A young man experiences a strange and awkward period of growing up while living in New York City. Peter Kastner portrays a 19-year-old working as an assistant at the New York Public Library, whose stern father—played by Rip Torn—urges him to move out and find his own place. He ends up sharing an apartment with a nosy landlady (Julie Harris). There’s a friendly coworker (Karen Black) who shows interest in Bernard (Kastner), but he becomes infatuated with a volatile go-go dancer (Elizabeth Hartman). “You’re a Big Boy Now” (1966) is an unusual coming-of-age story that blends comedy and romance, set in New York. The film adapts a 1963 novel, though the setting was changed from London to Manhattan, along with Bernard's job. This project served as Francis Ford Coppola’s thesis work at UCLA; however, it doesn't feel like a typical student production due to its professional quality. He had previously directed films for Roger Corman, and this one includes some scenes he originally created for “Dementia 13” (1963). Coppola earned $8000 for his involvement in the film, which started with an $800,000 budget that ultimately reached around $1 million. While some critics have said the movie borrows from Richard Lester's "The Knack ...and How to Get It" (1965), Coppola claims he wrote the script before that film was released, though he did acknowledge being influenced by Lester’s “Hard Day’s Night” (1964). It reminded me of “Village of the Giants” (1965), minus the silly giant concept, although there is some silliness present, like the amusing rooster on one of the apartment floors. I would choose this film over "The Graduate" (1967), which was obviously inspired by it. After watching, I considered the question of art versus entertainment because Coppola created a movie that clearly demonstrates artistic vision while still being enjoyable. It’s pleasant to see Julie Harris at age 40 during filming; you might recognize her from Columbo's "Any Old Port in a Storm" (1971). Elizabeth Hartman, who was from the Youngstown/Boardman area of Ohio, appeared in Eastwood’s “The Beguiled” (1973). She was naturally introverted and struggled with depression, which tragically led to her death by jumping from the fifth story of her apartment building in Pittsburgh at age 43. The film is an hour and 37 minutes long and was filmed on location in Manhattan, including the New York Public Library, Times Square, Central Park, as well as Chelsea Studios in New York City. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB