Harry and the Hendersons

Harry and the Hendersons is a 1987 American fantasy comedy film directed and produced by William Dear and starring John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, Don Ameche, David Suchet, Margaret Langrick, Joshua Rudoy, Lainie Kazan, and Kevin Peter Hall. Steven Spielberg served as its uncredited executive producer, while Rick Baker provided the makeup and the creature designs for Harry. It is the story of a Seattle family's encounter with the cryptozoological creature Bigfoot, partially inspired by the numerous claims of sightings in the Pacific Northwest, California and other parts of both the United States and Canada since the late 1960s. The film won an Academy Award for Best Makeup, and inspired a follow-up TV series of the same name.[1] In the United Kingdom, the film was originally released as Bigfoot and the Hendersons, though the TV series retained the American title. The DVD and all current showings of the movie in the UK now refer to the movie by its original title.

In conjunction with the film's setting, shooting took place at several locations in the Cascade Range of Washington state near I-90 and the town of Index near US 2 as well as Seattle's Wallingford, Ballard and Beacon Hill neighborhoods and other locations in or around Seattle's I-5 corridor. While the film received mixed reviews, it was a box office success, with a combined domestic and international return of just under $50 million against a production budget of $16 million.

Plot
George Henderson (John Lithgow) is returning to his suburban Seattle home with his family from a camping trip in the nearby Cascade mountains when they hit something with the family Ford Country Squire. George investigates, and discovers to his horror and awe, that they have hit a Sasquatch. Thinking they have killed it, they decide to take the creature home, strapping it to the roof of their car. Meanwhile, a mysterious hunter has been tracking the creature and discovers the Hendersons' license plate, which fell off when they hit the creature.

Later that night, George goes out to the garage to examine the creature and discovers that it is not dead, and has escaped. He hears noises from his kitchen and sees the creature, which has knocked over the fridge looking for food. The family realizes that the creature is friendly and kind. George has a change of heart; at first he wished to make money from the creature, but now decides to take him back to the wild. Naming the creature "Harry," George tries to lure him into the station wagon, but Harry believes that the Hendersons mean him harm and instead he disappears.

Saddened, the family resume their normal lives, but sightings of Harry become more frequent and the media fervor heightens. George tries to find Harry in order to keep him safe. George visits the "North American Museum of Anthropology" to speak with Dr. Wallace Wrightwood, an expert on Bigfoot, but is disheartened when he realizes its ramshackle state. Giving his number to the clerk (Don Ameche) inside the Museum, George resumes his search for Harry. The hunter from the woods is Jacques LaFleur (David Suchet), a legendary hunter who became obsessed with Bigfoot and has hunted for one ever since becoming a laughingstock. LaFleur tracks down the Hendersons and is closer to finding Harry.

After a Harry sighting, George goes into the city to search for him. Meanwhile, the police are dealing with the "Bigfoot Mania" by apprehending several local enthusiasts that are hunting Bigfoot, in case the Bigfoot in question is someone dressed in a costume. Following a car chase, George is able to save Harry from LaFleur, and LaFleur is arrested by police officers. When George brings Harry home, he and the Hendersons bury the hunting trophies and pay their respects to the dead animals that were converted into hunting trophies.

The next morning, the neighbors notice hair in the Hendersons pool, and Harry is seen being dried off while watching The Addams Family. In jail, LaFleur calls someone and tells him to secure his immediate release because he has a lead on Bigfoot. George calls Dr. Wrightwood from the museum and invites him to dinner to speak about Bigfoot. At dinner, the museum clerk is revealed to be Dr. Wrightwood, having also become a laughingstock. Dr. Wrightwood tells George and the family to give up on Bigfoot, as it has destroyed his life and will destroy theirs, but then he meets Harry, and instantly agrees to take him to safety, away from the city. By this time, LaFleur has been bailed of jail and heads to the Henderson house. George and Harry escape the house with Dr. Wrightwood in his old truck. LaFleur gives chase and eventually catches up with the Henderson family.

Fleeing back to the mountains, George tries to make Harry leave, going so far as to hit Harry. Confused and upset, Harry does not leave. LaFleur catches up to them and attacks the Hendersons dog. Harry attacks LaFleur, but George intervenes. Through George's faith and Harry's kindness, LaFleur changes his mind and decides that Harry deserves to live peacefully. As the family says goodbye, George thanks Harry for all he has done for the family and tells him to take care of himself. to which Harry replies "Okay" (his first spoken word). As Harry leaves, several other Sasquatches appear from their hiding places and also disappear into the wilderness with him, to the amazement of the Hendersons. When Dr. Wrightwood asks LaFleur what he's going to do next, LaFleur replies, "I don't know. There's always Loch Ness." As the two of them laugh at that comment, the Hendersons keep waving goodbye to Harry.

Cast

 * John Lithgow as George Henderson
 * Melinda Dillon as Nancy Henderson
 * Margaret Langrick as Sarah Henderson
 * Joshua Rudoy as Ernie Henderson
 * Kevin Peter Hall as Harry (in-suit performer)
 * Rick Baker as Harry (puppeteer)
 * Tom Hester as Harry (puppeteer)
 * Tim Lawrence as Harry (puppeteer)
 * Fred Newman as Harry (voice)
 * Lainie Kazan as Irene Moffat
 * Don Ameche as Dr. Wallace Wrightwood
 * David Suchet as Jacques LaFleur
 * M. Emmet Walsh as George Henderson Sr.
 * William Dear as Sighting Man