Harry and the Hendersons opened on June 5, 1987. The Amblin film stars John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon and Don Ameche. The film was directed by William Dear.
Synopsis:
The Henderson family is on a camping trip when they cross paths with Bigfoot. The fabled Sasquatch, later named Harry, turns out to be friendly and quickly becomes a member of the Henderson household. The family then must protect Harry from hunters who want to turn him into a trophy.
Positives:
- Harry is a convincing creature in the film. His makeup and effects are well done.
- There are some genuinely funny moments as Harry learns how to become a domesticated animal.
- Harry and the Hendersons, surprisingly, contains a lot of messages about the way humans treat animals. It’s more thoughtful than a lot of other family films from the era.
Negatives:
- At times Harry and the Hendersons becomes an overly sentimental movie and often becomes far too saccharine.
- The film relies heavily on tropes and script conveniences that are often synonymous with films from the 1980s.
- Harry and the Hendersons follows a lot of the same story beats as E.T. the Extra Terrestrial – obviously to a much, much less level of success.
In Closing:
Harry and the Hendersons is a fun 80’s film that has a lot of heart and a strong message about hunting and animal cruelty. It definitely is a relic of the era, and it doesn’t really hold up all that well today. Harry and the Hendersons is worth a watch on a lazy afternoon.
Rating: C
