''Da grande'' is a 1987

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by

Franco Amurri Franco Amurri (born 12 September 1958) is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter, best known for directing films such as '' Da grande'', which inspired the Tom Hanks film ''Big'', ''Monkey Trouble'' and '' Flashback''. His father wa ...

, starring

Renato Pozzetto Renato Pozzetto (born 14 July 1940) is an Italian actor, director, comedian, and singer. Biography Pozzetto was born into a working-class family from Milan and grew up in the town of Gemonio (in the Province of Varese). After graduation, he made ...

Ottavia Piccolo Ottavia Piccolo (born 9 October 1949) is an Italian actress. Biography Born in Bolzano, Piccolo began her acting debut in the stage adaption of ''The Miracle Worker'' at the age of 11 under the direction of Luigi Squarzina. She has also appeare ...

and

Alessandro Haber Alessandro Haber (born 19 January 1947) is an italian people, Italian actor, film director and singer. Haber was born in Bologna in a Italian Jews, Jewish family of mixed ancestry (his father was a Romanian Jew and his mother Italian) and spent ...

. ''Da grande'' is one of the coming-of-age comedies that were released in the late 1980s. It has been said to be the inspiration for ''

Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

'', the 1988 international blockbuster directed by

Penny Marshall Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, director and producer. She is known for her role as ...

and starring

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

Plot

Eight-year-old Marco Marinelli is a bedwetter, scolded by his mother (Ottavia Piccolo) and teased by his classmates. On his birthday he finds out that his father (Alessandro Haber), who is facing economic difficulties, hasn't brought him the

Lego Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocking ...

he was promised. He runs in tears to his room and puts all his heart into wishing he were big and not subject to these indignities. As a result, he bursts through his clothes in the guise of a forty-year-old man (Renato Pozzetto) and seeks refuge in the house of his schoolteacher Francesca (Giulia Boschi), who he's secretly in love with. Mentally, he is still eight years old, and it's a puzzle what to do with him, until someone discovers that he has an uncanny rapport with children. Then he becomes a full-time and highly requested babysitter, but shortly after he is suspected of abducting the by-now long-missing child Marco. He then runs out of money, and fakes the kidnapping of himself, but while chased by the police he eventually turns back into the eight-year-old boy. He leaves a letter to Francesca who, upon realising the boy and man were one, uses the magic to join him as a little girl.

Cast

as grown-up Marco *Ioska Versari as normal Marco *

Giulia Boschi Giulia Boschi (born 17 December 1962) is an Italian film and television actress. Life and career Born in Rome, Boschi is the daughter of the television presenter Aba Cercato. She made her film debut in 1984, in Francesca Comencini's ''Pianof ...

as Francesca (Marco's teacher) *

as Claudio (Marco's father) *

as Anna (Marco's mother) *Alessandro Partexano as the police detective *Giampiero Bianchi as Nicola (Marco's uncle) *Gaia Piras as Silvietta (Marco's sister) *

Ilary Blasi Ilary Blasi (; born 28 April 1981) is an Italian showgirl, model, television personality, and former child actress. Early life Ilary was born in Rome, daughter of Roberto and Daniela. Her mother named her after one of her favourite Western movi ...

as the girl playing

hide-and-seek Hide-and-seek (sometimes known as hide-and-go-seek) is a popular children's game in which at least two players (usually at least three) conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chose ...

Reception

''Da grande'' won the

Nastro d'argento The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani ...

for best story (Silver Ribbon), the oldest movie award in Europe, assigned since 1946 by ''Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani'' (the association of Italian film critics).

References

External links

* * * {{Franco Amurri 1987 films 1980s Italian-language films 1987 romantic comedy films Films directed by Franco Amurri Films about rapid human age change Italian romantic comedy films 1980s Italian films