Houdini's Magic Movie Ticket

I've always loved this film. Tom Hanks plays a 13-year-old kid who finds a Zoltar machine at a carnival, wishes to be Big, and the next morning wakes up in an adult body. Then he gets a job, and his youthful style gets him a huge promotion. At that point, he gets paid to be a kid, and just has the time of his life. He invites his young buddy along, has a fling with a coworker, and then decides to be a kid again.

What I like most about the film is Hanks' sense of wonder and enjoyment of the things a kid would find interesting. He looks like he's having so much fun, it's like reliving your childhood vicariously through him. And what kid wouldn't enjoy getting paid to think up cool new toys?

When I first saw the movie, I had originally thought that when Hanks' female costar picked up his wish card at the end (the one he got for wishing to be a kid again) that she would actually turn into a kid, and he would stay an adult. What a twist! But it wasn't meant to be.

Wow, I just realized something. Hanks' character had started out wanting to be an adult, but his ensuing adventure made us all want to be kids again!

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