Big is a 1988 American fantasy comedy directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin, a 12-year-old boy who makes a wish to be “big” and wakes up the next morning in an adult body. What begins as a comic fantasy soon becomes a story about childhood, freedom, responsibility and the strange compromises of adult life, as Josh tries to survive in New York while still thinking and feeling like a child. The film became one of the most beloved comedies of its era and helped establish Hanks as a major star, while also giving the body-swap fantasy premise an unusual warmth and emotional weight.
The film was shot in New Jersey and New York, with that combination shaping its movement from suburban childhood into the overwhelming scale of the city. Production began in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, where Josh’s home neighbourhood was filmed, and the carnival sequence was staged at Ross Dock Park in Fort Lee beneath the George Washington Bridge. Once Josh’s new life begins, the film shifts decisively into Manhattan, using midtown streets, Times Square, FAO Schwarz on Fifth Avenue and SoHo locations such as Grand Street for his loft apartment. Other scenes were filmed in places such as Weehawken, Englewood and Rye Playland in Rye, New York, where the Zoltar machine reappears at the end. Altogether, the locations give the film a very effective contrast between ordinary suburban spaces, amusement-park fantasy and the exhilarating, intimidating world of New York City.
Playland Amusement Park
Playland Amusement Park has appeared in several films, including The Muppets Take Manhattan, Big, Fatal Attraction and Sweet and Lowdown.
Ross Dock Picnic Area
Ross Dock Picnic Area is best known from "Big" (1988). The location also appears in "The Juror" (1996) and "World Trade Center" (2006).
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