Alarmingly, it’s been 30 years since Pee-Wee Herman set off to the basement of the Alamo to find his beloved, purloined bicycle. Now, after all this time, a new Pee-Wee Herman movie is coming, via Netflix, and it looks like the great PW Herman has upgraded to a car. And not just any car — a Fiat 600.
The movie is Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, and it’s being produced by Judd Apatow and directed by John Lee, who directs Amy Shumer’s show and Broad City, which makes me pretty optimistic about this. It’s another road-trip movie, so hopefully there will be lots of good cars and driving involved. Pee-Wee’s Big Adevnture actually had its share of great cars as well, including a very rare Citroën DS convertible. So, yeah, this could be good!
The Fiat 600 I think is an excellent choice for a slightly more matured Pee-Wee Herman. The Pee-Wee of 30 years ago may have chosen something a little more expected and flamboyant — maybe a Nash Metropolitan or a King Midget or perhaps even a Crosley. But the 600, while still retaining the friendly, goofy, quirky charm, is nevertheless somehow just a bit more grown up.
This is a much better choice than, say, a Fiat 500. The 600 is less common, but is a little more practical. It’s comparable to a vintage Beetle in many ways, but the rarity and even smaller size are an advantage in this car-casting situation. I like that it’s a pre-’64 one as well, with the suicide doors.
So, way to go, still-anonymous car-casting person! I think you made a fine choice. To celebrate, here’s the Tequila dance: