Splash
Splash (titled: 1, 2, 3... Splash in Spain) is an American fantasy and comedy film. 1984 romance that was directed by Ron Howard. Written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, it tells the story of a mermaid (Daryl Hannah) who falls in love with the protagonist, Allen (Tom Hanks).
It is one of the first films produced by Touchstone Films, a Disney company, which specialized in films intended for adult audiences as well. Before offering the lead role to Tom Hanks, it was offered to John Travolta, Bill Murray and Dudley Moore, all of whom turned it down. Before Daryl Hannah was offered the role of the mermaid, it was offered to Sissy Spacek, Debra Winger and Jane Fonda, all of whom turned it down. It turned out to be Tom Hanks' first major movie success, and Daryl Hannah became a popular actress with her mermaid role.
Plot
In 1964, Allen Bauer (David Kreps) goes on vacation with his parents and brother Freddy (Jason Late) to Cape Cod. At one point he jumps into the sea from a boat because he sees something strange, which turns out to be a mermaid girl (Shayla Mackarvich). Years later, when he is an adult (Tom Hanks), he falls into the water in the same place, and the same mermaid (Daryl Hannah) rescues him. The mermaid's tail turns into legs when it is dry and they turn back into a tail when she gets wet.
The mermaid is homesick for Allen and goes in search of him to New York knowing where to find him thanks to her wallet that she had dropped when she fell into the water, before surfacing she was seen by chance by a scientist who was diving in the sea and that he tried to take a picture of it to demonstrate his great discovery but the mermaid fled from him before he could.
She appears naked at the base of the Statue of Liberty in front of everyone and is arrested. As she is carrying Allen's wallet, they notify him and he takes her to her house. The mermaid does not speak the language at all but she quickly learns it by watching television, she goes to a department store to buy clothes, getting used to her human life and decides to take the name Madison . She stays with Allen for a long time and they finally decide to get married without Allen knowing her real person.
Meanwhile, the scientist who saw her in the sea realizes that the woman who appeared naked in front of everyone is the mermaid he had seen in the water and goes to New York to investigate her. After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally finds her and manages to unmask her, proving her true person by wetting her and her feet turn into a queue in front of many witnesses just at the moment when the mermaid was going to reveal her secret to Allen. Both Allen and the mermaid are forcibly taken to a scientific center, although Allen is released shortly after verifying that there is nothing special about him. The scientist who had discovered her in the end helps Allen and his brother to free the mermaid.
When they reach the sea Madison must flee because all the security of the city and the army are in pursuit, the mermaid tells Allen that she is the girl he had seen in the water when he was a child and he can accompany her to underwater life but in such a case you will never be able to return. The mermaid runs away from her and Allen after much thought decides to go with her without caring about leaving everything he has of her and together they go into the water to start a new life in an underwater world.
Cast
- Tom Hanks - Allen Bauer
- Daryl Hannah - Madison
- Eugene Levy - Walter Kornbluth
- John Candy - Freddie Bauer
- Dody Goodman - Mrs. Stimler
- Shecky Greene - Mr. Buyrite
- Richard B. Shull - Dr. Ross
- Bobby Di Cicco - Jerry
- Howard Morris - Dr. Zidell
- Tony DiBenedetto - Tim, the goalkeeper
- Patrick Cronin - Michaelson
- Charles Walker - Michaelson's partner
- David Knell - Claude
- Jeff Doucette - Junior
- Royce D. Applegate - Buckwalter
Dubs - Los Angeles
- Tom Hanks - Allen Bauer - Jesus Brock
- Daryl Hannah - Madison - Rocío Garcel
- Eugene Levy - Walter Kornbluth - Javier Pontón
- John Candy - Freddie Bauer - Jorge Roig
- Dody Goodman - Mrs. Stimler - Gloria González
- Shecky Greene - Mr. Buyrite - Guillermo Romano
- Richard B. Shull - Dr. Ross - Antonio Raxel
- Bobby Di Cicco - Jerry - Jesus Barrero
- Howard Morris - Dr. Zidell - Jorge Roig
- Tony DiBenedetto - Tim, the goalkeeper - Arturo Mercado
- Patrick Cronin - Michaelson - Edgar Wald
- Charles Walker - Michaelson's partner - Alejandro Abdalah
- David Knell - Claude - Roberto Alexander
- Jeff Doucette - Junior - Gabriel Pingarrón
- Royce D. Applegate - Buckwalter - Guillermo Romano
Awards
The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Aftermath
A sequel, Splash Too (directed by Greg Antonacci), appeared in 1988, but without the original cast. Counting only with Dody Goodman repeating her original role.
Novels
A novelization of the film, written by Ian Marter (under the pen name Ian Don) was published by Target Books in the UK.
Songs
- "Love Came for Me" by Rita Coolidge.
- "Stay With Me Tonight" by Jeffrey Osborne.
- "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham.
- "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer.
- Song of the South.
- "Piano Concerto No. 1" by Frédéric Chopin.
Curiosities
- Aquamarine (My Mermaid Friend) is a similar film released in 2006 starring Sara Paxton.