Great Scene: “Big”
It’s a wonderful thing for a screenwriter when you confront a typical story issue and come up with a great solution that not only services the plot, but also create a memorable scene. Such is the case with this famous keyboard-dance scene from the movie Big. The credited screenwriters are Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg (Steven’s sister); I don’t know which of them came up with this idea, but the situation might have been something like this.
You’ve gotten Josh a job at the toy store, but he’s just a low-level nothing with nothing exciting for him to do. Wouldn’t it be great if you (screenwriter) could jump him up to a high-level executive position so Josh (Tom Hanks) could bring his childish sensibilities to the business of toys? But how to do that? Perhaps he could do something to impress the owner of the company Mac (played by Robert Loggia). But how to intersect the two, then what could Josh do to win over Mac?
Well, on a weekend, it makes sense that Josh would go to the toy store — after all, he’s a boy (inside) and he likes toys. It’s also logical to think that Mac, who’s a rather old school businessman, might visit toy stores in order to stay in touch with consumers. In fact, earlier in this sequence, Mac says to Josh, “Me too … I come here [ toy store] every Saturday.” So there’s your point of intersection: Josh will run into Mac at the toy store.
But what can I have Josh do to really blow Mac away? Okay, how about Josh gives Mac an earful about some toys Mac’s company produces. That’s how this scene begins with Josh’s honest appraisal of a toy. But I want something more. I want something to go beyond logic and hit Mac in a way that moves him emotionally.
That’s when you remember seeing that news piece over the holidays about FAO Schwartz and the floor keyboard. “Holy crap! I could have Josh start to play the keyboard, just mess around… then, then… uh, a song… he could tap out a song. What’s a simple song that a kid would know… ‘Heart and Soul,’ of course. And whoa! What if Mac used to play the piano when he was a kid? And he joins in to play the song!”
Maybe the creative process was something like that, maybe not. But this scene does everything you could want in a scene from its primary point for existing — to get Josh promoted — to creating a memorable moment. And when you think of the movie Big, this has got to be one of the scenes that jumps to mind. All that makes it a great scene.
DOLLY SHOT — MAC AND JOSH
They walk side by side down the aisle of the toy store.
JOSH
…See the Starfighters are good
cause you can change the pieces
around. I don’t like the Galacticons
’cause you just get one robot and
it doesn’t come with a vehicle.
MAC
I see.
JOSH
Plus they can’t go underwater.
Now with …
At that moment, there is a musical note coming from
beneath him. Josh stops and looks down.
WIDER ANGLE — JOSH AND MAC
Josh is standing on a huge piano keyboard that is clearly
meant to be walked on. He steps on a different key and
another note comes out. Josh steps on two keys in
succession and it’s the beginning of a song.
JOSH
Neat!
DIFFERENT ANGLE
Mac watches as Josh starts into the first four notes pro-
gression of “Heart and Soul.” After a couple of tries
the familiar bass line of the song begins to emerge.
ANGLE ON MAC
He watches in amazement as Josh does a little two-step
across the piano keys. Mac smiles slightly.
MAC
Piano lessons?
JOSH
(nodding)
Three years.
Mac watches him for a moment, then glances over his
shoulder. He pauses, then reaches out with his toe and
taps the first three notes of the song.
“HEART — AND — SOUL”
Josh looks up at him startled.
MAC
(smiling)
Me too. Every day after school.
Mac steps onto the keyboard. He starts to tap out the
melody, stepping nimbly across the keys. Josh grins at
him and Mac sticks out his hand like an old vaudevillian.
The two of them dance their duet across the keyboard, like
something out of the Catskills. When they reach the
crescendo, Mac sweeps his foot across the keyboard in
a huge flourish. He turns to Josh with a grin on his
face.
MAC
What division you say you worked in?
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[Originally posted January 30, 2009]