Big Man on Campus

Big Man on Campus
Directed by	Jeremy Kagan
Produced by	Arnon Milchan
Written by	Allan Katz
Starring	Allan Katz Corey Parker Cindy Williams Melora Hardin Jessica Harper Tom Skerritt
Music by	Joseph Vitarelli
Cinematography	Bojan Bazelli
Edited by	Howard Smith
Production company	Regency International Pictures
Distributed by	Vestron Pictures
Release date	1989
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Big Man on Campus (also known as The Hunchback of UCLA and The Hunchback Hairball of L.A. in the United Kingdom) is a 1989 comedy film directed by Jeremy Kagan. It was written by and stars Allan Katz. It co-stars Corey Parker.

The film opens with a news broadcast on the apparent sighting of a "mysterious creature" on the UCLA campus. Among those interviewed are underachieving student Alex Kominski (Corey Parker) and his girlfriend Cathy Adams (Melora Hardin). Although neither claim to believe in the creature's existence, a hunchbacked figure (Allan Katz) is shown looking down from the bell tower, spying on Cathy through a telescope.

While attending a renaissance-themed carnival on campus, Alex gets involved in a scuffle after insulting another student's girlfriend. When Cathy interjects herself into the fight, the creature suddenly comes to her defense. He motions affectionately toward Cathy, but is chased away by campus security and eventually captured. After a cursory examination, the creature is brought to trial where psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Fisk (Jessica Harper) is quick to label him as a menace to society. Cathy refutes the doctor's opinion, stating that the creature was only trying to protect her. Another witness, Dr. Richard Webster (Tom Skerritt), the head of the university's Psychology department, suggests it might be possible to rehabilitate the creature.

Finally the hunchback himself is called to the stand, where Dr. Fisk asks him who he believes is better qualified to determine his fate, Dr. Webster or herself. Demonstrating that the primitive creature can only repeat the last thing he hears spoken, he predictably answers, "Dr. Fisk". She then further humiliates him by prompting him to describe himself as a "complete and total fool". Given the evidence, Judge Ferguson (John Finnegan) orders that the hunchback be confined in a mental facility. When Cathy protests, the creature stands and acknowledges both her and the judge by name, leading the judge to overturn his ruling and award temporary custody to the university under the supervision of Dr. Webster, with the condition that should the creature exhibit any violent behavior, he will be institutionalized.

Upon being escorted back to the university, the creature shows Alex, Cathy, and Dr. Webster his home in the bell tower, cluttered with various objects scavenged from around campus. Reluctant to leave him alone in the tower, Cathy encourages Alex to stay and watch over him, with Dr. Webster offering to get him special consideration for the task from his instructors at the university. Left with little choice in the matter, Alex agrees.