My Giant (1998)

What makes My Giant linger is its disarming sincerity: it’s a showbiz comedy that keeps turning, quietly and insistently, into a story about decency, loneliness, and the strange ways people save each other. Billy Crystal brings his trademark fast-talking charm to a man who’s equal parts hustler and heartbreak, and opposite him Gheorghe Mureșan is genuinely affecting—an outsized presence played with such gentleness you stop seeing “the gimmick” and start seeing a person you want to protect. The vibe is sweet and lightly bittersweet, with family-friendly edges and a few emotional swells that earn their place without wallowing. It won’t be for everyone if you’re allergic to sentimental, high-concept dramedies, but if you’re willing to meet it halfway, it’s a warm, watchable film with a surprisingly tender center.

My Giant is clearly trying to be a warm, humanistic fable about loneliness, unlikely friendship, and choosing people over profit, with Billy Crystal leaning hard into heartfelt sincerity. The problem is it often feels like it’s tugging at your sleeve for tears rather than earning them, drifting from a promising odd-couple comedy into a pretty predictable “life lesson” that can come off corny and a bit emotionally manipulative. The showbiz angle also risks feeling uncomfortable because the story flirts with exploitation even when it wants you to see it as charming. If you’re allergic to late-’90s sentimentality and tidy moral wrap-ups, you’ll likely roll your eyes—but if you want a gentle, PG, family-friendly dramedy with a few sweet moments and an inherently endearing presence in Gheorghe Mureșan, it may still land for you.