Thoughts on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Big

 

via Giphy/Courtesy 20th Century Studios

"I can't take this. It doesn't belong to me. And I'll always have something from you that means much more."

The Women of 1988's first mixed grill pairs two movies with little in common. Let's see, Big and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels both received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy (Tom Hanks beat Michael Caine). Both were directed by someone who acted on one of 1976's most popular comedy series (Frank Oz, The Muppet Show, and Penny Marshall, Laverne & Shirley). Both also included at least one actor compared favorably to men who came before him (in Tom's case, Jimmy Stewart and Jack Lemmon; in Michael's case, Jack Benny; in Steve Martin's case, Jerry Lewis, but for Steve, this wasn't an across-the-board positive). Big beats out Dirty (for my purposes, at least) because the female roles are better.

Most of Dirty is devoted to a double act, debonair con man Lawrence Jamieson (Caine) and the less suave Freddy Benson (Martin). They fight to keep or make Beaumont-sur-Mer, the French Riviera, his private turf. Lawrence, who poses as an exiled, widowed, heroic prince to seduce corruptible rich ladies (Barbara Harris, Meagen Fay, Frances Conroy and Dana Ivey's appearances are practically cameos), believes Freddy is the notorious "Jackal." Freddy and Lawrence end up competing for $50,000 from, and later the love of, Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly). As always, friends and enemies are kept close. Freddy claims that his legs are useless (due to heartbreak rather than physical pain), with Lawrence posing as the doctor who can cure him.

Headly faced two significant obstacles, making an impression rather late in the game and holding her own opposite Caine and Martin. On the whole, she succeeded, but it's due to the story rather than special scenes or business given by Oz or screenwriter Dale Launer. Dirty is a remake of 1964's Bedtime Story, which had Shirley Jones starring opposite David Niven and Marlon Brando. It was written by Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning, who received credit for the later movie. Launer's most significant contribution to Dirty was having Janet turn out to be the Jackal. It is a brilliant move, but it only retroactively adds so much to what Headly was given. Dirty, like Big, later became a musical. Singing and dancing trumps being the straight woman.

"Fellas, last year I made $3 million. But your $50,000 was the most fun. ... Are you ready? ... Then let's go get 'em."

*Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) administers first aid to Josh (Tom Hanks) after a disastrous racquetball game with Paul (John Heard)*
"He didn't have to punch me."

"I know. He's scared of you. ... You don't play his game."

"I tried to play his game. He beat me up. ... If he's scared of me, then why did he punch me?"

"He punched you because he's scared of you."

"I don't get it."

"It's just the way he is. Everything's a fight with him. Everyone's an enemy. It's not just a job for him. It's a war. *blows on Josh's scratches*"

"How come you're so nice?"

"What?"

"You work just as hard as he does, and you're not like that."

"You don't -- you don't know me that well."

"Yes, I do. You're one of the nicest people I've met."

"... How do you do it? ..."

*Susan kisses Josh, who's delighted by this*

Big ultimately lives or dies on the strength of Hanks' performance, but Perkins at least has a satisfying arc to play. Josh may be transformed from boy to man, but Susan evolves from lady to woman. She gets the thrills that come from acting like a girl again, but she's also mature enough to let Josh go. Of course, talking about maturity and Big means that we have to address the elephant in the room. A modern film would likely never have Josh and Susan have sex. Director Penny Marshall and writers Gary Ross & Anne Spielberg handled the matter as skillfully as they could, with the bonus of a great punchline. Josh's morning after includes his apparent first cup of coffee. Critics applauded Big's notice for details and the coffee order is a good example.

There are flaws in Big. As with Working Girl, we're asked to believe that big businesses are run by friendly types who value spirited employees above profit. Then again, who else but Josh would dance to "Heart and Soul" and "Chopsticks" on The Walking Piano with MacMillan (Robert Loggia)? Josh pretending that he's been kidnapped while his mom (Mercedes Ruehl) waits in anguish at home is also problematic. Still, overall, the movie holds up. It's charming, funny, smart, moving and well-acted. Heard is a memorable villain, with the added wrinkle that he doesn't necessarily see himself that way. Jared Rushton's work opposite Hanks is perhaps as good as Perkins', and she's excellent throughout. Hanks gives his career-best performance.

"So this is where you live. ... Which one is it?"

"The one right there."

"Oh. It's nice. ... I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too."

"You won't even remember me."

"Oh yes I will."

*Josh tries to kiss Susan one last time on the lips, but she opts for his forehead*

via Giphy/Courtesy Orion Pictures/MGM

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, recommended with reservations. Big, recommended.

Thoughts:

-- "It happened again. David, the girl is absolutely useless. You have got to give me someone who knows what she is doing. *to Josh* Excuse me. *back to David* I'm not getting any of my mail. Nothing has been filed. Ever since she got engaged, my life has been a disaster. ... She spent the last three months writing down her married name. Mrs. Judy Hicks. Mrs. Donald Hicks. Mrs. Judy Mitchellson Hicks. Sometimes with a hyphen, sometimes without a hyphen. Sometimes she spells the hyphen." "Well, I really don't know where I can put her." "Put her on unemployment."

-- Box Office: Grossing $42 million on an unknown budget, Dirty opened at No. 5, which is still pretty good considering it was the Christmas season and there were the likes of Twins, The Naked Gun and Scrooged to deal with. Big pulled off the feat of grossing nearly $115 million on an $18 million budget without never reaching higher than No. 2 for a weekend.

-- Awards Watch: As mentioned, Caine was a Golden Globe nominee and lost to Hanks. He also was nominated for the Oscar, American Comedy Award and Saturn, winning the latter two. Big's screenplay was Oscar, Writers Guild of America and Saturn-nominated, winning the last one. The movie itself was Golden Globe, Hugo, Young Artist and Saturn-nominated, winning the People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy (tied with Twins). While Loggia won a Saturn, Marshall and Rushton were only nominated. Moscow and Rushton were also-rans at the Young Artist Awards, too.

-- Critic's Corner, Dirty: "I can't imagine the material much better executed," David Denby wrote. "It's the material itself I object to." He called it "a comedy without a subject -- or with only a dead subject -- and without any edge." Vincent Canby: "There is consistently funny life on the screen. The film's comic timing is nearly flawless." "The movie's energy seems to dissipate at the story details are worked out," Hal Hinson observed.

-- Critic's Corner, Big: "Though (it) ultimately turns on the notion that there's a hidden child in each of us, it manages to make this point with intelligence and taste," Janet Maslin wrote. Denby: "Moves easily and surely, without any haste or elbow-in-the-ribs tension. ... (Marshall) has a gracious touch." Hinson loved the "Heart and Soul" scene, saying it was one example of Big having "the zip and exuberance of a classic romantic comedy." That said, Hinson did acknowledge that things got cloying towards the end. Denby also lived the "Heart and Soul" scene, once again being slightly prescient by observing that it made him "nostalgic for Hollywood musicals."

-- Critic's Corner, Caine and Martin: "Looking exceptionally fit, well-fed and intimidatingly grand, Mr. Caine nearly walks off with the movie," Canby wrote. "Playing to (and for) his co-star, Mr. Martin gives a performance of inspired goofiness." "Martin, the most eloquent of physical clowns -- the Baryshnikov of comedy -- is at his most inspired here," according to Hinson. For Denby, though, it was "essentially Jerry Lewis material. ... This is no place for our hippest popular comic to be."

-- Critic's Corner, Hanks: "An absolute delight," according to Maslin. Denby: "Tom Hanks is probably the only actor in movies who could pull off this stuff without mugging too much. ... He's right on target -- playing the boy at 12, not 15 or 18." "Boyish" came up a few times, like when Hinson wrote that "Hanks is just boyish enough (and just goofy-looking enough) to be the ideal actor for this role." Kevin Thomas: "There's a boyishness about Hanks that makes him perfect casting as a man with the mind of a child." Kevin also liked Rushton, who he considered "no less than remarkable."

-- Fanservice Junction: Susan in her bra and the beach babe Freddy posed with are no match for adult Josh and his cartoon briefs. And lo, a fetish was born.

-- Today in Theater: Like I said, Dirty and Big both were adapted into musicals. Dirty wins over Big in terms of longevity (626 from March 2005-September 2006 vs. 193 from April-October 1996) and Tony Awards (one, for Norbert Leo Butz as Freddy, vs. none).

-- Marquee Watch: A Chorus Line, Nuts, Wall Street, Eddie Murphy Raw, possibly Baby Boom, 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles (which had actually closed by that point), Big River (ditto) and Oh! Calcutta are advertised in Times Square when Josh and Billy make their way to the St. James Hotel. "It's religious."

-- Today in Coincidences: Both Dirty and Big have a Freddy or Freddie Benson. In the later movie, he's the dorky brother of Josh's crush, Cynthia.

-- Hey, It's ...!: Louis Zorich in Dirty. Jon Lovitz, Rockets Redglare, Tracy Reiner, James Eckhouse and Debra Jo Rupp in Big.

-- Hey, It's 1988!: Hanks hosted Saturday Night Live's 14th season premiere, which included the game show parody "Jew, not a Jew" (Marshall's religion is considered) and a short film Marshall directed, supposed outtakes of Big with Josh bullying other children.

-- "Now, Diana, as you were saying, you don't think the poor should be allowed in museums ..."

-- Next: Big Business. On deck: Punchline.