Larger Than Life

Play trailer

Larger Than Life

PG

1996

1h 33m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

11%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

30%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Jack Corcoran (Bill Murray) is a struggling motivational speaker who lives by the mantra Get over it! When he learns his circus clown father has died and left him Vera, an 8,000-pound elephant, as an inheritance, he considers only one option: selling his father's beloved pet. He finds two buyers -- but must then get Vera to California, thousands of miles away, in just five days. With the help of an eccentric truck driver (Matthew McConaughey), Jack and Vera set out on one crazy road trip.

Watch on Prime Video

Stream Now

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The materials are here to make a good comedy, I guess. The screenplay is by Roy Blount Jr., a funny writer. But the energy isn't there. Murray often chooses to play a laid-back, detached character, but this time he's so detached he's almost absent.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

USA Today

Manages to eke out only infrequent, peanut-size pleasures along its lumbering way.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

An elephant-based comedy that forgets to be funny.

Rated: C+

Jul 23, 2018

Full Review

Rob Nelson

Boston Phoenix

Of course, the elephant Vera keeps sticking her trunk in where it isn't wanted, literally consuming tons of candy and stepping on Murray's cellular phone. Ha ha.

Sep 5, 2009

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 7, 2005

Full Review

Randy Shulman

Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

Rated: 2/5

Nov 4, 2004

Full Review

Read all reviews

Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 33 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG for Mild Language Throughout!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $8,300,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

Full Review

Allison M

Definitely a hidden gem! It's all Bill all the time in this wonderfully enjoyable movie. I watch it all the time. Quite underrated.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/22/24

Full Review

Ryan C

A masterpiece about a man with a powerful name and an even more powerful story

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/15/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Yes, this is the "Bill Murray on a cross country road trip with an elephant" movie. It was directed by Howard Franklin, who co-directed "Quick Change" with Murray in 1990. It's flat out one of my favorite films. What made that work so well was how Murray interacted with various different annoying New Yorkers. He clearly hated them, yet had to humor them to get on with his day. That's sorely missing here. Aside from the opening scene (Murray giving a motivational speech), Murray seems out of his element. It's too "family friendly" cutesy and not funny. Or in the case of Matthew McConaughey's trucker just plain annoying,

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The funniest sequence when the elephant steps on the cop's cellular phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie should be retired. Immensely boring, stupid plot, yet it's main cause of offense is the complete lack of awareness in the use of the elephant. Animals in circuses are now banned in the U.S. and elsewhere due to the cruelty involved in obtaining wild animals and the terrible abuse it takes to train elephants, especially. It's 2020 - we know better now. Let's do better by refusing to air these misleading movies which gloss over the suffering involved in the creation of our pithy entertainment.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Howard Franklin

Director

Bill Murray

Jack Corcoran

Janeane Garofalo

Mo

Matthew McConaughey

Tip Tucker

Keith David

Hurst

Pat Hingle

Vernon

Son of the Pink Panther

6%

18%

Son of the Pink Panther

Watchlist

The Man Who Knew Too Little

37%

69%

The Man Who Knew Too Little

Watchlist

Vegas Vacation

15%

51%

Vegas Vacation

Watchlist

Gone Fishin'

4%

37%

Gone Fishin'

Watchlist

The Stupids

21%

38%

The Stupids

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Jack Corcoran (Bill Murray) is a struggling motivational speaker who lives by the mantra Get over it! When he learns his circus clown father has died and left him Vera, an 8,000-pound elephant, as an inheritance, he considers only one option: selling his father's beloved pet. He finds two buyers -- but must then get Vera to California, thousands of miles away, in just five days. With the help of an eccentric truck driver (Matthew McConaughey), Jack and Vera set out on one crazy road trip.

Director: Howard Franklin
Producer: Richard B. Lewis, John Watson, Pen Densham
Screenwriter: Roy Blount Jr.
Production Co: Majestic Films, Trilogy Entertainment Group, United Artists
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.3M
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now