Rewatchables Reference

• FAO Schwarz piano/chopsticks scene – clear winner.
• Also: Josh wakes up as an adult, the gross hotel room, the 'I don't get it' boardroom scene.
• The company cocktail party, Josh making his wish at the Zoltar machine, the trampoline scene.

• The casting of young Josh (David Moscow) and Hanks – realistic that kid grew up into Hanks.
• Hanks acting like a kid (the nodding, mannerisms).
• Susan as ruthless 1980s career woman.
• Josh's dream apartment.
• Josh and Billy's best friendship bond.

• 'Hot in the City' by Billy Idol (limo scene after the cocktail party).
• Van: 'Forget Me Nots' by Patrice Rushen during the trampoline scene.

• The kidnapping subplot – glossed over, no tracer on the phone, unrealistic police investigation.
• Josh's dad appears at the very beginning then completely disappears.
• Mallory wanted more character development for Susan.

• Susan being OK with the situation after finding out Josh is 13 (her reaction is too calm).
• The MacMillan Toys interview/recruitment process (no vetting).
• The text-based video games of 1988.
• Overall: 'dating children aged pretty badly'.

• Robert De Niro was originally attached (how the movie got greenlit).
• Steven Spielberg considered directing it with Harrison Ford.
• Dennis Quaid turned it down to do Everybody's All American.
• Jared Rushton read with Richard Dreyfuss and Sean Penn for the Josh role.
• John Travolta really wanted the part but was in a career slump.

John Heard as Paul at the cocktail party – suddenly more drunk than anyone in history at a corporate cocktail party.

• James Eckhouse (the dad from Beverly Hills 90210) – also appeared in 'Cocktail' the same year.
• Also: the toothless hotel clerk, Josh's secretary.

• Zoltar Speaks machine was invented for this movie, since copyrighted and now available for purchase.
• David Moscow (young Josh) was later engaged to Kerry Washington.
• Josh's baby sister has no credits and remains a mystery.
• The Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Bop was Hanks's idea from his son's summer camp.
• The Yankee game was July 1987 (Tim Stoddard pitched to Angel Salazar).
• They built a larger walking piano for the movie that stayed at FAO Schwarz.

• 1980s Tom Hanks: Bill argues three Tom Hanks eras (80s, 90s starting with League of Their Own, 21st century).
• Elizabeth Perkins: Absolutely.
• Robert Loggia: Debatable.
• Body switch movies: Yes.
• Zoltar machine: Yes.

• The carnival is completely gone by 7:30 AM the next morning.
• Josh immediately gets a job (unrealistic for a 13-year-old).
• Susan stays interested after seeing Josh's insane apartment.
• Billy's parents let him go to NYC every day.
• No explanation for how Josh gets an apartment in Soho.
• Sports bigamy: Yankees AND Mets stuff in Billy's room.

• Sequel ('Bigger'): Mallory pitches Josh at 30 in existential crisis, never able to recapture his 13-year-old success.
• A Zoltar anthology series.

• What happened to Josh's apartment after he left?
• Does Susan face criminal charges?
• What happened to adult Josh (missing person)?
• Has anyone else ever used the Zoltar machine?
• Where is Josh's dad?
• Could Josh reintegrate into normal kid life?

• The FAO Schwarz walking piano (top pick).
• Zoltar Speaks machine (close second).

• If your boyfriend tells you he's actually 13 years old, don't play with his ear as you say goodbye – immediately treat him like your nephew.
• You start dressing better once you get some ass.

• Tom Hanks, without question.
• Van adds: 'Really, we won' (the audience).
• Outside of Hanks: Penny Marshall or the screenplay.