Big
The screwball is pitched. It flies from the pitcher's hand like a miniature comet whose balance has been thrown off. Curving, twisting, the ball's course and target change without warning. No one knows where the ball will strike. Such is the case with the screwball style of comedic motion pictures. This also happens to be the case with one screwball comedy, Big. Fast-paced, funny and a tad screwy, Big is a comedy dealing the differences in age groups and what it means when one is forced to grow up too early.Much as It Happened One Night dealt with the mannerisms and oddities of the American class system, Big deals with the mannerisms and oddities of America's youths and grown ups. Each generation is portrayed in a unique way. The youths of the film are seen as freer and more interested in fun and games than their older counterparts. Whereas the children seem more open and adaptable to change, one adult in particular is entirely unable to accept even the slightest difference in his usual routine. He is unable to accept Josh's rise up the corporate ladder and subsequent popularity. Even the way they appear physically points to the idea that adults are cold and uncaring. Susan, Josh's soon-to-be girlfriend, is at first
Although some adults are stuck being as they are, unable to change, two characters are lucky enough to be able to grasp on to a part of their inner-youths. MacMillon and Susan both undergo a transformation upon Josh's arrival. In the case of MacMillon, his transformation was already underway when he met Josh. However, the old man's introduction to the boy-trapped-in-a-man's-body only pushed him further along to finding his inner-youth. The scene in the toy store proves this. In what has become a famous scene in motion pictures, Josh and MacMillon showoff their musical prowess on the giant keyboard. The fact that an older man would do such a thing in a very public toy store shows that he has already found his inner-youth. This scene is also a good example of visual and audio screwball humor. This kind of cute, unforeseeable humor is what helps to make Big a screwball comedy. Susan, unlike her boss, takes more time to find her inner-youth. It isn't until she gets to know Josh better that she literally lets her hair down. No longer is she embarrassed to jump on trampolines and play with the radio. She also abandons her tendencies to sleep around with many men so she could c
Some common words found in the essay are:
Josh Susan, Happened Night, Josh MacMillon, , MacMillon Susan, Susan Josh's, toy store, acquire adulthood, 13 year-old boy, unable accept, motion pictures, screwball comedy, josh susan, year-old boy, 13 year-old, inner-youth scene, little boy,
Approximate Word count = 801
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
