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Review of film: “LARRY CROWNE” + INFO ON THE CAREER of TOM HANKS
THE FILM “LARRY CROWNE”
Downsizing is hitting EVERYONE it seems... When people started buying less in the way of electronics & the like, the “big boxes” started LAYING-OFF people-- & especially the more highly-compensated older employees (tho they’d never admit that was a “reason”!)...
... Larry Crowne (TOM HANKS) was one of those people; he’d worked at such a place (named UMart) ever since he’d left his 20 years of service in the Navy. As the winner of numerous awards for his good work at the store, he was stunned when told he was being LET GO -- supposedly because of his lack of a college education...
... Getting a new job at a decent salary proved very difficult, & things kept spiraling “downwards”, what with the need to come up with his mortgage payments & the like... So he decided to get more EDUCATION, as a means of trying to “start OVER” in his life...
... Seeing his deteriorating economic situation, he tries to buy a Yamaha MOTOR SCOOTER from his neighbor, Lamar (CREDIC THE ENTERTAINER), who, along with his wife B’Ella (TARAJI P. HENSON), are always holding a daily garage sale on their lawn... Eventually, he gets Cedric to reduce his price to one that’s affordable...
... At the local community college, one of his teachers (for a Public Speaking class) is the pretty (tho somewhat alcohol-dependent) Mercedes Tainot (JULIA ROBERTS)...
... Her life hasn’t been overwhelmingly “happy” either, as she’s grown out-of-love with her husband, Dean (BRIAN CRANSTON)-- since he’d prefer watching internet porn rather than trying to get a JOB...
... All that has (in turn) helped lead her to not care much about TEACHING, either: she was hoping she could cancel giving her class due to an insufficient number of students -- which “becomes” just enough when TOM arrives for it...
... Into that “mix” of misfits comes TOM... He’s cheerful & eager, & most of the other students like him, such as not-super-bright Steve Dibiasi (RAMI MALEK)...
... Julia doesn’t want to “deal” with teaching, & perdiodically commiserates with fellow teacher Frances (PAM GRIER)...
... In time, Tom has to go to his other classes, one of which is an Economics course taught by self-important professor Dr. Matsutani (GEORGE TAKEI, from the original “STAR TREK”), who promptly confiscates his cell phone as a distraction...
... That class helps introduce Tom to perky scooter-riding classmate Talia (GUGU MBATHA-RAW), who promptly starts calling him “Lance” & help him in dressing better & being more “organized”-- which doesn’t thrill her boyfriend, Dell Gordo, a leader of a scooter-riding group (played by WILMER VALDERRAMA from “THAT ’70’s SHOW”)...
... Altho Tom is considerably older than the other students & scooter-ists, he’s a “PEOPLE”-person & gets along WELL with them, & they enjoy his sincere & outgoing ways -- including taking them to a diner run by an old friend of his named Frank (IAN GOMEZ)...
... As time goes on, we see the trials & tribulations Tom goes thru-- working on his SPEAKING & ECONOMICS assignments, getting to know JULIA better bit-by-bit (& seeing her increasing falling-out with her husband Brian), & trying to improve his LIFE step-by-step...
... We meet a lot of other “side” characters, including brief appearances by Wilma Q. Gammelgaard (played by Tom’s actual wife, RITA WILSON) & a pizza delivery boy (played by his real son, CHET, who’s actually a student at Northwestern University who goes under the rapper name “Chet Haze”)...
... Will Tom & the other Speech students learn how to do WELL in school?... Will Tom be able to find a steady new JOB he can “live” with?...
... Will Tom be able to help Julia lay OFF the booze & start to reconstruct her OWN life?... What will “happen” between the two of THEM?...
... The perhaps-unusual thing about this movie is, it really “WORKS”, all the way thru! It’s often quite FUNNY (in a “gentle” & “realistic” & periodically “THOUGHT-provoking” way, rather than being “cheesy” or raunchy like so many of the so-called “comedies” nowadays)...
... Rather than making “fun” of an old-time actor like George Takei, his role has him utilized very EFFECTIVELY— as a “stuffy” character who ends up being funny & quite helpful in teaching Tom concepts that aid him in running his life financially...
... Likewise, you get to “know” & like all the college kids in his Speaking class, & are PLEASED to see them (& his “scooter” buddies) end up doing WELL in a number of ways... Tom & Julia & the other characters are fine in their acting roles...
... The film is charming, successful & a “PICK-ME-UP” in a season when so many of the humorous movies are DIScouraging in their essential “outlooks”... So, I’m pleased to rate this as an 8.0 out of 10 stars...
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The Art of Getting By
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INFO ON “LARRY CROWNE” & the CAREER of TOM HANKS
At this time, I’d like to give you some additional “BACKGROUND” info:
... Most people tend to think of Tom as an ACTOR . He started that when he was 24 (in 1980’s HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE”), followed by work in the TV series “BOSOM BUDDIES” (1980-82)...
... & such movies as “SPLASH” (1984)...
“NOTHING IN COMMON” (1986), & “BIG” (1988)...
“NOTHING IN COMMON” (1986), & “BIG” (1988)...
... Other of his 64 acting projects include A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN” (1992) & “SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE”...
... & his award-winning PHILADELPHIA” (both in 1993)...
... & “FORREST GUMP” (1994)...
... & “APOLLO 13” (1995)...
... & his award-winning PHILADELPHIA” (both in 1993)...
... & “FORREST GUMP” (1994)...
... & “APOLLO 13” (1995)...
... He started the “TOY STORY” series in 1995, & followed it with such work as “SAVING PRIVATE RYAN”...
... & “YOU’VE GOT MAIL” (in 1998)...
... & “THE GREEN MILE” (1999)...
... “CASTAWAY” (2000)...
... “ROAD TO PERDITION” (filmed in the Chicago area in 2001)...
... & “CATCH ME IF YOU CAN” in 2002...
... & “YOU’VE GOT MAIL” (in 1998)...
... & “THE GREEN MILE” (1999)...
... “CASTAWAY” (2000)...
... “ROAD TO PERDITION” (filmed in the Chicago area in 2001)...
... & “CATCH ME IF YOU CAN” in 2002...
... In 2004, he starred with notable character actress IRMA P. HALL in his version of “THE LADYKILLERS” for the Coen Brothers...
... That same year, he did the under-appreciated “THE TERMINAL” & “THE POLAR EXPRESS” (with its motion-sensor work in various roles)...
... That same year, he did the under-appreciated “THE TERMINAL” & “THE POLAR EXPRESS” (with its motion-sensor work in various roles)...
... In 2006, he did the voice of “Woody” in “CARS” + starred in “THE DA VINCI CODE”...
... In 2007, he appeared in “CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR” (with JULIA ROBERTS)...
+ with his son COLIN in “THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD”... 2009 saw him star in “ANGELS & DEMONS”, & he worked as narrator in the TV mini-series “THE PACIFIC” in 2010...
... In 2007, he appeared in “CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR” (with JULIA ROBERTS)...
+ with his son COLIN in “THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD”... 2009 saw him star in “ANGELS & DEMONS”, & he worked as narrator in the TV mini-series “THE PACIFIC” in 2010...
... But, Tom has also worked in OTHER capacities in the movie industry: He’s a PRODUCER on “LARRY CROWNE” (as he’s been on like 33 other projects)...
... He’s also a WRITER on the new film (along with NIA VARDALOS who did “MY BIG, FAT GREEK WEDDING”, on which he was a producer), making this the 6th project he’s done in that capacity (& his 1st feature film since he did “THAT THING YOU DO!” in 1996; the others have involved TV mini-series)...
... And, Tom is also the DIRECTOR of this film (as he’s been on 7 other projects, from a 1992 segment of the TV series “TALES FROM THE CRYPT” to “BAND OF BROTHERS” in 2001)...
... It’s DIFFICULT to do work in multiple disciplines, and it’s even harder to do them WELL...
... So, if you’ve been seeing Tom on TV (or hearing him on radio) promoting “LARRY CROWNE”, it’s because it really is “HIS” movie -- in MANY different ways--, & it’s one he should be PROUD of on many different “LEVELS”...
[ NOTE: You can easily SHARE this Posting with your friends or family by sending them an e-mail LINK via clicking on the “M” button in the lower left-hand corner... ]
(o_
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