Harry and the Hendersons

Harry and the Hendersons follows the Henderson's encounter with the legendary Bigfoot and the friendship that blossoms between the family and the creature.

The film inspired a television sitcom in the early 1990s for Universal Television starring Bruce Davison.

Fast Facts

1. Director: William Dear
2. Producers: Dear, Richard Vane
3. Writers: Dear, Bill Martin, Ezra D. Rappaport
4. Release date: June 5, 1987
5. Starring John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, Margaret Langrick
6. Running time: 110 minutes
7. According to Martin, Harry is named after Harry Nilsson
8. Released in the UK as Bigfoot and the Hendersons
9. Tagline: When you can't believe your eyes, trust your heart.

Critical Reception

Rick Baker won an Academy Award in 1988 for Best Makeup for Harry and the Hendersons. The film also won Saturn Awards for Best Fantasy Film, Best Director and Best Actress. Though the film has survived modestly in the DVD era, it received mixed reviews at the time of its release and maintains a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its total domestic box office upon its release was just under $30 million.

Many reviews at the time saw Harry and the Hendersons as an attempt to recreate the family-fantasy success Steven Spielberg had with E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, with less positive results.

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