From ‘Little’ To ‘Big:’ 10 More Terrific Out-Of-Body Comedies
Big (1988)
Based on a pitch made by co-star Marsai Martin when she was just ten years old, “Little” follows the misadventures of a demanding tech mogul (Regina Hall) who is transformed into her childhood self, forcing her overworked assistant (Issa Rae) to take on another job duty - finding a way to return her to normal. But director Tina Gordon’s new comedy is far from the first movie to jerk movie stars out of their bodies (and the comfort zones) and force them to pretend to be someone else - be it a friend, an enemy, their older or younger self, or just some random person trapped inside their chiseled A-list physique. To prepare for “Little,” we’ve assembled a shortlist of some of the most memorable body-swap movies.
‘Freaky Friday’ (1976)
Gary Nelson’s adaptation of the 1972 children’s book set the template for these types of movies as Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster play a mother and daughter who swap bodies for a day.
‘Heaven Can Wait’ (1978)
Warren Beatty was nominated for Best Actor, Director (with Buck Henry) and Adapted Screenplay (with Elaine May) for this adaptation of Henry Segall’s play of the same name, about a backup quarterback who’s thrown into the body of a millionaire industrialist after being taken to heaven too early by his questionably competent guardian angel.
‘All Of Me’ (1984)
Carl Reiner directed this comedy starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin as a lawyer and an eccentric heiress who end up sharing the same body after a mystic accidentally drops the vessel containing her soul on his head.
‘Big’ (1988)
One of the most beloved body-swap movies of all time, Penny Marshall’s movie earned Tom Hanks a Best Actor Oscar nomination for playing Josh Baskin, a 12-year-old boy who unexpectedly gets his wish after asking a fortune teller machine to be big.
‘Switch’ (1991)
Blake Edwards directed this movie about a misogynistic man reincarnated in the body of a beautiful woman (Ellen Barkin) in order to find a single other woman who genuinely cares for him.
‘The Hot Chick’ (2002)
Tom Brady (no, not that Tom Brady) directed this wild comedy starring Rachel McAdams and Rob Schneider as a mean-girl cheerleader and blue-collar thief whose identites are swapped after donning a pair of enchanted earrings.
‘Freaky Friday’ (2003)
This third (!) adaptation of Nelson’s book gave Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan a great opportunity to ham it up as a mother and daughter horrified to discover that they’ve been catapulted into each other’s bodies.
‘13 Going on 30’ (2004)
This gender-swapped version of “Big” stars Jennifer Garner as a teenager who wishes to grow up after being humiliated during her 13th birthday party. Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer and Andy Serkis co-star.
‘The Change-Up’ (2011)
Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman play longtime best friends whose bodies get swapped one night after peeing together in a fountain, leading both to see how the other half lives while earning some much-needed perspective about their own lifestyles.
‘Nine Lives’ (2016)
Kevin Spacey stars in this Barry Sonnenfeld-directed comedy about a workaholic whose consciousness gets transferred into a cat name Mr. Fuzzypants after being blown off of the top of a skyscraper along with the new pet he bought for his daughter’s birthday. We can't make this up.
