# Anyone else remember the alternate ending to "Big"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864
**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:** 9
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/161 "2013-09-05T21:14:03Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#):
>
> Does anyone else remember the alternate ending to this thread? Where once somebody pointed out where the confusion came from everyone just said “Oh, OK.” and went on with their lives?
That only appears in the New Zealand version of the SDMB.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/162 "2013-09-05T21:17:38Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> That only appears in the New Zealand version of the SDMB.
Aha! **Giraffe** did it!
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### Author:  [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/163 "2013-09-05T21:49:34Z")
I open this thread every single time with fresh optimism.
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### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/164 "2013-09-05T21:50:12Z")
> [@Scupper](#):
>
> It was in the novelization and in the Marvel comic adaptation. There isn’t a deleted scene available, that I know of, but there are fragments and photos of them shooting it.
>
> [http://www.theraider.net/films/raiders/deleted\_scenes.php](http://www.theraider.net/films/raiders/deleted_scenes.php)
Weird, I would’ve sworn I had seen that scene in the movie… but I did read the novelization afterward, so I guess it is a conflated memory.
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### Author:  [@Rickbee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rickbee)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/165 "2013-09-05T21:50:33Z")
I rest my case and i have to apologize. I was wrong. This is the case. 🙂
Long time ago i recorded from TV the movie 14 going on 30 on vhs tape. (And we all know THAT ending, don’t we?) Later on we accidentally recorded Big OVER 14-30, and since that movie takes longer than Big, right after the endcredits of Big, it continues with the ending of 14-30. The time we sat down to watch Big, we didn’t even noticed it. No other characters, the same actors, the swapping of the girl and the teacher. Just in the line of the story in Big. How could my wife and be so wrong all the time. That thing called memory. You really opened our eyes.
And of course thats exactly what happened to all the other people who THINK they saw an alternate Big ending. It’s the only explanation. For everyone around the world. NZ, India, UK, USA aso. Sorry guys.
Now with a serious face again. I must say. Why, why, why fcol, is there no copy to be found on the whole planet?..so far. On the other hand. 40millionzilliontrillionhundredthousand people believe Jezus walked on water, and thats not on you tube as well. And thats over 2000y ago by now. 😃
Signing off for now; bedtime in the Netherlands…
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/166 "2013-09-05T21:55:13Z")
> [@Rickbee](#):
>
> On the other hand. 40millionzilliontrillionhundredthousand people believe Jezus walked on water, and thats not on you tube as well. And thats over 2000y ago by now. 😃
Um…I don’t really think that’s advancing your argument at all…
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/167 "2013-09-05T21:58:16Z")
> [@Rickbee](#):
>
> 40millionzilliontrillionhundredthousand people believe Jezus walked on water, and thats not on you tube as well.
[He just had to move very fast.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ndi-Sr-FRA) 😉
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/168 "2013-09-05T21:59:52Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#):
>
> Does anyone else remember the alternate ending to this thread? Where once somebody pointed out where the confusion came from everyone just said “Oh, OK.” and went on with their lives?
That’s just crazy talk man.
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### Author:  [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/169 "2013-09-05T22:23:50Z")
It’s surprising that the alternate ending isn’t mentioned by the director in her autobiography (which of course discusses her ‘big’ hit), isn’t on the extended edition DVD (which does have other deleted scenes), and that the actress who played young Susan isn’t talking about her brush with greatness. It’s also somewhat odd that Disney copied the alternate ending for “14 Going on 30” without complaints from the writers or producers of “Big.”
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### Author:  [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/170 "2013-09-05T22:32:35Z")
> [@Rickbee](#):
>
> Now with a serious face again. I must say. Why, why, why fcol, is there no copy to be found on the whole planet?
I think you just answered your own question.
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### Author:  [@JayEff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayEff)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/171 "2014-02-03T16:55:58Z")
Imagine my surprise getting my hands on this movie only to realise the ending was not as I expected.
Going online to look for an alternate ending led me to this forum (via Google) and it is mind-boggling that so many people from all over the world remembers what appears to be a conundrum.
How I remember it:
Josh (Tom Hanks) walking down the street turning from big to young. He goes into his house and you can hear his mother inside.
Next scene is him in class and the teacher announces a new classmate, Susan, standing at the door to the room.
Bear in mind, I did not know about an alternate endings nor the hype of whether or not it actually exists.
Conclusion? I still believe! Albeit, this does not solve anything for there are a number of reasons why either side could be right. Be that old memory at fault or everyone involved in the making of the movie sworn to secrecy.
Absurd? Look up The Day the Clown Cried by Jerry Lewis.
/Jonathan
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/172 "2014-02-03T17:08:23Z")
> [@JayEff](#):
>
> Conclusion? I still believe! Albeit, this does not solve anything for there are a number of reasons why either side could be right. Be that old memory at fault or everyone involved in the making of the movie sworn to secrecy.
>
> Absurd? Look up The Day the Clown Cried by Jerry Lewis.
The conflation between _Big_ and _14 Going on 30_ is a completely adequate answer to all the confusion. Believe as you wish.
\*The Day the Clown Cried \*is proof of nothing much - the existence of the film isn’t disputed, and many details are known of its content (including some publicly released clips). The only “secret” is that the one man with total control of the material refuses to release it. It’s not as if it was once released and NOW is somehow trying to be hidden or denied.
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### Author:  [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/173 "2014-02-03T17:32:03Z")
> [@JayEff](#):
>
> Absurd? Look up The Day the Clown Cried by Jerry Lewis.
>
> /Jonathan
Please explain why you think this is relevant.
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### Author:  [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/174 "2014-02-03T17:41:11Z")
Can we get Rick or Darryl or Michonne or _ **somebody** _ in here to kill this thing?
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### Author:  [@DollyT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DollyT)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/175 "2014-02-21T15:51:40Z")
A home video release of this movie in New Zealand is rumored to have included the full version. It shows young Josh sitting in his classroom at school, when he turns around to notice a young female classmate of whom he recognises as Susan - who went back to the fairground machine and wished that she was Josh’s age. The US DVD release of this film was cut to exclude the word Fuck being said. It simply shows Josh and Billy walking up their street, then the credits roll in. The next scene was supposed to bring them to the classroom but it was cut.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/176 "2014-02-21T15:56:11Z")
> [@DollyT](#):
>
> A home video release of this movie in New Zealand is rumored to have included the full version. It shows young Josh sitting in his classroom at school, when he turns around to notice a young female classmate of whom he recognises as Susan - who went back to the fairground machine and wished that she was Josh’s age. The US DVD release of this film was cut to exclude the word Fuck being said. It simply shows Josh and Billy walking up their street, then the credits roll in. The next scene was supposed to bring them to the classroom but it was cut.
You are repeating an unsubstantiated rumor that has already been disproved numerous times, both in this thread and elsewhere.
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/177 "2014-02-21T15:57:11Z")
> [@DollyT](#):
>
> A home video release of this movie in New Zealand is rumored to have included the full version. It shows young Josh sitting in his classroom at school, when he turns around to notice a young female classmate of whom he recognises as Susan - who went back to the fairground machine and wished that she was Josh’s age. The US DVD release of this film was cut to exclude the word Fuck being said. It simply shows Josh and Billy walking up their street, then the credits roll in. The next scene was supposed to bring them to the classroom but it was cut.
I guess you didn’t bother to read the rest of the thread.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/178 "2014-02-21T16:00:13Z")
> [@DollyT](#):
>
> The next scene was supposed to bring them to the classroom but it was cut.
No, it wasn’t. It was never filmed for this movie, it was filmed for a different movie. Unless you have a clip from this alleged NZ home video release you’re just repeating what has been said multiple times in this thread. It’s a story without evidence, and there’s lots of evidence that says the story is wrong.
Try again, and welcome to the Straight Dope. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/179 "2014-02-21T16:15:19Z")
Will someone hold this stake while I pound it through the heart of this ever-undead thread?
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-remember-the-alternate-ending-to-big/103864/180 "2014-02-21T17:05:55Z")
Since no one appears to have ever followed up on this, although I am certain Unca Cece and any number of well-connected Dopers could do so easily… I have today written to Tom Hanks, Penny Marshall and Gary Ross to get a definitive answer to the question. I would expect at least staff replies from all three. Will post, of course.
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