Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall (1943–2018) was an American actress, director, and producer. She directed films including Big, A League of Their Own, and Awakenings.
Big: A 1988 fantasy comedy film directed by Penny Marshall, starring Tom Hanks as a boy transformed into an adult. Its success made Marshall the first woman to direct a film that grossed over $100 million domestically.
Garry Marshall: An American television and film writer, director, and producer who created sitcoms including Happy Days. Her brother helped launch her acting career and became a frequent creative collaborator.
The Bronx: A borough of New York City, the northernmost of the city’s five boroughs. Marshall was born and raised in the Bronx, which shaped her early life before Hollywood.
Women film directors: Women who direct motion pictures, shaping performances, images, and production decisions. Marshall became a prominent example of a woman directing major studio features.
A League of Their Own: A 1992 comedy-drama about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II. Marshall directed this ensemble film about women building a professional baseball league.
Tom Hanks: An American actor known for leading roles in films including Forrest Gump and Philadelphia. His performance in Big became central to one of Marshall’s defining films.
The Lucy Show: An American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball that aired from 1962 to 1968. Marshall made an early television appearance on her brother Garry’s writing staff’s production.
Female buddy film: A film centered on a close partnership between two women, often using conventions of the buddy genre. A League of Their Own recast a familiar sports-team story around women’s friendship and competition.
Awakenings: A 1990 drama film directed by Penny Marshall, based on Oliver Sacks’s account of patients treated with L-dopa. Its restrained medical drama broadened her reputation beyond comedy.
Geena Davis: An American actor and producer whose films include The Accidental Tourist and Thelma & Louise. She starred in A League of Their Own as catcher Dottie Hinson.