Vice-Versa

This movie is not the one people think of when talking about those "body switching" comedies that came out between '87 and '89. Big always gets the attention, but for my money Vice Versa is funnier, smarter and more memorable. Judge Reinhold didn't get the Oscar nomination that Tom Hanks scored, and more or less dropped off the face of the earth after making this movie (except, of course, for "Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will"). He was in several '80s blockbusters and stole many scenes in them (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Beverly Hills Cop and its sequel, Ruthless People....) But this movie is his shining hour, where he is believable and funny as both the uptight adult and the 11-year old kid. Fred Savage is equally good--very convincing when he becomes his dad. The movie builds up its jokes nicely, and has a Capra-esque quality to it. It also makes terrific use of character actors Swoosie Kurtz and David Proval, who is light years away from his Sopranos character. The fact that this movie is lumped in with lesser films like 18 Again and Like Father Like Son baffles me. This one is definitely in the league with Big.