# What happened to the alternate ending to Big? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801 "2008-07-17T05:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/61 "2016-05-23T06:42:03Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Forget it, Loc’. It’s BigTown. > > If the alternate ending exists, and it ever shows up, boy, won’t we look stupid. “It doesn’t DO anything. That’s the beauty of it!” BigTown with the giant Piano in FAO Schwartz! That’s the thing: if this ending really existed, it would be plagued with debate until the end of movies, but would’ve brought the most happy tears from the audience, making it the winner of the sappy-as-hell award. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/62 "2016-05-23T14:39:07Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > BigTown with the giant Piano in FAO Schwartz! Susan: Play it, Sam. Play “Heart and Soul” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/63 "2016-05-23T15:06:10Z")
Does anyone else remember an alternate topic where we talked about the alternate ending to Big? ---
**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:** [May 23, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/64 "2016-05-23T16:12:16Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Does anyone else remember an alternate topic where we talked about the alternate ending to Big? That was actually a thread about the movie “14 Going On 30”. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/65 "2016-05-23T17:14:13Z")
Wow, someone bumped the alternate alternate ending thread. Because I remembered a whole other set of discussions about the alternate ending, but this one didn’t have them, and I was confused. I guess you can only get the other thread in New Zealand, where they show it every Christmas Eve. ---
**Author:** ![mallio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@mallio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallio)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/66 "2017-03-24T21:18:52Z")
The 1988 movie big with tom hanks does have an alternate ending where susan wishes to be joshes age and enters the classroom with pig tails and all but it was cut from most release formats the extended edition does have over 26 minutes of previously ureleased scenes but it still does not include the alternate ending so for those whom only thought they imagined the ending I can confirm it was real as I did see it on a vhs release in 1993 but have not been able to find it on dvd but I do however still have the vhs copy including the alternate ending. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/67 "2017-03-24T21:21:19Z")
Great, my other thread about this topic has also been resurrected. [No, mallio, there is no other ending. You are thinking of this ending from another movie.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6783tkwbZw0&feature=youtu.be&t=151) [It’s called the Mandela Effect. My thread on this topic has even been cited in articles about this effect.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=109762&page=11) The ending does NOT exist. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/68 "2017-03-24T21:47:52Z")
> [@mallio](#): > > The 1988 movie big with tom hanks does have an alternate ending where susan wishes to be joshes age and enters the classroom with pig tails and all but it was cut from most release formats the extended edition does have over 26 minutes of previously ureleased scenes but it still does not include the alternate ending so for those whom only thought they imagined the ending I can confirm it was real as I did see it on a vhs release in 1993 but have not been able to find it on dvd but I do however still have the vhs copy including the alternate ending. No, no, no…a thousand times _no!_ ---
**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:** [March 24, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/69 "2017-03-24T21:51:56Z")
> [@mallio](#): > > The 1988 movie big with tom hanks does have an alternate ending where susan wishes to be joshes age and enters the classroom with pig tails and all but it was cut from most release formats the extended edition does have over 26 minutes of previously ureleased scenes but it still does not include the alternate ending so for those whom only thought they imagined the ending I can confirm it was real as I did see it on a vhs release in 1993 but have not been able to find it on dvd but I do however still have the vhs copy including the alternate ending. What are the details of this VHS copy-serial number, release date etc. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/70 "2017-03-24T21:57:59Z")
> [@mallio](#): > > The 1988 movie big with tom hanks does have an alternate ending where susan wishes to be joshes age and enters the classroom with pig tails and all but it was cut from most release formats the extended edition does have over 26 minutes of previously ureleased scenes but it still does not include the alternate ending so for those whom only thought they imagined the ending I can confirm it was real as I did see it on a vhs release in 1993 but have not been able to find it on dvd but I do however still have the vhs copy including the alternate ending. Great! Since you still have the VHS copy you can put it online. Don’t worry that the picture quality might be less than perfect, as long as we can identify David Moscow as young Josh in the classroom. Post the link quickly so we can all see it before the copyright police take the video down. By the way, who was the actress credited as young Susan? ---
**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:** [March 24, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/71 "2017-03-24T22:03:21Z")
> [@mallio](#): > > The 1988 movie big with tom hanks does have an alternate ending where susan wishes to be joshes age and enters the classroom with pig tails and all but it was cut from most release formats the extended edition does have over 26 minutes of previously ureleased scenes but it still does not include the alternate ending so for those whom only thought they imagined the ending I can confirm it was real as I did see it on a vhs release in 1993 but have not been able to find it on dvd but I do however still have the vhs copy including the alternate ending. I think we could raise funds to have that tape digitized for YouTube. PM or email me with your contact info and let’s get started. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/72 "2017-03-24T23:31:34Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I think we could raise funds to have that tape digitized for YouTube. PM or email me with your contact info and let’s get started. I’ll contribute 20 bucks. Let’s make this happen! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/73 "2017-03-25T00:09:12Z")
> [@mallio](#): > > … but I do however still have the vhs copy including the alternate ending. I missed that part of your post. Please take a screen shot of it and put it online. And yes, we can digitize it. I mean, we could if it existed. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/74 "2017-03-25T00:48:14Z")
This really is THE most important issue of this era, innit? ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/75 "2017-03-25T02:04:20Z")
> [@mallio](#): > > The 1988 movie big with tom hanks does have an alternate ending where susan wishes to be joshes age and enters the classroom with pig tails and all but it was cut from most release formats the extended edition does have over 26 minutes of previously ureleased scenes but it still does not include the alternate ending so for those whom only thought they imagined the ending I can confirm it was real as I did see it on a vhs release in 1993 but have not been able to find it on dvd but I do however still have the vhs copy including the alternate ending. And you have just busted a longstanding urban legend. Good work! No need to provide any evidence as we’ll just take your word for it. Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/76 "2017-03-25T02:15:25Z")
This thread is old enough to talk its way into a job at a toy company. ---
**Author:** ![marji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@marji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marji)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/77 "2018-01-24T01:08:28Z")
I do realize this thread is really old, but since I see recent posts I’ll comment. Sorry, all those who say there was not an alternate ending and we’re all having mass hallucinations out here. When we all remember the “new girl” with red braids being introduced to the class Josh was in, it’s definitely NOT the ending to the other movie you listed the link to on YouTube. I never saw that movie anyway, so I can’t be remembering it. This “ending” question has been bothering me for years and years, like every time I see a rerun of Big on some old movie channel, and I guess I never thought I’d find something so trivial being listed on the internet search, but voila, here I am, and here you all are. Now, I saw the movie in the theatre when it first came out, and I remember the alternate ending exactly as folks are talking about. It was a scene after Josh and his friend are walking down the street, it was the next day in the classsroom and the credits ran over most of that scene. It was very short, just the teacher introducing the new girl with the red braids to Josh’s class, and she (Susan) smiles at him. This ending was set up at the Zoltar machine, when Josh tells Susan, “You could come with me…” In the ending I saw in the movie theatre, she does. Whether or not you think it makes sense, or where would she live, or if it was corny notwithstanding, it was there. Now, I have no concrete proof such as a tape, but Erie, Pennsylvania is definitely a test market, used by many advertisers, manufacturers, and occasionally the movie industry. I used to work in advertising as well as broadcasting, so I know from first hand experience. And I know that the movie industry often tests movies before general release, and that audience reaction can determine the final cut, or even cause scenes to be reshot. So, yes, there was a different ending in some places, including Erie. It apparently was tested and didn’t fly. Whether you would call it an official “alternative” ending I don’t know, because I’m not sure how you’re defining that, and I’m sure someone will be anal enough to argue about the definition. But it was there and I saw it, and now that I’ve found this old old thread I can sleep tonight, lol. So thanks to all who said they saw it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/78 "2018-01-24T01:14:26Z")
Oh God…it lives!!! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/79 "2018-01-24T01:31:32Z")
If there were alternate endings filmed they certainly would have surfaced by now. There would be records from the shooting, editing, test audiences, and the actors, directors, and crew would recall it. Nothing like that has ever shown up, and everyone involved has denied an alternate ending was ever shot. On the other hand we have a similar movie released at the same time with an ending that nearly exactly matches your memories. Erie or not, the chances that your memories are accurate are vanishingly small. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801/80 "2018-01-24T01:54:46Z")
[Mandela Effect.](https://www.buzzfeed.com/christopherhudspeth/crazy-examples-of-the-mandela-effect-that-will-make-you-ques?utm_term=.wdoOYEnYV#.mhQbaX0am) Yet another reason why humanity is doomed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-alternate-ending-to-big/456801.md?page=5)