Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film. It is the first installment of a film franchise and served as the directorial debut of Joe Johnston. The film stars Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, and Kristine Sutherland. In the film, a struggling inventor accidentally shrinks his kids, along with the neighbors' kids, down to the size of a quarter-inch. After being accidentally thrown out with the trash, they must work together and venture their way back through a backyard wilderness filled with dangerous insects and man-made hazards.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was theatrically released in the United States on June 23, 1989, and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. It was an unexpected box office success, grossing $222 million worldwide (equivalent to $524.1 million in 2022) becoming the highest-grossing live-action Disney film of all time, a record it held for five years, and the seventh-highest grossing film of 1989 worldwide. Its success led to two sequels, beginning with Honey, I Blew Up the Kid in 1992, as well as a television series and several theme-park attractions. An animated short film, Tummy Trouble starring Roger Rabbit, was shown in theatres with the film during its box office run.
Plot[]
Quirky scientist and inventor Wayne Szalinski has been designing a ray gun machine capable of shrinking and growing objects, but cannot get it to work properly. His obsession with the machine worries his hardworking wife Diane, teenage daughter Amy, and aspiring inventor son Nick. Next door, Big Russ Thompson, his wife Mae, and their younger son Ron are preparing for a fishing trip. Their elder son, Little Russ, is less than enthusiastic, as his interests often clash with his father's.
Shortly after Wayne leaves for a conference, Ron accidentally hits a baseball through the Szalinskis' attic window and into the machine, turning it on and blocking its targeting laser. Caught by his brother, Ron is forced to confess to Amy and Nick. Ron and Nick enter the attic to retrieve the ball and clean up the mess, and the activated machine shrinks them. Amy and Little Russ suffer the same fate when they go searching for their siblings.
At his conference, Wayne is laughed off the stage for failing to provide proof that his machine works. He enters the attic upon returning home; the shrunken children try to get his attention, but their voices are only loud enough to be heard by the family dog, Quark. Already frustrated, Wayne discovers the broken window and snaps, repeatedly striking the machine. He sweeps the debris, along with the kids, into a dust pan and trash bag. The four manage to escape, only to discover that the trash bag is now at the curb; they make their way back home through the Szalinskis' overgrown yard.
Meanwhile, the Thompson and Szalinski parents become uneasy at their children's absence. Mae and Big Russ cancel their fishing trip and file a missing persons report with the police. Wayne eventually pieces together what happened, but accidentally activates some sprinklers while inspecting the yard. As a result, Amy nearly drowns in a mud puddle, but Little Russ dives in to pull her out and revive her with rescue breaths. Wayne eventually reveals the truth to Diane, and she joins in the search. Later, she convinces Wayne to share the information with the Thompsons, but they remain skeptical.
The kids feast on one of Nick's discarded Oatmeal Creme Pie cookies, and use a crumb to capture a friendly forager ant, naming it "Antie" and riding it toward the house. As night falls, the group takes shelter in a Lego piece. Amy and Little Russ begin to express feelings for one another, and share a kiss. The kids are later attacked by a scorpion, but Antie, at the cost of its own life, helps them to drive the scorpion away.
The next morning, Nick's friend Tommy arrives to mow the lawn. The kids are forced to seek shelter in an earthworm tunnel, barely escaping the vortex caused by the mower, which Wayne and Diane shut off just in time. The kids hitch a ride on Quark, and enter the house, but Nick falls into a bowl of Cheerios and is nearly eaten by his own father. Quark bites Wayne's ankle to get his attention; Wayne discovers the kids' presence, and works to repair the machine.
Both families meet in the attic, and the kids use charades to inform Wayne that the baseball blocked the laser, which previously overheated targets and caused them to explode. Wayne corrects the problem, and Big Russ volunteers as a test subject; the test is successful, and he and the kids are later restored to their original sizes.
Months later at Thanksgiving, the Szalinskis and Thompsons have become good friends and are toasting over an enlarged turkey, while Quark feasts on a giant dog biscuit.
Cast[]
- Rick Moranis as Wayne Szalinski
- Matt Frewer as Russell "Big Russ" Thompson Sr.
- Marcia Strassman as Diane Szalinski
- Kristine Sutherland as Mae Thompson
- Thomas Wilson Brown as Russell "Little Russ" Thompson Jr.
- Jared Rushton as Ronald "Ron" Thompson
- Amy O'Neill as Amy Szalinski
- Robert Oliveri as Nick Szalinski
- Carl Steven as Tommy Pervis
- Mark L. Taylor as Donald "Don" Forrester
- Kimmy Robertson as Gloria Forrester
- Lou Cutell as Dr. Brainard
- Laura Waterbury as Female Cop
- Trevor Galtress as Male Cop
- Martin Aylett as Harold Boorstein
- Janet Sunderland as Lauren Boorstein
- Craig Richard Nelson as Prof. Frederickson (uncredited)
- Frank Welker as Special Vocal Effects (voice)