The arrival of Baz Luhrmann’s musical biopic Elvis on June 24, 2022, also marks the big-screen return of Tom Hanks, who has at least three movies slated for release this year. One of the most well-regarded actors of his generation, Hanks has slowly begun to take on more supportive roles as well as leading ones, reminding the world what a terrific actor he is regardless of the project and size of the role.
With Robert Zemeckis’ Pinocchio slated for September and A Man Called Otto in December, it’s high time to get a pulse on how the movie fans on Letterboxd feel about Tom Hanks’s illustrious career to date.
A League Of Their Own (1992) – 3.8/5
As the crabby alcoholic and verbally abusive baseball coach Jimmy Dugan in A League Of Their Own, Hanks began to really get recognized for his dramatic acting chops as well as his lovable sense of humor. The rousing period crowd-pleaser from director Penny Marshall follows sisters Kit (Lori Petty) and Dottie (Geena Davis), two female baseball players whose personal rivalries carry over to the field as they compete for the championship on opposite teams.
Tender, nostalgic, funny, and featuring a truly riveting finale, the film is a riotous celebration of female inclusion and empowerment in a bygone era that directly led to Hanks’ consecutive Oscar-winning performances beginning one year later. Matt Comey states it well, saying “Man, they just don’t make movies like this anymore. A cast full of movie stars and so much heart!”
Philadelphia (1993) – 3.8/5
Directed with care, compassion, and heartfelt humanity by the late great director Jonathan Demme, Philadelphia is a landmark movie for the awareness it raised regarding the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and 90s. Hanks earned the first of two straight Oscars for giving a soul-crushing performance as Andrew Beckett, a man ostracized by society due to his HIV diagnosis and his fight for justice upon being fired illegally for his illness.
Hanks goes toe to toe with the equally great Denzel Washington in the film, who, despite his own homophobic prejudices, accepts the case, embraces Andrew’s humanity as his lawyer, and stands up for what is right. Human dramas have rarely been so powerfully moving, well-acted, or thematically important, with Sam Meltzer rightly singling out Hanks’ performance that “felt so subtle, yet so powerful. He tackled a demanding and difficult role very well.”
Cast Away (2000) – 3.8/5
Six years after making Forrest Gump, Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis reunited for the epic one-man-show survival tale in Cast Away, another major technical achievement for the director and a tour-de-force turn by the actor, which earned Hanks a fifth Oscar nomination.
Hanks plays Chuck Noland, a man whose entire existence revolves around time, as he’s a top executive for FedEx that keeps a tight delivery schedule. A harrowing plane crash leaves Noland marooned on a deserted island and must use his wits and wiles to survive on his own, leading to a physically exigent performance by Hanks that required him to lose 50 pounds to play the role. The palpable existential angst emoted by Hanks is nothing short of brilliant, leading Juli Norwood to call it “Tom Hanks’ greatest performance ever…in one of the most engrossing tales of survival to ever hit the big screen.”
Toy Story 2 (1999) – 3.9/5
Praised for boasting one of the best screenplays of any animated film, it’s hard to approximate the profound effect the Toy Story 2 continues to have on generations of children and adults alike. A huge reason for the appeal of the stellar Pixar film, aside from the heartfelt childhood nostalgia it taps into, is the comforting voice of Tom Hanks as Sheriff Woody, the vintage cowboy toy doll has become like a welcomed extended family member for the audience over time.
Story-wise, Woody takes center stage when he is stolen by a toy collector, prompting his best pal Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) to round up the gang of lovable toy characters and mount a daring rescue mission. The result is so satisfying that SilentDawn articulates, “as close to perfection as Pixar can get…Toy Story 2 will probably live on as the pinnacle of their brand; a superlative knockout morality tale with wondrous supporting personalities and a screenplay that flies right off the tongue.”
Toy Story 3 (2010) – 4.0/5
Due in large part to the emotionally crushing send-off of Woody and all of Andy’s childhood toys at the end of Toy Story 3, the third entry in the popular Pixar franchise resonates more than most in the views of Letterboxd users. Indeed, the film won two Oscars, including Best Animated Feature Film.
Beyond the truly special tearful finale (though it would eventually continue with Toy Story 4), the story finds Woody and the toys escaping from a day-care center and returning to Andy’s closet, only to realize he has outgrown them and will be leaving for college soon. The ending is so powerful that Patrick Willems says it best by adding, “had a great time crying alone in my apartment while watching a children’s film.”
Catch Me If You Can (2002) – 4.0/5
Loosely based on an unbelievable real story, Catch Me If You Can pairs Hank with the great Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio in one of the most entertaining true-crime tales of the past 20 years. The plot follows Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio), a precocious conman, forger, and fraudster who convinces the world he is a pilot, doctor, and lawyer by the age of 21.
Hanks plays FBI agent Carl Hanratty, who pursues Abagnale Jr. for years, developing a funny, oddly touching, and strange love-hate relationship with the conman, ultimately giving him a shot a redemption by working with the FBI to prevent future financial fraud. The consistent amusement level across the board has led Preston Green to say “this has everything going for it. An amazing cast with two charismatic leads. Great direction, action, and a handful of memorable scenes.”
The Green Mile (1999) – 4.1/5
Frank Darabont’s powerful prison drama The Green Mile, based on the Stephen King novel, sees Hanks give one of his most memorable performances as Paul Edgecomb, a death row law officer whose moral compass is severely tested upon witnessing supernatural phenomena involving inmate John Coffey (Michael Clark Duncan). The film earned four Oscar nods, including one for Best Picture, and still resonates as one of the finest prison movies on record.
Aside from Hanks playing a morally complex character who allows Duncan to shine most, resulting in one of the most devastating A-list tear-jerkers on record that janderson04 says is “a masterpiece that is so heartbreaking I’ll probably never watch again.”
Forrest Gump (1994) – 4.1/5
One year after Philadelphia, Hanks won his second consecutive Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his indelible turn as Forrest Gump, a so-called simpleton with a huge heart of gold who experiences firsthand some of the biggest watershed moments in American history. Affirming, uplifting, and profoundly affecting, Hanks delivers an innocent, awe-struck sense of childlike wonderment everybody can relate to.
Directed by master storyteller Robert Zemeckis, Pradeep Kumar perhaps makes the most trenchant observation about the film, saying “Tom Hanks is an extraordinary performer and these kinds of dramas are just a Box of Chocolates for him,” alluding to Gump’s infamous bittersweet quip.
Saving Private Ryan (1998) – 4.2/5
Hailed as one of the greatest World War II movies of all time as well as one of Steven Spielberg’s crowning artistic achievements, Saving Private Ryan is simply beyond reproach across the board. Winner of five Oscars, including Best Director and Best Cinematography, the harrowing chronicle of a U.S. Batallion unit’s mission to rescue a Private after his three brothers are killed in combat is a gut-wrenching spectacle that honors WWII soldiers while viscerally putting viewers in their blood-soaked boots.
For his part, Hanks lends the emotional anchor of the story as Captain Miller, a measured man of principles who makes heroic sacrifices to rescue Private Ryan (Matt Damon) and encourages the young soldier to make sure the life saved is a life worthing living to the fullest. Of all the plaudits on Letterboxd, Reilly’s salient point stands out, saying “just as emotionally riveting as the first time I saw it. The scenes at Normandy are worth the five stars alone and all the performances remain outstanding.”
Toy Story (1995) – 4.2/5
The film that all but kickstarted Pixar’s 25-year reign as the preeminent animation house and one of the best cinematic storytelling studios around, Toy Story remains an absolute treasure of moviegoing magic. Tom Hanks deserves a ton of credit for shepherding the story as the leading movie star attached to a risky, unproven cartoon franchise, playing the iconic role of Woody the Sheriff for the first of four times.
Beyond the intense rivalry morphing into a heartening best friend dynamic between Woody and Buzz, Syaoran makes a great point by stating in 2019 “24 years later Toy Story still remains one the best and cleverly written animated films of all time,” with mister_I adding “the heart and humor of this movie continues to be timeless.”
