Honey, I Shrunk the Kids


1h 33m 1989

Brief Synopsis

An inventor accidentally shrinks his children with his latest invention.

Film Details

Also Known As
Cherie, j'ai retreci les gosses, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, Älskling jag krympte barnen
MPAA Rating
Genre
Horror/Science-Fiction
Adventure
Comedy
Family
Fantasy
Release Date
1989
Distribution Company
NEW WORLD PICTURES/WALT DISNEY STUDIOS DISTRIBUTION
Location
Estudios Churubusco, Mexico City, Mexico; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 33m

Synopsis

During an experiment, an inventor accidentally miniaturizes his son and his son's friends.

Crew

Victor Abbene

Rigging Gaffer

Robert Ahmanson

Special Effects

David Allen

Animator

Sixto Alverez

Assistant

Eric Roy Anderson

Camera Operator

Del Armstrong

Makeup Supervisor

Carmen C Avila

Art Department Coordinator

Lisa Bailey

Assistant

Marilyn Bailey

Script Supervisor

Claudia Becker

Casting

Corwin Bibb

Apprentice

John Boccaccio

Assistant Camera Operator

G Spence Bovee

Production Assistant

Kerri L Brodek

Production Assistant

Carol Brolaski

Costume Designer

Ann Bruice

Assistant

C Mitchell Bryan

Visual Effects

Neal R Buger

Dialogue Editor

Fernando Camara

Sound Mixer

James Campana

Grip

David E Campbell

Sound

Jeannine Campi

Miniatures

Jo Carson

Camera Operator

Mike Cassidy

Stunts

Mike Cassidy

Stunt Coordinator

Peter Chesney

Effects Coordinator

Mario Cisneros

Assistant Director

Blair Clark

Construction

Robert Clark

Consultant

Carola Coello

Assistant

Charles Collum

Construction Coordinator

Janice Convery

Other

Dorree Cooper

Art Director

Gustavo Covarrubias

Dolly Grip

Mark A Crawford

Electrician

Robin D'arcy

Other

Lenny Dalrymple

Special Effects

Craig Davies

Construction

Carole Lee Davis

Other

Edgar Ladron Deguevara

Photography

Lynn Del Kail

Hair

Patrick Deremer

Song

Robert Deschane

Adr Mixer

Mark Dornfeld

Other

Bill Dotson

Sound Editor

Roderic Duff

Visual Effects

Sheila Duignan

Effects Assistant

Syd Dutton

Matte Painter

Brad Einhorn

Property Master

Phil Elins

Production Assistant

Magdelena Eriz

Makeup

Vicente Escriva

Production Supervisor

Bruce Evans

Production Consultant

Juan Jose Exquival

Miniatures

Mike Fenton

Casting

Gunnar Ferdinandsen

Visual Effects

Lynne Ferry

Production Assistant

Rick Fichter

Dp/Cinematographer

Rick Fichter

Director Of Photography

Penney Finkelman Cox

Producer

Gregg Fonseca

Production Designer

George Fredrick

Dialogue Editor

Mark Freund

Photography

Linda Frobos

Miniatures

Mariano Garcia

Gaffer

Aquiles Garrido

Miniatures

John Gazdik

Assistant Camera Operator

Paul Gentry

Photography

Scott Gershin

Sound Editor

Raynold Gideon

Production Consultant

Avram D Gold

Sound Editor

Esperanza Gomez

Hairdresser

Dennis Gordon

Construction

Lynda Gordon

Casting

Stuart Gordon

From Story

Stuart Gordon

Story By

John Grillo

Camera Assistant

Victor Grodecki

Foley Editor

Hector Guillen

Miniatures

Gabriella Gurrola

Continuity

Heriberto Gutierrez

Assistant Camera Operator

Mark Gutterud

Camera Assistant

Per Hallberg

Sound Editor

Bruce Hayes

Visual Effects Designer

Jurgen Heimann

Visual Effects

Jim Henrikson

Music Editor

Ernesto Hermosa

Production Assistant

Ellen Heuer

Foley Artist

Jan M Heyneker

Key Grip

Lucy Hofert

Assistant Editor

Henner Hofmann

Director Of Photography

Henner Hofmann

Dp/Cinematographer

Chris Hogan

Sound Editor

James Horner

Music

David Householter

Assistant Director

John Iacovelli

Art Director

Antonio Jara

Key Grip

Sergio Jara Sr.

Effects Coordinator

Francisco Jaramillo

Hair

Cesar Jimenez

Production

Mike Job

Visual Effects

Jelani Jones

Song

Carol Juk

Other

James Kagel

Miniatures

Nick Kamen

Song Performer

Emmet Kane

Special Effects

Kyota Kawasaki

Production Assistant

Steven King

Visual Effects

Jacqueline Kinney

Apprentice

Debra Ann Klegman

Visual Effects

Lou Kleinman

Dialogue Editor

Martin A Kline

Storyboard Artist

Pete Kozachik

Camera Operator

Jim Kundig

Visual Effects

Peter Kuran

Visual Effects

Jon Landau

Coproducer

Mark Lapointe

Sound Editor

Adolfo Lara

Best Boy

Michael Paul Lawler

Photography

Lynn Ledgerwood

Other

Robin Lewis

Wardrobe Supervisor

Miguel Lima

Assistant Director

Laine Liska

Animator

Victor Livingston

Editor

Daniel Lopez

Gaffer

David Lowery

Storyboard Artist

Gloria Lozano

Production Assistant

Paula Lucchesi

Visual Effects

Betsy Magruder

Assistant Director

Michael Maley

Camera Operator

Gary Mallaber

Song Performer

Gary Mallaber

Song

Richard Malzahn

Motion Control

Tamia Marg

Visual Effects

Jesus Martinez

Transportation Captain

John Massaro

Song Performer

John Massaro

Song

Antonio Mata

Props

Steve Mathis

Gaffer

Greig Mcritchie

Original Music

Abel Melo

Wardrobe Supervisor

David Mesloh

Other

Daniel Miller

Art Department

Cecilia Monterrubio

Accountant

Caryn Montes Deoca

Effects Assistant

Enrique Morales

Best Boy

Bernardo Munoz

Special Effects

Shawn Murphy

Other

Michael Muscal

Effects Coordinator

Ed Naha

From Story

Ed Naha

Screenplay

Ed Naha

Story By

Hiro Narita

Dp/Cinematographer

Hiro Narita

Director Of Photography

John Naulin

Consultant

Robert S Neville

Electrician

Phill Norwood

Storyboard Artist

Juanita Oliver

Wardrobe Assistant

Adriana Olvera

Production

Fernando Olvera

Miniatures

Greg Orloff

Foley Mixer

Clint Palmer

Assistant Camera Operator

Michele Panelli-venetis

Assistant Director

Suzanne Pastor

Assistant

Edgar Pavon

Assistant Editor

Bruce Pearson

Color Timer

Louis Perez

Special Effects

Jeff Pescetto

Song

Denise Pizzini Robinson

On-Set Dresser

Brad Plows

Visual Effects

Carlos Puente

Assistant Editor

Brian Ralph

Negative Cutting

Alberto Ramirez

Key Grip

Enriquez Ramirez

Assistant

Macedo'ia Ramos

Set Decorator

Marianne Ray

Production Coordinator

John T Reitz

Sound

Xavier Rodriguez

Art Director

John Roesch

Foley Artist

Julie Roman

Editor

Hector Romero

Assistant Art Director

Sergio Romero

Miniatures

Nino Rota

Song

Gregg Rudloff

Sound

Jose Ruiz

Assistant

Mark Sawicki

Photography

Stephen Scheutzow

Effects Coordinator

Anthony Schmidt

Stunts

Tom Schulman

Screenplay

Salvador Serrano

Dolly Grip

Sharon Simon

Post-Production Accountant

Garrison Singer

Production Accountant

Thomas G Smith

Executive Producer

David Sosalla

Miniatures

Tom St Amand

Animator

Wade Stallings

Song

Wade Stallings

Song Performer

Wesley Staples

Other

Kirk Arlo Starbird

Miniatures

Wylie Stateman

Sound Supervisor

Film Details

Also Known As
Cherie, j'ai retreci les gosses, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, Älskling jag krympte barnen
MPAA Rating
Genre
Horror/Science-Fiction
Adventure
Comedy
Family
Fantasy
Release Date
1989
Distribution Company
NEW WORLD PICTURES/WALT DISNEY STUDIOS DISTRIBUTION
Location
Estudios Churubusco, Mexico City, Mexico; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 33m

Articles

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids


One of the top-grossing films of 1989, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is classic Disney fare about a bumbling scientist geek who accidentally miniaturizes his children and the neighbor's kids, and inadvertently throws them out with the garbage, leaving them to fend for themselves in their now-giant world as they try to find their way home. The film stars Rick Moranis, who immortalized nerdy characters in films such as Ghostbusters (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), and Spaceballs (1987). And who was the man who convinced the Canadian comedian to do the film? None other than Disney studio exec Jeffrey Katzenburg; according to Moranis, "One day, the phone rang and it was him. He told me about this movie and about the kind of film he wanted to do. I read the script and looked at my kids - well, at that time I had one kid-and thought, 'What the heck'."

Fans of the film might be surprised to find out that the key writer behind Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is best known for his work on horror films. Stuart Gordon is revered by terror buffs for his direction of H.P. Lovecraft's cult classic Re-Animator (1985). In interviews about Honey, however, he contends that even this film is a horror film! He explains, "Think about it. It's really the same story - mad scientist and experiments that go terribly wrong, with giant insects and all the elements of classic horror. The tone was a little different. Although, it was funny, when I was working on it, Disney was worried that I was going to kill all the kids [laughs], and I kept saying...'No, I don't really want to kill them, but I want the audience to think that they might die. There should be a lot of tension in that story.'" Understandably, the Mouse House had some reservations about a horror director writing a film geared towards children-but Gordon was ultimately successfully in convincing studio execs he was the man for the job. The director recalled this story years later about the giant-sized creatures in the film:

"It was funny, Disney was very worried about it when we were working on it. They kept saying, 'We want this to be more like The Absent-Minded Professor [1988] and less like The Fly [1986].' I had a big argument with them about what the ants should look like in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. They said to me, 'What is this ant going to look like?' and I said, 'Well, it's going to look like an ant.' They said, 'Isn't that going to scare the kids?' I said, 'What do you think it should look like?' They said, 'Well, we think it should have blue eyes [and] look sort of like E.T.' I said, 'Well, E.T. scared more kids than an ant does.' Finally, it came down to, I had to take the executives to the shop that was building this giant ant puppet, and I said, 'In a way, it's good that they think it's scary when they first see it, then it turns out that it's not scary, it's nice.' And when I said that, the ant, the guy that was puppeting it, had the ant come up and he put its antennae over my shoulders and sort of nuzzled me, like a horse would nuzzle somebody. Then all of a sudden it was OK. The Disney guys got it. They were very concerned about that movie."

The oversized creatures and features are some of the most popular aspects of the film. The ants were sculpted out of latex foam core and covered in horsehair. Giant grass blades were formed from optical fibers and urethane foam. And what about those massive Cheerios? Why, textured inner tubes, floating in thickened, colored water to resemble milk. Bluescreening was a technique widely used in the film. As Moranis points out, "For most of the film, I don't really play with the kids, I'm playing either with something added in blue screen later, or something that will be matted together." The ant-riding scene is an excellent example of stop-motion animation, done by one of the best animators in the business. David Allen began his career bringing characters like Gumby, David and Goliath, and the Pillsbury Doughboy to life; while most of his work was for sci-fi or horror flicks, he also produced sequences for films like *batteries not included (1987).

Honey was director Joe Johnston's first film; a long-time Lucasfilm employee, he was an effects technician on Star Wars (1977)-as well as an uncredited Storm Trooper - and won a shared Oscar® for the effects in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Johnston went on from Honey to helm films like Jumanji (1995), October Sky (1999), and most recently, Hidalgo (2004). The success of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids spawned a theatre sequel-Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992) as well as a direct-to-video offering Honey, We Shrank Ourselves (1997). It also inspired a popular ride attraction at both Disneyland and Disneyworld. Despite its distinctive title, the project's original name was known under a different moniker: the majestic "Teenie Weenies." It was changed in favor of a funnier title that would be more appealing to adult viewers.

Producer: Penney Finkelman Cox, Thomas G. Smith
Director: Joe Johnston
Screenplay: Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, Ed Naha, Tom Schulman
Cinematography: Hiro Narita
Film Editing: Michael A. Stevenson
Art Direction: Dorree Cooper, John Iacovelli
Music: James Horner
Cast: Rick Moranis (Wayne Szalinski), Matt Frewer (Russ Thompson, Sr.), Marcia Strassman (Diane Szalinski), Kristine Sutherland (Mae Thompson), Thomas Wilson Brown (Russ Thompson, Jr.), Jared Rushton (Ronald Thompson).
C-101m. Letterboxed.

by Eleanor Quin
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

One of the top-grossing films of 1989, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is classic Disney fare about a bumbling scientist geek who accidentally miniaturizes his children and the neighbor's kids, and inadvertently throws them out with the garbage, leaving them to fend for themselves in their now-giant world as they try to find their way home. The film stars Rick Moranis, who immortalized nerdy characters in films such as Ghostbusters (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), and Spaceballs (1987). And who was the man who convinced the Canadian comedian to do the film? None other than Disney studio exec Jeffrey Katzenburg; according to Moranis, "One day, the phone rang and it was him. He told me about this movie and about the kind of film he wanted to do. I read the script and looked at my kids - well, at that time I had one kid-and thought, 'What the heck'." Fans of the film might be surprised to find out that the key writer behind Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is best known for his work on horror films. Stuart Gordon is revered by terror buffs for his direction of H.P. Lovecraft's cult classic Re-Animator (1985). In interviews about Honey, however, he contends that even this film is a horror film! He explains, "Think about it. It's really the same story - mad scientist and experiments that go terribly wrong, with giant insects and all the elements of classic horror. The tone was a little different. Although, it was funny, when I was working on it, Disney was worried that I was going to kill all the kids [laughs], and I kept saying...'No, I don't really want to kill them, but I want the audience to think that they might die. There should be a lot of tension in that story.'" Understandably, the Mouse House had some reservations about a horror director writing a film geared towards children-but Gordon was ultimately successfully in convincing studio execs he was the man for the job. The director recalled this story years later about the giant-sized creatures in the film: "It was funny, Disney was very worried about it when we were working on it. They kept saying, 'We want this to be more like The Absent-Minded Professor [1988] and less like The Fly [1986].' I had a big argument with them about what the ants should look like in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. They said to me, 'What is this ant going to look like?' and I said, 'Well, it's going to look like an ant.' They said, 'Isn't that going to scare the kids?' I said, 'What do you think it should look like?' They said, 'Well, we think it should have blue eyes [and] look sort of like E.T.' I said, 'Well, E.T. scared more kids than an ant does.' Finally, it came down to, I had to take the executives to the shop that was building this giant ant puppet, and I said, 'In a way, it's good that they think it's scary when they first see it, then it turns out that it's not scary, it's nice.' And when I said that, the ant, the guy that was puppeting it, had the ant come up and he put its antennae over my shoulders and sort of nuzzled me, like a horse would nuzzle somebody. Then all of a sudden it was OK. The Disney guys got it. They were very concerned about that movie." The oversized creatures and features are some of the most popular aspects of the film. The ants were sculpted out of latex foam core and covered in horsehair. Giant grass blades were formed from optical fibers and urethane foam. And what about those massive Cheerios? Why, textured inner tubes, floating in thickened, colored water to resemble milk. Bluescreening was a technique widely used in the film. As Moranis points out, "For most of the film, I don't really play with the kids, I'm playing either with something added in blue screen later, or something that will be matted together." The ant-riding scene is an excellent example of stop-motion animation, done by one of the best animators in the business. David Allen began his career bringing characters like Gumby, David and Goliath, and the Pillsbury Doughboy to life; while most of his work was for sci-fi or horror flicks, he also produced sequences for films like *batteries not included (1987). Honey was director Joe Johnston's first film; a long-time Lucasfilm employee, he was an effects technician on Star Wars (1977)-as well as an uncredited Storm Trooper - and won a shared Oscar® for the effects in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Johnston went on from Honey to helm films like Jumanji (1995), October Sky (1999), and most recently, Hidalgo (2004). The success of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids spawned a theatre sequel-Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992) as well as a direct-to-video offering Honey, We Shrank Ourselves (1997). It also inspired a popular ride attraction at both Disneyland and Disneyworld. Despite its distinctive title, the project's original name was known under a different moniker: the majestic "Teenie Weenies." It was changed in favor of a funnier title that would be more appealing to adult viewers. Producer: Penney Finkelman Cox, Thomas G. Smith Director: Joe Johnston Screenplay: Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, Ed Naha, Tom Schulman Cinematography: Hiro Narita Film Editing: Michael A. Stevenson Art Direction: Dorree Cooper, John Iacovelli Music: James Horner Cast: Rick Moranis (Wayne Szalinski), Matt Frewer (Russ Thompson, Sr.), Marcia Strassman (Diane Szalinski), Kristine Sutherland (Mae Thompson), Thomas Wilson Brown (Russ Thompson, Jr.), Jared Rushton (Ronald Thompson). C-101m. Letterboxed. by Eleanor Quin

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Summer June 23, 1989

Released in United States on Video March 12, 1990

Released in United States January 1990

Shown at Avoriaz International Fantasy Film Festival, in France January 13-21, 1990.

Began shooting January 20, 1988.

As of 9/4/89, the box office gross for the USA $128,961,288.

Released in United States Summer June 23, 1989

Released in United States on Video March 12, 1990

Released in United States January 1990 (Shown at Avoriaz International Fantasy Film Festival, in France January 13-21, 1990.)