Think Big

Think Big

Year: 1989

Runtime: 86 mins

Language: English

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Comedy

They rely on strength, determination, and a lucky chicken bone, proving that brains aren't everything. Two truckers hired to haul toxic waste across the country become entangled with a teen prodigy who hides aboard their rig, sparking chaotic adventure.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Think Big (1989)

Trace every key event in Think Big (1989) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Unlucky start and mounting pressure

Rafe and Victor are twin truckers with a string of missed deadlines and mounting debt, haunted by the loan shark Sweeney who keeps threatening to repossess their truck. The pressure intensifies as every delivery looms and their already shaky luck seems ready to collapse.

2

Final chance and the foul-up clock

Their boss gives them one last shot, ordering them to haul barrels of toxic waste from Tech Star to a ship off the California coast. He installs a digital countdown on the dashboard, a clock he dubs the foul-up clock, to keep them focused on the deadline.

Day Tech Star office
3

Holly stows away in the cab

At Tech Star, Holly, a brilliant young inventor kept in slave labor, hides in the twins' cab after learning the cargo's destination. They vow to protect her, but their presence triggers pursuit by Tech Star's enforcers.

Day Tech Star loading yard
4

Pursuit and motel refuge

Dr. Bruekner, Tech Star's CEO, and his hired goons close in, forcing the trio to flee and seek refuge in a Texas motel. The chase intensifies as they stay one step ahead of their pursuers.

Night Texas motel
5

The code memory test and clock rewind

Holly struggles to recall the correct code to restart the truck's engine using her device while the threat of capture closes in. In a tense moment, she accidentally inputs a sequence that rewrites the foul-up clock, moving time backward by two hours.

Night to early morning Texas motel/along the highway
6

California bound and device destruction

Arriving in California, the group faces danger as they push toward the final destination. Holly destroys her device before they can be captured, unaware that the brothers had swapped it with an ordinary motel remote.

Approach to coast California
7

Foul-up clock misfire revealed

After dropping Holly at her boyfriend's house, the brothers realize the foul-up clock has sabotaged their timing by moving two hours back. They are suddenly racing against a changed countdown rather than the original schedule.

Shortly after California On the road toward dock
8

Missed ship at the dock

With too little time left, they hurry to the dock, but the ship has already sailed without them. The failure to deliver amplifies the sense of looming termination from their employer and creditors.

Evening California ship dock
9

Truck repossessed and the toxic spill

Sweeney reclaims the truck, and his reckless driving causes the barrels to rupture, releasing toxic chemicals that contaminate the rig. The incident is dramatic enough that Sweeney's hair falls out from exposure.

Following repossession Dock area
10

Holly markets her invention

Holly markets her invention, turning a dangerous asset into a powerful opportunity and securing financial independence for herself through the deal.

Post-incident Holly's market venture
11

A new transportation partnership

She teams up with Rafe and Victor to form their own transportation company, combining Holly's remote technology with the brothers' trucking expertise.

Later Business offices
12

Road ahead: a fresh start

The film ends with a CB message from Holly about a new client, and the brothers set off in a brand-new tractor-trailer to begin their shipment. It marks a hopeful turn from their past failures toward a controlled future.

End On the road

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:31

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Think Big Summary

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Think Big Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Think Big

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