Shat the Movies

The Best 80s & 90s Movie Podcast

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Growing Up

1990s Best Movies / View All

Outside Providence (1999)

In this coming-of-age comedy, Tim Dunphy (Shawn Hatosy) is leading a go-nowhere existence, spending his days smoking pot and hanging out with his best friend, Drugs Delaney (Jon Abrahams). But Tim’s lazy days of getting high are jettisoned after a brush with the law convinces his blue-collar dad (Alec Baldwin) to send him to a Connecticut prep school. The one saving grace of the new school is Jane (Amy Smart), a fellow student Tim falls for immediately.

When Elizabeth Cronin (Phoebe Cates) comes to stay with her overbearing mother (after her husband leaves her for a younger woman), she rediscovers her wacky imaginary childhood friend, Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall). Drop Dead Fred and Elizabeth have a number of mischievous, sometimes malicious, adventures as Elizabeth struggles to regain her sense of self and independence.

1990s Best Movies / View All

Drop Dead Fred (1991)

When Elizabeth Cronin (Phoebe Cates) comes to stay with her overbearing mother (after her husband leaves her for a younger woman), she rediscovers her wacky imaginary childhood friend, Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall). Drop Dead Fred and Elizabeth have a number of mischievous, sometimes malicious, adventures as Elizabeth struggles to regain her sense of self and independence.

After a wish turns 12-year-old Josh Baskin (David Moscow) into a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks), he heads to New York City and gets a low-level job at MacMillen Toy Company. A chance encounter with the owner (Robert Loggia) of the company leads to a promotion testing new toys. Soon a fellow employee, Susan Lawrence (Elizabeth Perkins), takes a romantic interest in Josh. However, the pressure of living as an adult begins to overwhelm him, and he longs to return to his simple, former life as a boy.

1980s Best Movies / View All

Big (1988)

When 12-year-old Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) makes a wish to be “big” at a mysterious carnival machine, he wakes up the next morning in the body of an adult. Navigating the confusing world of grown-ups, Josh lands a job at a toy company, where his childlike imagination helps him thrive—but he soon realizes that adulthood isn’t as easy as it seems. Big is a heartwarming and whimsical comedy about the joys of childhood and the challenges of growing up, driven by Tom Hanks’ unforgettable performance.