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Special Features
- Commentary by director Ron Howard, producer Brian Glazer, writers Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel with and introduction and closing by Ron Howard
- Tom Hanks & Daryl Hannah auditions
- "Making a Splash" new making-of feature
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential video
Tom Hanks was a relatively unknown TV actor with a sitcom as his biggest credit when relatively unknown director Ron Howard (best known for his own sitcom acting) cast him in this surprise hit. It made stars of Hanks, Daryl Hannah, and John Candy and an A-list director out of Howard. Hannah is a mermaid who comes to Manhattan in search of Hanks, the guy she has twice saved from drowning. Hanks runs a business with his lovable blowhard brother (Candy), whose goal in life is to have a letter published in Penthouse. When this perfect woman shows up, Hanks can't believe his luck and plunges into a dizzyingly romantic relationship, unaware of her sea-water secret. But the mermaid needs to soak and unfurl her tail from time to time, which leads to complications, including her capture by the government for scientific study (what else?). Hanks is winningly charming and Hannah is a perfect match in this enjoyably high-spirited comedy, though the biggest laughs belong to Candy. --Marshall Fine
Product Description
Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah. A beautiful mermaid grows legs when on land and captivates a young businessman who has no idea she's a creature of the sea. Directed by Ron Howard. 1984/color/109 min/PG/widescreen.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The DVD extras really make this 20th anniversary re-release worth owning. This movie has been run repeatedly (in edited form) on television, so there probably aren't that many people who haven't had a chance to see this delightful fantasy. The "making-of" video and the commentary track give a fascinating glimpse into the way that Hollywood works. Why did Disney wind up making this film? How did Tom Hanks get the lead? How did they choose Darryl Hannah? Who was the film's "real" star? How did they pull off the underwater shots? What was the lobster that Madison ate in the restaurant? If you have a soft spot for this film, it's a joy to watch and a real treat to get to know better.
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Tom Hanks had done a couple of TV shows and the producers of "Splash" really wanted a bigger name actor in their movie. Daryl Hannah had made a favorable impression in a bit part in "Blade Runner" but the big "name" in the announced cast of Splash was John Candy, who was probably paid as much as the rest of the cast combined in the role of brother Freddy.
It would have been very easy for the movie to become a broad farce with Candy and Eugene Levy in the love story of the man and the mermaid, but writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel found the right note between love story and comedy, and the cast pulls off both. The comedy varies between clever and slapstick, and seeing the film again 20 years later still made me laugh at parts. As expected, Candy and Levy do the heavy lifting in the comedy department, and they are both hilarious in their respective scenes. The whole movie wouldn't work at all, though, if we didn't believe in the central love story - and Hanks and Hannah make it work.
Hannah is a mermaid apparently not unlike Disney's Ariel. She has a tail when wet, and legs when dry. Hanks is Allen Bauer, who has inherited his father's wholesale produce business along with brother Freddy. As a child Allen suddenly jumped into the water off Cape Cod, where the child mermaid rescues him until the adults can fetch him from the water.
As an adult Allen has commitment issues and admits he doesn't love his girlfriend. After a friend's wedding he returns to Cape Cod for a little nostalgia. Another boating accident results in another mermaid rescue, but the "girl" runs away as Allen regains consciousness on shore.
The mermaid fetches Allen's wallet from the ocean floor and follows a map to track Allen down in New York City. She climbs onto dry land at the statue of liberty - lacking a tail and clothes - and is taken into custody by the police. They call the guy who owns the wallet she's carrying. (The mermaid, of course, can't speak English...)
So Allen and the Mermaid are united again, where the attraction is powerful and mutual. The Mermaid learns English watching television for an afternoon (this makes the rest of the movie easier!) and she decides to make her American name "Madison" while looking at a street sign for Madison Avenue. (Many Americans subsequently chose "Madison" for their daughters after this movie.)
Allen only knows Madison is "foreign". Madison's time on land is limited. (For reasons that aren't exposed in the film.) Levy portrays a renegade pseudo-scientist who has been searching for a mermaid his entire career. When one swims past while he's diving at Cape Cod he is startled. Then he sees a newspaper photo of a nude girl at the Statue of Liberty that looks a lot like the mermaid...
The plot isn't difficult to guess, but the performances are full of funny and touching flourishes that make you laugh and care about these characters. This isn't really a 5-star movie - but I couldn't choose 4 1/2. It's a pleasant way to spend some time with your own sweetie.
It would have been very easy for the movie to become a broad farce with Candy and Eugene Levy in the love story of the man and the mermaid, but writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel found the right note between love story and comedy, and the cast pulls off both. The comedy varies between clever and slapstick, and seeing the film again 20 years later still made me laugh at parts. As expected, Candy and Levy do the heavy lifting in the comedy department, and they are both hilarious in their respective scenes. The whole movie wouldn't work at all, though, if we didn't believe in the central love story - and Hanks and Hannah make it work.
Hannah is a mermaid apparently not unlike Disney's Ariel. She has a tail when wet, and legs when dry. Hanks is Allen Bauer, who has inherited his father's wholesale produce business along with brother Freddy. As a child Allen suddenly jumped into the water off Cape Cod, where the child mermaid rescues him until the adults can fetch him from the water.
As an adult Allen has commitment issues and admits he doesn't love his girlfriend. After a friend's wedding he returns to Cape Cod for a little nostalgia. Another boating accident results in another mermaid rescue, but the "girl" runs away as Allen regains consciousness on shore.
The mermaid fetches Allen's wallet from the ocean floor and follows a map to track Allen down in New York City. She climbs onto dry land at the statue of liberty - lacking a tail and clothes - and is taken into custody by the police. They call the guy who owns the wallet she's carrying. (The mermaid, of course, can't speak English...)
So Allen and the Mermaid are united again, where the attraction is powerful and mutual. The Mermaid learns English watching television for an afternoon (this makes the rest of the movie easier!) and she decides to make her American name "Madison" while looking at a street sign for Madison Avenue. (Many Americans subsequently chose "Madison" for their daughters after this movie.)
Allen only knows Madison is "foreign". Madison's time on land is limited. (For reasons that aren't exposed in the film.) Levy portrays a renegade pseudo-scientist who has been searching for a mermaid his entire career. When one swims past while he's diving at Cape Cod he is startled. Then he sees a newspaper photo of a nude girl at the Statue of Liberty that looks a lot like the mermaid...
The plot isn't difficult to guess, but the performances are full of funny and touching flourishes that make you laugh and care about these characters. This isn't really a 5-star movie - but I couldn't choose 4 1/2. It's a pleasant way to spend some time with your own sweetie.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Splash is a wonderful, romantic comedy about a man and a mermaid who fall in love for each other. This is one of Tom Hanks' earliest hits that made him a star. His co-star, Darryl Hannah, who plays Madison the mermaid, has never really had a hot film career away from this movie, sadly enough. The late John Candy and Eugene Levy provide some of the film's hilarious comedy as well. This film was directed by Ron Howard. A movie about a mermaid has to be good, and Splash does this so well. Tips off to the crew of this movie who made it so real. The underwater sequences are well done as well as Daryl Hannah herself as the mermaid. She is utterly believable as a mermaid! She is just so sexy in the rubber mermaid tail suit. She swims in it so well. This movie really brought a fairy tale type story to life. A must see for everyone. This film was followed by "Splash, Too", a Disney TV movie sequel in 1988 starring Todd Waring and Amy Yasbeck in the Hanks/Hannah roles. Unfortunately, this sequel is not on home video.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Splash (20th Anniversary Edition)
THIS IS A REGION 1 ONLY DVD. If you are ordering from outside the U.S.A., make sure your DVD player is multi-regional. Other than that, great sound and picture quality.
Published 2 months ago by Matt
Mermaid Stories Gotta Love em
I love mermaids and stories about them. There is one scene where she is taking him down into the depths of the ocean that stands out in my mind. Read more
Published 2 months ago by NJD
no english subtitles/close captioned
i wanted to buy this dvd but it does not have close captioned. info says subtitled in spanish. why not english subtitles?
Published 4 months ago by mstearsman
Not happy with the packaging
Although the movie worked just fine (I tested it) the packaging of the DVD box itself was horrible. The cover was wrinkled and crumbled and had half of the protective plastic... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Gracie
such a lovely film--somewhat scary in parts, not so much for little...
I watched this film in early 1992 in 1st grade and 10 years later in 2002 in 11th grade. Both times, i had a startlingly strong response to the way the government scientists... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Leah Arielle
GREAT MOVIE FROM THE 80s.
Darryl Hannah and Tom Hanks were great in the movie. John Candy is classic in it as well. Buy this one and youll thoroughly enjoy it. I even named my daughter after the movie. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Michael A. Monday
Watched "Splash"
I hadn't seen this movie since I was teenager. It's so funny and romantic! I love the story between the mermaid and the food businessman. Tom Hanks is a very good actor.
Published 7 months ago by Kitty
Great movie
Bought this as a gift. Hard to believe the movie Splash is having a 20th Anniversary. Great movie. Great deal. Thank you.
Published 8 months ago by OGonzo
Got it for a gift....
THANK YOU SELLER FOR SENDING THIS SOOOOO FAST!!!! I GOT IT IN 2 DAYS!!!! AMAZING!!! I wasnt sure it would have been here before my dads birthday but you got it here for me to wrap... Read more
Published 12 months ago by e
Memorie Lane
When I first got cable way back when, the sun would always rise and set and Splash would be on sometimes during that day! Read more
Published 12 months ago by Charles A. Shack
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