Earlier in the month at SXSW, I had the chance to sit down with the cast and crew behind the first Pee Wee movie in almost 30 years (you can read these chats HERE).
One thing that was universal with all the interviews I conducted was that this now classic – yet still bizarre in all the best ways – American character has a special place in the heart of pretty much everyone who ended up being involved in the film. And I think that’s something important to consider while watching the film. It really is made with a love of Pee-Wee and everything he represents.
Big Holiday is the worthy successor to Big Adventure that Big Top Pee-Wee never was. It captures the heart of what made Pee-Wee great, while acknowledging the distance in time between films that both embraces nostalgia and opens up the character to a new generation of viewers. Prepare to laugh, maybe even shed a tear or two along the way – but most importantly, buckle up for another big adventure.
Whether or not you know how to pronounce “Joe Manganiello” by the end of the film, however, is up to you.
Pee Wee’s Big Holiday premiered at SXSW and is currently screening on Netflix.
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