Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

Director:

Joe Johnston

Writers (WGA):

Stuart Gordon (story) &
Brian Yuzna (story) ...

Release Date:

23 June 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The most astonishing, innovative, backyard adventure of all time!

Plot:

Wayne Szalinski is your average "nutty scientist", working on a top secret machine which miniaturizes objects...

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Bee | Laser | Backyard | Shrinking Machine

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 10 nominations

Cast

Rick Moranis	...	Wayne Szalinski
Matt Frewer	...	Russell 'Russ' Thompson, Sr. (Big Russ Thompson)
Marcia Strassman	...	Diane Szalinski
Kristine Sutherland	...	Mae Thompson
Thomas Wilson Brown	...	Russell 'Russ' Thompson, Jr. (Little Russell Thompson) (as Thomas Brown)
Jared Rushton	...	Ronald 'Ron' Thompson
Amy O'Neill	...	Amy Szalinski
Robert Oliveri	...	Nick Szalinski
Carl Steven	...	Tommy Pervis
Mark L. Taylor	...	Donald 'Don' Forrester
Kimmy Robertson	...	Gloria Forrester
Lou Cutell	...	Dr. Brainard
Laura Waterbury	...	Female Cop
Trevor Galtress	...	Male Cop
Martin Aylett	...	Harold Boorstein

Also Known As:

Grounded (USA) (working title)
Teenie Weenies (USA) (working title)
The Big Backyard (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Portugal:M/6 | Finland:K-10/7 (1989) | Finland:S (1990) | Peru:PT | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | France:U

Filming Locations:

Estudios Churubusco Azteca, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Company:

Buena Vista Pictures

Trivia:

The titles "Grounded" and "The Big Backyard" were considered and subsequently dropped during pre-production.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At the beginning of the movie, a letter carrier is delivering mail. There is a mailbox with the flag up. He should open it, remove the outgoing mail, put the flag down and deliver incoming mail. However, he just opens the box and delivers the incoming mail, leaving the flag up.

Quotes:

Mae Thompson: [Russ nurses a head wound] You got it, honey.
Russell 'Russ' Thompson, Sr.: Sure?
Mae Thompson: Positive. You're wiping away brain cells and there aren't many to spare.
Russell 'Russ' Thompson, Sr.: Everybody in my family is a comedian.
Mae Thompson: Everybody except you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Critic: I Can't Believe It's a Clip Show (#2.10)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Turn It Up

Ridiculous, cute, and fun family entertainment

This is a fun movie for the entire family. Well, of course, it's ridiculous but the kids will love it and you can laugh right along with them.

The absurd tale revolves around around a nutty scientist & dad named Wayne Szalinski who is working on a machine to miniaturize objects. When his two kids plus their two neighbouring friends (the Thompsons) wander into his lab, Wayne inadvertently shrinks the four of them. Then he accidentally tosses them out in the garbage, so the poor kids have to brave the dangers of the lawn to get back to the house. And can the well intended but crazy scientist figure out how to bring the youngsters back to full size again? (Personally, my favourite aspect of the movie is the nutty father.)

The story has plenty of adventure and danger as the teensy weensy younguns brave the perils of the jungle (actually their lawn). They face thunderstorm like risks of potentially drowning in the lawn sprinkler or being attacked by giant ants, bees, & other bugs. Not to mention the lawn mower!

Avoid the TV series of the same name, but this movie has some good family messages involving the two sets of parents (the Szalinskis & the Thompsons) as well as the kids. And of course there's lots of hilarity and adventure. It should be rated higher than it is and fully deserved its popularity at the time. This film put the phrase 'Honey, I shrunk (or whatever) the kids' into people's everyday vocabulary!