"Either God's in the salvage business, or Bigfoot stole my car."      

MY GIANT (PG) 

Reviewed April 11, 1998 - Check out the My Giant website.

In My Giant, Billy Crystal stars as Sam Kamin, a down-on-his-luck talent agent who's just about at the end of his rope.  With his marriage on the rocks, his career in shambles, and with barely a dime to call his own, Sam finds himself driving through the Romanian countryside one day when he crashes his car into a river (while trying to avoid some sheep).  However, when Sam is rescued by a Shakespeare-quoting giant named Max (played by 7'7" Gheorghe Muresan), Sam quickly sees an opportunity for profit.  Just think of it...the biggest, scariest, most intimidating human being to hit the silver screen!  Ever on the lookout for the almighty dollar, Sam convinces Max to come to America, where he promises to make Max "a star" while Max searches for his long lost love Lilliana. 

One part ridiculous sight-gag, one part touching friendship story, My Giant is one of those films that tries to be simultaneously funny and moving.  And, with Crystal at the helm, it almost works.  Yes, there are moments of laugh-out-loud laughter in this film, and yes, there are some heartfelt scenes as well.  Unfortunately, none of it comes together cohesively enough to make a very memorable story.  Though Muresan manages to be likeable throughout the film, his character is also forced to endure some Frankenstein-like indignities that feel disturbingly out of place in this "feel good" comedy.  Okay, so Sam eventually tries to do what is right for giant Max, but does that make up for the long trail of lies and deceits that Sam fabricates along the way?  Put in another way, would you forgive Sam if he booked you to fight in a pro wrestling match against a group of midgets? 

Big, naive oaf strung along by short, fast-talking New Yorker who slowly discovers that he has a heart...sometimes it works, but in My Giant the overall effect is fairly unsatisfying.  Fee-fi-fo-furget it.

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

rfksecond2@cs.com gives this movie  stars: "Gheorghe M. sucks at acting. The movie was funny, dramatic, but a little stale." (6/21/00)

Eunice gives this movie  stars: "I thought it was a funny movie." (4/18/98)