Harry and the Hendersons

Starring: John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, Don Ameche
Directed by: William Dear
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
1987

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A family accidentally hits a Bigfoot. They believe he's dead, so they bring him back to their home. However, he wakes up, and wrecks havoc in their home. The family grow to love him, naming him "Harry" but they begin to wonder how long they can keep a bigfoot in their home unknown to the outside world.

Review:

Tim: This is a movie that I watched as a child and I loved it. I thought it was so fun, so entertaining, so great. Years and years after originally seeing it, I watched it again, this time as an adult. I tried to capture some of the love I had for this movie as a kid, but I couldn't get it all back. This is an enjoyable, cute movie that is also fairly flawed. What starts out as a great premise eventually becomes tiresome.

Harry and the Hendersons has a great initial idea. I love the thought of watching a movie about a sasquatch trying to coexist with a suburban family. Obviously, hilarity ensues, and everyone is entertained. This actually works for a while. Yes, there are some lapses in the quality of the film, but the movie proves to be at least somewhat entertaining. However, the movie falls apart in the third act. The movie changes from a silly comedy to one fraught with peril as Harry is hunted and our family tries to save him. This is where the movie really breaks down. It gets very tiring to watch.

Harry does look impressive, especially considering this movie came out in the late 80s. In fact, the movie won an Academy Award for Best Makeup. It was an award well deserved. John Lithgow is generally likeable, and does account for some funny moments. The rest of the cast are decent, with both of his children proving to be fairly memorable.

Harry and the Hendersons is a good family film that has some heartwarming moments. It is a movie that definitely worked well in the late 80s. However, the film has lost a bit of its shine in the two decades since its release. It is still decent, but I can't say it is a great movie.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Honey I Shrunk the Kids