Is there anyone more loved in Hollywood than Tom Hanks? The two-time Oscar winner has been enjoying box office success since 1984's "Splash." Like a number of actors, Hanks has expanded his horizons by producing a variety of projects, including the mini-series, "The Pacific" and "Charlie's Wilson's War."
He's also tackled directing, with his debut effort being the fun, if sometimes fluffy, "That Thing You Do" back in 1996. Hanks has now returned to the big-screen director's chair with the romantic comedy-drama "Larry Crowne."
Recommended Videos
He stars as the title character, a divorced, middle-aged former Navy cook who enjoys his longtime job at a big, Walmart-like box store. Larry's world comes crashing down when he's called in and gets the news he's being let go. The reason, according to the script by Hanks and Nia Varalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") is that Larry didn't go to college. The legality of that plot point seems a little dicey and in the real world might result in a discrimination lawsuit, but, hey, this is a movie. This turn of events pushes the story forward and has Larry enrolling at a local community college to try and better his life.
At school he meets a number of people who will have a major impact. They include the gorgeous Talia, played by the very engaging Gugu Mbatha-Raw from the short-lived TV series, "Undercovers." She's a fellow student and motor-scooter fan who invites Larry to join her "gang" of fellow riders. Talia also makes Larry her personal make-over project, getting him to hip-up his image, although her boyfriend Dell (Wilmer Valderrama) is highly suspicious of what's going on.
Larry signs up for a number of classes, including Economics which is taught by "Star Trek" veteran George Takei. He's hilarious as an over-the-top professor with a pet peeve against texting in class, a fact Larry quickly discovers. But the big game-changer for Larry is his speech class, taught by the unhappy Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts).
Tainot is depressed about whether or not she's making any difference as a teacher, and is even more unhappy about her husband (played by the brilliant Bryan Cranston from "Breaking Bad"), an unmotivated writer who spends his days at their apartment, surfing for on-line porn.
Hmm. Will sparks fly between the teacher and student? Of course, but that path is leisurely (and entertainingly) traveled and comes to a climax with a wonderful scene between Larry and his inebriated instructor outside her apartment door. As both a director and actor, Hanks allows his cast to steal a number of scenes, and Roberts does just that a number of times, using subtle reactions that show what a wonderful actress she is.
'Larry Crowne" isn't a brilliant film and it does suffer some heavy handiness. (Hanks is guilty at times of overusing unnecessary reaction shots to hammer in how characters are feeling about what just happened.)
But overall, the movie does succeed with moments that are funny, touching and romantic. "Larry Crowne" is lightweight entertainment, but it is entertaining.