youth.

In Big 13-year-old Josh Baskin wakes up as an adult after wishing on a fortune-telling machine to become “big,” soon learning that being an adult is not without consequences. Through a little dose of Tom Hanks and classic ́80s movie charm, the film showed both sides of the divide that they didn’t have it so bad after all. The simple but effective tale was adapted for Broadway in 1996. Today at the Hollywood Playhouse (2640 Washington St., Hollywood), Big: The Musical will receive a treatment at the hands of the Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theatre. The kicker? Big is the FLCT’s intergenerational summer play: their once-a-year show in which kids and adults get to share the stage. And what could be a more fitting tale for a multigenerational production than this one? Big: The Musical premiers at 7:30 p.m., and runs through August 3. Tickets cost $18. Visit www.flct.org, or call 954-763-6701.
July 25-Aug. 3, 2008

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