PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE

US, 1985, 87 minutes, Colour.
Paul Reubens.
Directed by Tim Burton.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure became a huge cult success in the United States and in many other countries. Pee Wee Herman is the television and film name of comedian Paul Reubens. He is in the little man comedy tradition, a touch of the Jerry Lewis, a voice like Woody Woodpecker, an eternal child doing adult things. He is not everybody's choice of top custodian. However, a touch of the zany, a touch of the innocent and naive, a touch of the shrewd all helped to make him popular in the mid '30s.

The film is a bit of an odyssey across America as Pee Wee goes searching for his lost bike. There are some amusing vignettes along the way, as he encounters people on the highway. There is also an amusing tour of the Alamo. The climax is in Warner Bros' studio where he does a kind of Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles tour of the various sets and finishes up with a film about himself. However, as he goes to the drive-in to see it, we see that the film has become a James Bond style drama with James Brolin and Morgan Fairchild as the stars. There are also guest appearances by Tony Bill with a glimpse of Milton Berle. Direction is by Tim Burton who directed Beetlejuice (and Large Marge's Ghost Story has make up similar to the ghosts in Beetlejuice) and Batman.

1. The Pee Wee Herman phenomenon? Personality, style? Appearance, clothes, make-up? His dolls' house, the bike, the garden? His love of magic? Way of speaking and laughing, the little man, naive, shrewd?

2. The Americana comedy, the tour of America? Danny Elfman's score (reminiscent of Nino Rota's scores for Fellini's films (with a touch of the clown?)

3. The establishing of the character of Pee Wee: the dream and his winning of the Tour de France, the clown like riding of the bike? Waking up? His love of his own bike? The machines for breakfast, etc? Francis and his demanding the bike? Going to the magic shop and enjoying all the tricks? The friendship with Dotty and her wanting to go to the drive-in? The bike gone?

4. The meeting with Francis and his father, into the swimming pool, the accusation, Francis's denial, Pee Wee's apology? His organising the meeting and talking for three hours? Rejecting their help? Fear and scare?

5. The trip across America: the road film parody, his hitchhiking and meeting Mike, like as a criminal, nice, the disguise with the beard and Pee Wee and the dress, the police, over the cliff and the parachute? The meeting with Large Marge and the truck, the ghost story and the pop-out eyes, the truckers and their fear of Large Marge? Large Marge as the ghost? His losing his wallet, doing the enormous wash-up, meeting Simone as the nice waitress, looking at the sunrise with her, the dinosaur statue? The dream and living in the city of eternal love ? in the dinosaur's teeth? The pleasant romance? Simone talking and getting advice from Pee Wee? Andy chasing him with the dinosaur bone? Jumping the train, the dream, the bike? And the dinosaur eating it? Meeting the tramp, singing 'She'll He Comin' Round the Mountain When She Comes,' falling off?

6. Texas: the visit to San Antonio, the Alamo, Tina and tour, all smiles, the tour group and their following her, all saying 'adobe' together? Pee Wee asking where the basement was and everybody laughing, his running away? Simone going to Paris? Ringing Dotty? that it was Texas by everybody clapping their hands for 'Deep in the Heart? The apology, the dog? Humility? Andy cashing him through the parade? The cowboy clothes, the rodeo, his going on the bull and being a champion, Andy chased by the bull? The bikies and their quiet, the phone, ousting? The knocking over of all the bikes? The girl, the high shoes and the dance? The pals and the bike, his going through the billboard, the ambulance? The dream and the clown on the sweets, the flame on the bike, the thief?

7. Hollywood: seeing the TV, the Warner Bros film and the use of the bike? The studios, Milton Berle and laughing, the extras, the set and the set ups, the bike, the child star and his crankiness with the nun, the nun wanting to quit, Pee Wee disguised as a nun? The nun with the bike, the security chase throughout the lot, the gadgets on the bike and eluding the pursuers, chaos on the sets, the beach party set, the boat and the skiers, the North Pole and the sleigh, Santa Claus following, the science fiction with the monster and the Japanese director? Riding over the model tanks? The explosion? The rock group,(Twisted Sister), Pee Wee as Tarzan with the rope and the bike, leaping over the house? The pet shop girl, helping the animals? The birds, the mice, eventually taking out the snakes and fainting? The hero but his arrest? The Warner Bros director getting the contract for the movie?

8. At the drive in, feeding everyone, the tramps, and the file in the cake, Simone and Pierre, James Bond - James Brolin and Morgan Fairchild and the martial arts imitating his story? Pee Wee laughing? His appearance as the desk clerk with a dubbed voice? Pressing the button and the thief going on the ejector pole?

9. American comedy, reasons for its popularity? Cult status?