Big Man on Campus 1989

A campus news broadcast reports what appears to be a sighting of a mysterious creature roaming the UCLA grounds. Among those questioned are Alex Kominski, [Corey Parker], an underachieving student, and his girlfriend Cathy Adams, [Melora Hardin], who claim not to take the rumor seriously. Yet a hunchbacked figure is shown watching Cathy from the campus bell tower, peering down through a telescope. The tension on campus grows as the rumor spreads and Skeptics rub shoulders with believers.

During a Renaissance-themed campus carnival, a heated clash erupts when Alex insults another student’s girlfriend. Cathy tries to intervene, and the creature unexpectedly defends her, but security intervenes and seizes him. In court, Dr. Victoria Fisk, [Jessica Harper], an outspoken psychiatrist, declares the creature a menace to society. Cathy pushes back, insisting the creature was only trying to protect her. Dr. Richard Webster, [Tom Skerritt], the head of the university’s Psychology department, raises the possibility that the creature could be rehabilitated rather than punished.

On the stand, the creature is asked who should determine his fate. He answers, and the moment becomes a stark, revealing scene: he can only repeat the last thing he hears spoken, so he says, Dr. Fisk. The exchange ends with a sharp humiliation for the psychologist as she needles him to describe himself as a “complete and total fool.” The judge, [John Finnegan], presiding, ultimately orders that the hunchback be confined in a mental facility. When Cathy protests, the creature speaks up, naming both Cathy and the judge, and in a surprising turn the ruling is overturned. The university is granted temporary custody, under Dr. Webster’s supervision, with the condition that any violent behavior will lead to institutionalization.

Back at the university, the hunchback—who soon reveals his home in the bell tower—is introduced to Alex, Cathy, and Dr. Webster. Cathy agrees to have Alex stay and watch over him, and Webster volunteers to secure him special consideration from his instructors. Over the following days, the creature undergoes a battery of observational tests, including speech therapy with Dr. Girard, [Cindy Williams], who helps him articulate and engage with people. He proves quick to learn, and a tentative friendship forms between him and Alex, built on patience and study.

In a pivotal moment, the creature is asked to name himself. He chooses the moniker “Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga” and shares a painful backstory: after his father deserted the family and his mother fell ill, a group of people locked him away. He escaped and claimed his place in the bell tower, a sanctuary filled with items he has collected from around campus.

Despite progress, Bob remains drawn to Cathy. As Alex strains to complete his own finals, Bob dedicates himself to win her affection. One day he surprises Cathy with an engagement ring, only to be met with a firm rejection. Heartbroken, Bob retreats to the tower. Dr. Fisk uses this moment to press a case against Bob, but her deceit is soon exposed to the crowd.

The film builds to a controversial talk show hosted by Stanley Hoyle, [Gerrit Graham], where Bob’s supporters confront the host’s demonizing tactics. Hoyle’s rhetoric turns against him as Bob, who has been watching the program at home, arrives via taxi and climbs into the studio through the roof. He swings down from the catwalk, seizes Dr. Fisk, and pulls her into the audience’s glare. Faced with her lie, Fisk is forced to admit the truth in front of the audience, who rally to Bob’s side. Hoyle ends up apologizing, and Webster suggests exploring a scholarship for Bob at the university.

In a closing moment, when asked what he would have done differently, Bob pulls Cathy into an embrace and kisses her—an intimate gesture that he marks with a wink to the cameras. The scene ends on a note of acceptance and the promise of a brighter future for Bob, Cathy, and the community that supported him through the ordeal.