DVD Review: Splash

The early 1980's were an interesting time for the film industry. On the one hand, the film making process was becoming more sophisticated. However, on the other side of things, it didn't yet seem necessary to make every film an over-the-top spectacle. A fable could still be made with a healthy dose of subtlety.

Ron Howard came to the film Splash with only the feature film Night Shift and a couple of TV movies under his belt. This was a time when people only knew him as either Opie Taylor or Richie Cunningham. The title of "Oscar Winning Director" was still a long way off.

If you had heard of Tom Hanks in 1984, you likely only knew him as one of those guys from Bosum Buddies who dressed in drag. The title of "Multiple Best Actor Oscar Winner" was still a long way off.

Who could have imagined it?

And yet, the charming little film Splash offers up some significant clues about the future of these two super stars. What could have been a ridiculous movie about a mermaid is instead a touching, sometimes outragiously funny, and surprisingly effective romantic comedy.

Hanks plays Allen Bauer, a man unlucky in love and who once almost drowned as a boy. When he falls into the ocean and once again almost drowns, he is rescued by, of all people (if that's the right word), a mermaid (Daryl Hannah). The mermaid decides she wants to be with Allen, so she follows him onto land, where he tail turns into a pair of legs, making her appear completely human.

At first she can't speak, but she quickly learns English and gives herself the name Madison (and, incidentally, sparking off a generation of little girls all sharing that name). She and Allen fall in love, even though Allen deduces that there is something decidedly odd about his new girlfriend.

Splash really set the stage for Tom Hanks to rise to stardom. The notion of falling for a mermaid is ridiculous, yet Hanks makes it seem as natural as any conventional love story involving normal humans. His gift is that he is almost instantly likable on screen and seems thoroughly sincere. Splash is filled with great comedic performances, by the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy and even Daryl Hannah, but Hanks is the glue that holds it all together. He makes it all convincing.

Excellent, too, is Ron Howard's direction. There are some obvious signs of inexperience, but you can definitely see the narrative touches he lends to the film that he will perfect and refine over the coming years.

Watching this film again 20 years later, one can't help but notice how dated it appears. This is to be expected of older films. Yet, the remarkable thing is that the way the story unfolds and the perfect chemistry of the cast is timeless. Splash was a surprise smash at the box office in 1984 and jumpstarted Touchstone pictures for Disney. Now on DVD, the film stands the test of time as a true classic.

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