Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure is a 1985 comedy about an eccentric man-child who gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, setting out across the country to get it back.
Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) did a pretty amazing thing back in the late 1980s, making a children’s show that appealed to adults, using his goofy and eccentric childlike personality to make just about anything relatable to anyone. And while the character got its start earlier as a stage act, it was when he teamed with Tim Burton in his first feature film, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, that everything changed, paving the road to the classic TV show. The movie is pretty simple, following the beloved Pee-Wee as he tries to recover his special red and white bicycle, travelling all about in search of it, finding all kinds of adventures along the way. Adored by audiences and praised by critics for its imagination and energy, this became a big hit and one that has endured for decades. If you’ve never seen it, now’s your chance. It’s still as good as ever.
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