Harry and the Hendersons
Encyclopedia
Harry and the Hendersons is a 1987
American
comedy film
directed and produced by William Dear
, and starring John Lithgow
, Melinda Dillon
, Lainie Kazan
and Don Ameche
. It is the story of a family's encounter with the cryptozoological
creature Bigfoot
. The film won an Academy Award for Best Makeup
, and inspired a follow-up TV series, also called Harry and the Hendersons
.
The film was originally released as Bigfoot and the Hendersons in the United Kingdom
, though the TV series retained the American title. The DVD and all current showings of the movie in the UK now refer to the movie by its original title.
Bruce Broughton
composed the music throughout the entire film, and Joe Cocker
performs "Love Lives On" (later released in 1989) during the end credits.
bounty hunter
). Trying to hide Harry from the Seattle authorities and the hunter who wants his hide, the Hendersons with the help of an elderly once disillusioned and embittered ex-scientist and Bigfoot-believer Dr. Wrightwood come to realize that the best thing for Harry is to return him to his home in the wilderness.
and The Untouchables.
with 10/17 user reviews being negative.
1987 in film
-Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed and produced by William Dear
William Dear
William Dear is a film director, producer and screenwriter known for directing Harry and the Hendersons, If Looks Could Kill, Angels in the Outfield, Wild America and Santa Who?....
, and starring John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
, Melinda Dillon
Melinda Dillon
Melinda Rose Dillon is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the holiday classic A Christmas Story.-Early life and career:...
, Lainie Kazan
Lainie Kazan
Lainie Kazan is an American actress and singer.-Personal life:Kazan was born Lanie Levine in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father who worked as a bookie and a Turkish Sephardic Jewish mother, Carole, whom Kazan has described as "neurotic, fragile and...
and Don Ameche
Don Ameche
Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
. It is the story of a family's encounter with the cryptozoological
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
creature Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
. The film won an Academy Award for Best Makeup
Academy Award for Makeup
The Academy Award for Best Makeup is the Oscar given to the best achievement in makeup for film. Usually, only three films are nominated each year rather than five as in most categories...
, and inspired a follow-up TV series, also called Harry and the Hendersons
Harry and the Hendersons (TV series)
Harry and the Hendersons is an American sitcom based on the film of the same name, produced by Amblin Entertainment for Universal Television. The series aired in syndication from January 13, 1991 to June 18, 1993, with 72 half-hour episodes produced...
.
The film was originally released as Bigfoot and the Hendersons in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, though the TV series retained the American title. The DVD and all current showings of the movie in the UK now refer to the movie by its original title.
Bruce Broughton
Bruce Broughton
Bruce Broughton is a film, video game, and television soundtrack composer who has composed several highly acclaimed soundtracks over his extensive career, including American music classics such as "Homeward Bound," "Silverado", "Tombstone," and wonderfully lyric music for "Miracle on 34th...
composed the music throughout the entire film, and Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
performs "Love Lives On" (later released in 1989) during the end credits.
Plot
On their way home to Seattle from a camping trip, the Hendersons accidentally run over a strange and unknown creature. Realizing it might be the legendary Bigfoot creature, they strap it to the roof of their station wagon and take it home because they felt bad. Once there, the revived creature goes wild, rampaging throughout the house. Eventually, the family realizes that the creature is actually very gentle. Given the name "Harry", the creature's curiosity leads him to escape, running through the city as sightings of him strike fear into the populace (and greed into the heart of one French CanadianFrench Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
). Trying to hide Harry from the Seattle authorities and the hunter who wants his hide, the Hendersons with the help of an elderly once disillusioned and embittered ex-scientist and Bigfoot-believer Dr. Wrightwood come to realize that the best thing for Harry is to return him to his home in the wilderness.
Cast
- John LithgowJohn LithgowJohn Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
as George Henderson - Melinda DillonMelinda DillonMelinda Rose Dillon is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the holiday classic A Christmas Story.-Early life and career:...
as Nancy Henderson - Margaret LangrickMargaret LangrickMargaret Langrick is a Canadian actress. She won a 1986 Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for My American Cousin and was also nominated in the same category in 1990 for Cold Comfort. She was also nominated for a Gemini Award in 1987 for Best Guest Performance in a...
as Sarah Henderson - Joshua Rudoy as Ernie Henderson
- Kevin Peter HallKevin Peter HallKevin Peter Hall was an American actor known for his roles in Misfits of Science, Prophecy, Without Warning, and Harry and the Hendersons. He was also best known as the title character in the first two films in the Predator franchise.-Early life:Hall was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
as Harry - Lainie KazanLainie KazanLainie Kazan is an American actress and singer.-Personal life:Kazan was born Lanie Levine in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father who worked as a bookie and a Turkish Sephardic Jewish mother, Carole, whom Kazan has described as "neurotic, fragile and...
as Irene Moffat - Don AmecheDon AmecheDon Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
as Dr. Wallace Wrightwood - M. Emmet WalshM. Emmet WalshMichael Emmet Walsh is an American actor who has appeared in over 100 film and television productions.-Life and career:Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the son of Agnes Kathrine and Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr., a customs agent...
as George Henderson Sr. - David SuchetDavid SuchetDavid Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
as Jacques LaFleur
Box office
Harry and the Hendersons opened third behind Beverly Hills Cop IIBeverly Hills Cop II
Beverly Hills Cop II is a 1987 action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Tony Scott. It is the first sequel in the Beverly Hills Cop series. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley, who returns to Beverly Hills, California to track down a joint robbery/gun-running ring...
and The Untouchables.
Re-release
The film was re-released in January 2011 in DVD entitled "Harry and The Hendersons Special Edition."Reception
The response from critics was mostly negative. It has received a rating of 41% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
with 10/17 user reviews being negative.