Big Top Pee-wee

Big Top Pee-wee follows Paul Reubens's character Pee-wee Herman, who has left suburban life behind for a farm where he grows oversized vegetables and keeps a menagerie of animals, including a pig he talks with. He is engaged to Winnie, a schoolteacher in the nearby town, and his quiet routine does not sit well with the locals. After a storm passes through, a struggling circus and its performers end up stranded on his property, and Pee-wee lets them stay. Among the newcomers is Gina, an Italian acrobat who takes an interest in him, and the troupe sets about putting on a show with Pee-wee at its center.

The film is the second full-length outing for Reubens's character and was directed by Randal Kleiser, arriving in 1988 between Flight of the Navigator and White Fang in his filmography. Reubens wrote the screenplay with George McGrath and produced alongside Debra Hill. Penelope Ann Miller, Kris Kristofferson and Valeria Golino appear in supporting roles, with Benicio del Toro as Duke the Dog-Faced Boy and Wayne White voicing the pig, Vance.

Paramount released the comedy in July 1988. Made for about 20 million dollars, it took in roughly 15 million worldwide, falling short of its cost. Audience response has been modest: it holds a 5.2 rating on IMDb from around 11,000 votes and a 5 on TMDB from about 155 votes.