“Larry Crowne” seemed like perfect counter-programming for the soulless 3D spectacle of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”
But movie goers didn’t want the kind of soul “Crowne” stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were peddling. “Crowne” earned a measly $13 million in its opening weekend, a pittance given the talent involved and the lack of like-minded competition.
Hanks remains a mega movie star with two Oscars to his credit. But star appeal can fade fast, and another lemon like “Larry,” co-written by Nia Vardalos, could devastate his film career. With that in mind, here’s some free advice Hanks might want to consider before signing up for his next project.
- Stay far, far away from Nia Vardalos: This one’s a no brainer, but let’s put it on the record all the same. Vardalos, the mind behind “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” is a one-hit wonder who keeps trying to capture that old magic with no luck. An actor of Hanks’ pedigree can help produce her projects to his heart’s content, but he shouldn’t use so much as a syllable of her prose.
- Re-up with the Coen Brothers: This is good advice for any actor, although Hanks’ sole teaming with the wunderkind brothers occurred during their only creative dry spell. “The Ladykillers,” which cast Hanks as a crook in a blazing white Southern suit, stands as the Coens’ weakest film to date. But that was before the duo caught fire with “No Country for Old Men” and “Burn After Reading.”
- Get gritty: Am I the only person who didn’t think Hanks could pull off “Saving Private Ryan?” My view of the actor changed after watching him command his troops against the Axis powers. Hanks is a natural comic, but he’ll enjoy a longer career if he relies on his dramatic chops. Rom-coms skew young, and Hanks would be a poor fit for a Judd Apatow-style comedy.
- Don’t panic: You’re still Tom Hanks, and most audiences will always love you for “Forrest Gump,” “Splash” and “You’ve Got Mail.” Stop the “Da Vinci” movies, don’t attempt anything absurd like a “Splash: Part II” and remember what brought you to the A-list.
Hanks’ next project, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” should help restore some of his previous luster. Director Stephen Daldry (“The Hours”) handles a story critics met with folded arms, but Hanks’ talented cast mates (Sandra Bullock, Jeffrey Wright and John Goodman among them) should elevate the material.
After enduring “Larry Crowne,” Hanks fans need a lift, and soon.
(Photo: Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks flirt up a storm in “Larry Crowne,” a new film directed and co-written by Hanks. Photo Credit: Bruce Talamon. Copyright: Copyright: © 2011 Vendôme International, LLC)
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
* Stop dumping on (at least) half your audience by
giving the Obama admin a tongue bathpretending to be politically savvy.I know Hanks’ wife is all best friends with Nia Vardalos and all that, but damn, let’s let her stay in her own little universe with John Corbett shall we?
Hanks is a huge star, but lately he’s been picking awful material.
Can’t disagree, but Hanks doesn’t do the hateful rant thing like Sean Penn. That’s the stuff that really alienates audiences. My guess is people hear Hanks singing Obama’s praises and shake their head in disbelief.
But Hanks has been more vocal in recent years, and his comments regarding WWII and The Pacific were indefensible.
http://admin.bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2010/03/17/did-tom-hanks-war-of-terror-and-racism-comments-hurt-the-pacific/
Reading Ben Shapiro’s “Primetime Propaganda” has given me a new model to apply to the Hollywood left – that of people who are so successful enough in terms of money that they can afford to pander to their egos / self image for the rest of their artistic careers. Why would Hanks want to make more popular movies now if he didn’t feel they were “meaningful” or didn’t “make a difference” or were highly praised by their peers ( e.g. Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood)?
In conservative movie commentary, the “good old days” are consistently harked back to, but those were the days of very high tax rates on the rich that often bankrupted stars who weren’t sharp with their money and stay on the ball in terms of the projects they accepted and the political outlook they embraced. I imagine that kind of government interaction would also tend to bring a lot of conservatism / small government sentiment into Hollywood.
I’d suggest to Hanks that he try a wider variety of roles and to not be afraid of smaller roles (he doesn’t always have to be the lead). But if he does this, he should avoid the lure of the ultra-hammy cameo, such as Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder.
Forgot to mention one more: stay off of MSNBC. This is as big a tell of your politics as using the ‘teabaggers’ slur.