# Anyone else remember the alternate ending to "Big"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [April 16, 2002, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864 "2002-04-16T02:03:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/221 "2014-02-22T11:11:43Z")
> [@bowspearer](#): > > And where did I say that what I saw _must_ have been the alternate ending? Yes I’ve said that I’m confident it was, but I’ve also acknowledged the possibility that it might have been from a different movie from the getgo (as well as stating I was curious as to which movie it was in that case). > > Furthermore, last I checked, an eyewitness account was evidence of something- circumstantial and anecdotal evidence, certainly, but evidence nonetheless. > > :rolleyes: boring troll is boring. > [@bowspearer](#): > > :rolleyes: Predictable troll is predictable. > > To be honest, I’m done here. I actually thought, given the mission statement of the board, it might have been an intelligent move actually trying to figure this out. > > However it’s blatantly obvious from what has transpired that not only is the board mission statement about fighting ignorance utterly ironic in light of the responses I’ve gotten (with maybe one or exceptions), but that far from fighting ignorance, the average poster here doesn’t even have the reading and comprehension skills of a second grader. > Congratulations, you all “win at internets”. :rolleyes: **bowspearer** , just so you know, accusing someone of trolling is only allowed in the “BBQ Pit” forum. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/222 "2014-02-22T11:27:24Z")
Look, I’m sorry, bowspearer, but people conflate two movies (or TV shows or whatever) in their mind quite often. It’s not just confined to the movies _Big_ and _14 Going on 30_. I know you sincerely think that you’re remembering correctly, but until we can be shown this alternate ending you think you saw, we have to be suspicious. You want to claim that you have eyewitness testimony to such an ending (i.e., your personal memory of the ending out in the street with the 13-year-old Susan), but the fact is that eyewitness testimony is fraught with all sorts of problems: > **[Eyewitness testimony](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewitness_testimony)** > > Eyewitness testimony is the account a bystander or victim gives in the courtroom, describing what that person observed that occurred during the specific incident under investigation. Ideally this recollection of events is detailed; however, this is not always the case. This recollection is used as evidence to show what happened from a witness' point of view. Memory recall has been considered a credible source in the past, but has recently come under attack as forensics can now support psychologis... In doubting you, we’re not claiming that you’re lying or that your memory is particularly bad. Unfortunately, the reality is that most people’s memories are not nearly as good as they think they are. Indeed, memory doesn’t work the way that people think it does. The fact is that people don’t have memories that work like instant replay for events that happened 26 years ago. It’s particularly bad for _Big_ and _14 Going on 30_ because they came out within three months of each other, but smearing together two movies (or whatever) is actually quite common. Human beings are not recorders that can accurately play back scenes. Sorry, but that’s the way it is. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/223 "2014-02-22T12:30:18Z")
If bowspearer posts a clip to their version of the alternate ending I’ll stop rolling my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/224 "2014-02-22T12:40:19Z")
I hate to bring this up (maybe I’m not the first), but any that “14 Going on 30” was produced with two endings? As we all know, this is often done for TV purposes (different edits, not necessarily endings), and I could see why a scene implying teenage sex might be deleted for a version broadcast on prime time or children’s-hour television. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/225 "2014-02-22T12:52:30Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I hate to bring this up (maybe I’m not the first), but any that “14 Going on 30” was produced with two endings? As we all know, this is often done for TV purposes (different edits, not necessarily endings), and I could see why a scene implying teenage sex might be deleted for a version broadcast on prime time or children’s-hour television. You sadistic bastard. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/226 "2014-02-22T12:59:58Z")
Just asking questions… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/227 "2014-02-22T13:03:21Z")
_14 Going on 30_ was a television movie, so it’s unlikely to have a version edited for television: > **[14 Going on 30](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14_Going_on_30)** > > 14 Going on 30 is a 1988 American made-for-television comedy film that was broadcast by American Broadcasting Company and Buena Vista Television and later distributed by Walt Disney Home Video. Directed by Paul Schneider, it stars Steven Eckholdt as Danny, a 14-year-old boy who is infatuated with his teacher Miss Peggy Noble (Daphne Ashbrook). Danny uses a "growth accelerator" to make himself appear older than his actual age in an attempt to seduce her. A similar age swap and a nearly ident The 1... ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/228 "2014-02-22T14:35:47Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > _14 Going on 30_ was a television movie, so it’s unlikely to have a version edited for television: > > [14 Going on 30 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14_Going_on_30) Yes, but they might have had an “after 9 PM broadcast” edit, and a “before 9 PM broadcast” edit, or something. I think the “misremembered” explanation is still the most likely one for all of this. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/229 "2014-02-22T17:18:35Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Yes, but they might have had an “after 9 PM broadcast” edit, and a “before 9 PM broadcast” edit, or something. That does happen on occasion. [Trucks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trucks_(film)), for example. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/230 "2014-02-22T17:31:25Z")
> [@bowspearer](#): > > :rolleyes: boring troll is boring. > [@bowspearer](#): > > :rolleyes: Predictable troll is predictable. > > To be honest, I’m done here. If you’re not done here, you will not call another poster a troll again. You can’t do that on this board unless you’re in The BBQ Pit forum. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/231 "2014-02-22T18:10:46Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Yes, but they might have had an “after 9 PM broadcast” edit, and a “before 9 PM broadcast” edit, or something. Not very likely, since this was made by Disney for young teens. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/232 "2014-02-22T18:16:53Z")
There’s a much simpler counter-argument to all the claims, no matter what details the proponents of the alternate-ending theory want to state. If this alternate ending was EVER publicly shown, anywhere in the world, why is there not a single clip, still, image capture or other recording of it? This is not a minor movie. The very least claims of “I saw it, I’m sure I did” must have involved audiences of many thousands, if not millions, at least a few of whom should have taped it, taken a photo, something. Yet in all this time, and all the duration of this argument, no one has turned up a clip or a still of young Josh and young Susan in any setting at all. I am the last to believe anything like “everything is on Google/YouTube/the net” but this is a piece of mass-market culture that purportedly reached a goodly cultural mass. One piece of evidence would settle the argument forever. No such evidence has turned up. That’s pretty damned convincing, IMVHO. But final proof has been solicited; waiting is. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/233 "2014-02-22T18:49:21Z")
Yep. And I think (not going to reread), that point is buried somewhere in this thread. I mean, especially if it really was on an NZ home video edition of the movie, it’s almost impossibly unlikely it wouldn’t have surfaced by now. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/234 "2014-02-22T19:07:23Z")
> [@bowspearer](#): > > Really, is it similar to the cases of selective hysterical blindness which you and other posters develop when you encounter posts from people who claim to have seen an alternate ending for “Big” which isn’t the one from “14 to 30” and are trying to work out whether it was from “Big” or some other movie? Fine. So let’s try it this way: You’ve seen a movie with an ending that’s not the same as the ending of _Big_, and it’s also not the same as the ending of _14 Going on 30_. Which is the more likely explanation: that you’ve seen an ‘alternate ending’ to the movie _Big_ that nobody else in the entire world seems to have seen, and for which no evidence of its existence exists outside your own recollection…or that you saw a _ **different movie** _? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/235 "2014-05-10T01:24:33Z")
The strange and still unresolved thread on the Johnny Carson mystery guest made me think to go back and bump this thread. I mailed short, polite letters to Marshall, Hanks and Ross around February 20th, putting the question concisely and inviting answers from staff as well as the principals. It’s been nearly three months and no reply from any of them. Oh, well. Sort of sad to find that traditional fan mail is just ignored these days. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/236 "2014-05-19T18:51:40Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The strange and still unresolved thread on the Johnny Carson mystery guest made me think to go back and bump this thread. What thread is that now? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/237 "2014-05-19T19:06:40Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > What thread is that now? [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=722215). It was a lot of fun, and was resolved in the best SDMB fashion on 5/14. Of course, also in the best SDMB fashion, it was still going yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Cakecrumbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Cakecrumbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cakecrumbs)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/238 "2014-09-07T20:21:37Z")
I have just watched Big again for the first time in a few years, my husband made a comment about it while it was on asking if I thought they ever met up again. my reply was have u never saw this film?? I had in my head the ending where she went back and used the machine and joined him in class. I googled it once that wasn’t the ending that I watched and found this thread. I have watched the YouTube link and that’s definately not what I was thinking about. There was a young red headed girl in the endind I remember. My 14 year old daughter has just backed me up by agreeing about another ending so wondering if it does really exist! ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/239 "2014-09-07T21:56:22Z")
No. It doesn’t. It never has. But seeing how persistant this rumor is it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if someone cobbled together a phony alternate ending and tried to pass it off as real. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/240 "2014-09-07T22:34:52Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > No. It doesn’t. It never has. > But seeing how persistant this rumor is it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if someone cobbled together a phony alternate ending and tried to pass it off as real. Using zombies? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864.md?page=13)