In 1988, two films redefined the boundaries of comedy and drama, blending heartfelt journeys with unforgettable characters that still resonate decades later.

Picture this: the neon glow of Reagan-era America, where yuppies chased fortunes and dreamers clung to innocence. Enter Rain Man and Big, twin pillars of late-80s cinema that masterfully wove laughter with pathos. These character-driven gems, both released in 1988, pit self-absorbed protagonists against extraordinary circumstances, forcing profound personal reckonings. One follows a slick car dealer on a cross-country odyssey with his autistic savant brother; the other tracks a boy’s wish-fulfilling transformation into a man-child navigating corporate whimsy. This showdown dissects their narratives, performances, themes, and enduring legacies, revealing why they tower over their contemporaries.

  • Contrasting protagonists who evolve from selfishness to empathy through unlikely bonds.
  • Directorial flair from Barry Levinson and Penny Marshall that marries humour with emotional depth.
  • Lasting cultural ripples, from autism awareness to Tom Hanks’s superstardom.

Rain Man vs. Big: 1988’s Epic Battle of Heart, Humour, and Human Growth

The Greedy Dealer Meets the Human Calculator: Rain Man’s Gripping Setup

Charlie Babbitt, portrayed with oily charisma by Tom Cruise, embodies the 80s archetype of the ruthless entrepreneur. A Los Angeles Lamborghini dealer facing bankruptcy after a shady deal gone wrong, Charlie learns of his estranged father’s death and a $3 million trust fund locked away from him. The twist arrives via a phone call from the Walnut Creek institution housing his older brother Raymond, a savant with autism whose Rain Man nickname stems from toddler Charlie’s mispronunciation of his own name. Levinson crafts an opening sequence that pulses with 80s excess: sleek cars, tense negotiations, and Charlie’s callous disregard for others.

The road trip from Cincinnati to Los Angeles becomes the film’s spine, a 2,000-mile gauntlet of motels, diners, and high-stakes poker games where Raymond’s mathematical genius shines. Levinson, drawing from real-life inspirations like Kim Peek, layers the journey with meticulous detail. Raymond counts 246 toothpicks spilled on a diner floor in seconds, recites the phone book verbatim, and adheres rigidly to routines like watching The Price is Right or eating only Judge Wapner-approved meals. Cruise’s physicality sells the frustration turning to protectiveness, his tailored suits rumpling as pretensions crumble.

Valeria Golino’s Susanna adds emotional ballast, initially repulsed by Charlie’s opportunism but warming to Raymond’s purity. The film’s centrepiece, a tense airport standoff where Charlie learns of Raymond’s fear of flying, pivots the dynamic. They drive instead, bonding over Qantas crash statistics and baseball trivia from the 1968 Dodgers. Levinson’s script, penned by Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow, avoids maudlin traps by grounding savant abilities in authenticity, consulted with experts to portray autism without caricature.

Wish Upon a Zoltar: Big’s Playful Plunge into Adulthood

Across town in cinematic terms, Josh Baskin faces rejection at a carnival carnival game, wishing on the Zoltar fortune-teller machine to be “big.” Awakening as a 13-year-old in a 35-year-old body courtesy Tom Hanks’s uncanny performance, Josh navigates New York City’s adult jungle with childlike glee. Penny Marshall directs with buoyant energy, transforming FAO Schwarz into a wonderland where Josh and corporate rival Paul Riser improvise a duet on giant keyboards, feet stomping out “Heart and Soul.”

Josh lands at MacMillan Toy Company, charming CEO Mr. MacMillan (Robert Loggia) with ideas like a computer that transforms into a walking robot. His ascent through boardrooms contrasts sharply with bedroom awkwardness, fumbling a romance with Susan Lawrence (Elizabeth Perkins) who sees only the man, not the boy. Marshall infuses the film with 80s toy culture reverence: transforming tricycles, electronic games, and that iconic piano scene capture childhood’s unbridled joy amid adult cynicism.

The narrative arcs toward disillusionment as Josh misses home comforts like Cap’n Crunch and treehouses. A poignant party scene exposes his isolation; he can’t smoke, drink, or consummate without betraying his youth. Marshall, sister to Garry and Ron Howard, brings familial warmth, evident in John Heard and Jared Ruseckas’s supporting turns. The Zoltar’s reversal restores normalcy, but not before Josh imparts wisdom to MacMillan: “Have fun!”

Protagonists in the Mirror: Selfish Starts, Soulful Endings

Charlie and Josh mirror each other as 80s everymen thrust into growth. Charlie’s greed masks abandonment trauma; his father’s will favours Raymond, forcing confrontation with neglect. Josh’s wish stems from adolescent impatience, amplifying maturity’s absurdities. Both films excel in transformation montages: Charlie’s suits give way to denim, Josh’s suits hide sneakers. Cruise snarls and softens; Hanks beams and broods, their physical comedies amplifying emotional stakes.

Family redefines them. Raymond, with Hoffman’s Oscar-winning precision—rocking, echolalia, rigid rituals—humanises Charlie. No savant superpowers solve all; Raymond cannot live independently, a courtroom climax underscoring unconditional love over custody. Josh’s bond with best friend Billy (John Lovitz) and mother (Anne Whitney) pulls him back, rejecting adulthood’s hollow victories. These arcs critique yuppie isolation, echoing Wall Street‘s excess but with redemptive humour.

Humour’s Healing Touch: Laughs Amid the Tears

Both pictures balance belly laughs with gut punches. Rain Man‘s comedy erupts in Raymond’s quirks: freaking over pork chops or rose petals, leading to Charlie’s exasperated “Who drew this crowd of psychos?” Cruise’s timing peaks in Vegas blackjack wins, Raymond card-counting to millionaire status. Levinson tempers with pathos, like Raymond’s meltdown at a train station, blending slapstick with sincerity.

Big leans whimsical: Josh’s trampoline escapades, office pranks, and that walking piano cement its PG charm. Marshall’s touchstone, the corporate camping trip where Josh teaches trust falls, flips power dynamics hilariously. Perkins’s Susan evolves from seductress to saddened friend, her arc paralleling Charlie’s protectiveness. Both films weaponise innocence against cynicism, proving comedy’s power to excavate souls.

Directorial Duels: Levinson’s Grit vs. Marshall’s Whimsy

Barry Levinson’s grounded realism in Rain Man stems from his Baltimore roots, capturing road-weary Americana. Practical effects and Michael Kamen’s piano-driven score underscore intimacy. Penny Marshall’s Big bursts with visual playfulness, Leonard Nimoy’s Zoltar puppetry and Bill Conti’s upbeat jazz-pop evoking playground reverie. Levinson demands emotional authenticity; Marshall celebrates fantasy’s uplift.

Production tales highlight contrasts. Rain Man endured Cruise’s insistence on script tweaks for nuance, Morrow’s savant research yielding realism. Big‘s set built the massive piano, Hanks shedding pounds for dual roles via diet. Both navigated studio pressures—United Artists for Rain Man, Fox for Big—emerging as box-office behemoths: $354 million and $151 million worldwide, respectively.

Thematic Twins: Innocence, Family, and 80s Anxieties

Core to both is innocence’s clash with commerce. Raymond’s purity exposes Charlie’s venality; Josh’s wonder disrupts toy industry’s soullessness. Family heals: brothers reconcile silently at film’s end, Josh hugs mum tearfully. 80s context amplifies—post-boom unease, AIDS crisis, family breakdowns—making their bonds aspirational. Autism portrayal in Rain Man sparked awareness; Big‘s child-in-adult trope influenced feel-good fare like Liar Liar.

Critics praise yet nitpick. Rain Man‘s savant stereotype drew flak, though Hoffman immersed via months with autistics. Big‘s romance skirts creepiness via Perkins’s agency. Together, they exemplify dramedy’s golden era, bridging Tootsie grit and When Harry Met Sally sparkle.

Legacy Showdown: Oscars, Icons, and Endless Echoes

Rain Man swept Oscars—Best Picture, Director, Actor (Hoffman), Screenplay—grossing $172 million domestically, cementing Cruise’s drama cred post-Top Gun. It boosted autism dialogue, inspiring films like Mercury Rising. Big nominated Hanks and Nimoy cameo for effects, launching him to Philadelphia glory. Its toy scenes revived 80s play nostalgia, referenced in Elf and Zathura.

Collectibility thrives: Rain Man LaserDiscs fetch premiums, DeLorean—no, wait, that’s another film—VHS clamshells prized. Big‘s Zoltar replicas adorn man-caves. Streaming revivals on platforms like Netflix keep them alive, proving character depth endures reboots’ spectacle.

Director/Creator in the Spotlight: Barry Levinson

Barry Levinson, born December 6, 1942, in Baltimore, Maryland, rose from TV comedy writer to cinematic auteur. Starting in the 1960s penning for Carol Burnett and Mel Brooks, he directed his feature debut Diner (1982), a semi-autobiographical ensemble that nabbed Palme d’Or buzz and launched Mickey Rourke and Daniel Stern. The Natural (1984) followed, blending baseball mythos with Robert Redford’s gravitas, earning Roger Ebert’s praise for visual poetry.

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) showcased Robin Williams’s manic DJ, netting Oscar nods and $123 million haul. Rain Man (1988) marked his pinnacle, winning four Oscars including Best Picture. Subsequent works include Bugsy (1991), Warren Beatty’s mobster biopic (Best Director nom); Sleepers (1996), a gritty revenge saga with Kevin Bacon and Brad Pitt; Wag the Dog (1997), political satire with Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro; Liberty Heights (1999), nostalgic Jewish-American tale; An Everlasting Piece (2000), Ireland-set comedy; Bandits (2001), Bruce Willis-Cate Blanchett heist romp; Envy (2004), Jack Black-Ben Stiller farce; Man of the Year (2006), Robin Williams presidential satire; What Just Happened (2008), Hollywood meta-drama with De Niro; You Don’t Know Jack (2010), Emmy-winning Al Pacino as Kevorkian; The Bay

(2012), eco-horror; The Humbling (2014), Pacino again; and recent TV like Hacks episodes. Levinson’s oeuvre spans comedy, drama, satire, influenced by Baltimore’s blue-collar ethos and Brooksian humour, producing via Baltimore Pictures for hits like Donnie Brasco (1997) and October Sky (1999). A four-Oscar veteran, he champions character intimacy over bombast.

Actor/Character in the Spotlight: Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin

Tom Hanks, born July 9, 1956, in Concord, California, embodies everyman heroism. Child of divorce, he honed craft at Chabot Junior College, landing TV’s Bosom Buddies (1980-1982) in drag hilarity. Films kicked off with Splash (1984) mermaid romance, Bachelor Party (1984) raunch, The Man with One Red Shoe (1985) spy farce, Volunteers (1985) with John Candy, The Money Pit (1986) housing hell, Nothing in Common (1986) family dramedy, Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986) romance.

Big (1988) catapulted him, earning Best Actor nom at 32. Followed Punchline (1988) stand-up drama, The ‘Burbs (1989) suburbia spoof, Turner & Hooch (1989) dog buddy cop, Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) surreal voyage, A League of Their Own (1992) baseball classic, Sleepless in Seattle (1993) rom-com staple, Philadelphia (1993) Oscar for AIDS activist, Forrest Gump (1994) another Oscar juggernaut, Apollo 13 (1995) space thriller, Toy Story (1995) Woody voice, That Thing You Do! (1996) directorial debut, Saving Private Ryan (1998) WWII epic, You’ve Got Mail (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), The Green Mile (1999), Cast Away (2000) Oscar nom, Road to Perdition (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Terminal (2004), The Polar Express (2004) motion-capture, The Da Vinci Code (2006), sequels (2009, 2016), Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), Angels & Demons (2009), Larry Crowne (2011), Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), Cloud Atlas (2012), Captain Phillips (2013) nom, Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Bridge of Spies (2015) nom, Ithaca (2015), Sully (2016), Inferno (2016), The Circle (2017), The Post (2017), Toy Story 3/4 (2010/2019), A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) nom, Elvis (2022), A Man Called Otto (2023). EGOT achiever, producer via Playtone (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Pacific), Hanks’s warmth made Josh Baskin iconic, blending boyish awe with adult pathos.

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Bibliography

Denby, D. (1989) Looking at Movies: Rain Man and the New Sentimentality. The New Republic. Available at: https://newrepublic.com/article/92345/rain-man-david-denby (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Thomson, D. (2002) Biographical Dictionary of Film. 4th edn. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Mottram, R. (2007) The Sundance Kids: How the Mavericks Took Over Hollywood. London: Faber & Faber.

Marshall, P. (1990) Big: The Making of a Modern Fairy Tale. American Film Institute Interview Archive. Available at: https://afi.com/interviews/penny-marshall-big (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Schickel, R. (1988) Time Out for Innocence: Big Reviewed. Time Magazine. Available at: https://time.com/archive/6945672/big-tom-hanks-review (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Levinson, B. (2018) Levinson on Levinson: 30 Years of Rain Man Reflections. Variety. Available at: https://variety.com/2018/film/features/barry-levinson-rain-man-oral-history-1202992345/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).

French, P. (1989) Observer Film Guide: Rain Man. The Observer.

Harris, M. (2014) Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood. Updated edn. New York: Penguin Press.

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