Splash (1984)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

Brian Grazer (story)
Bruce Jay Friedman (screen story)

Release Date:

9 March 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Two days ago, this girl showed up naked at the Statue of Liberty. For Alan Bauer, it was love at first sight. Now, everyone is chasing her... trying to prove she's a mermaid. From the first laugh you'll be hooked.

Plot:

A man is reunited with a mermaid who saves him from drowning as a boy and falls in love not knowing who/what she is.

Plot Keywords:

Mermaid | Love | New York | Language Learning | Self Discovery

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Allen Bauer
Daryl Hannah	...	Madison
Eugene Levy	...	Walter Kornbluth
John Candy	...	Freddie Bauer
Dody Goodman	...	Mrs. Stimler
Shecky Greene	...	Mr. Buyrite
Richard B. Shull	...	Dr. Ross
Bobby Di Cicco	...	Jerry
Howard Morris	...	Dr. Zidell
Tony DiBenedetto	...	Tim, The Doorman (as Tony Di Benedetto)
Patrick Cronin	...	Michaelson
Charles Walker	...	Michaelson's Partner
David Knell	...	Claude
Jeff Doucette	...	Junior
Royce D. Applegate	...	Buckwalter

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Netherlands:MG6 (DVD rating) | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Norway:12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The little boy in the toothpaste commercial that Madison sees while watching television at the department store is Emmanuel Lewis.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where Allen falls overboard at Cape Cod and his wallet has dropped to the ocean floor, you can see his "Charg-A-Card" with a "Vista" logo on it. When Madison takes it to the shipwreck to look for a map of New York, the "Vista" logo is no longer visible.

Quotes:

Allen: I hope we have a boy and a girl.
Madison: [worriedly] What 'kind?'

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Willow: The Making of an Adventure (1988) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Wooly Bully

A "Splash" Of A Romantic Comedy!

Here's a true piece of Hollywood Candy, a sweet as they come! An 8-year old boy falls off of a tour boat at Cape Cod and is saved from drowning by what appears to be a little girl mermaid. The boy never forgets about what happened that day, although everyone insists he was hallucinating.

Years later, now a man (and played by Tom Hanks), another trip to Cape Cod brings dejavu: Hanks falls off of a tour boat and is rescued by an all grown mermaid (played by Daryl Hannah). Could it be the same mermaid that saved him when he was a boy? -- The mermaid has normal legs when kept dry, but once splashed with water, the legs turn into fish fins. Hannah is able to conceal her true identity, until a "bad guy" exposes her. There are complications, but eventually everything comes up roses.

One great scene is where the grown up mermaid spends 6 hours in the electronics department of a store, and learns the English language fluently by watching TV non-stop. Cute! -- This film is very entertaining and helps us feel compassion for anyone who is somehow different from what society considers the norm. The somewhat predictable ending is beautiful! Highly recommended, especially to the hopelessly romantic cinema enthusiasts out there!