It’s really difficult for me to come up with one reason to dislike Tom Hanks. I mean, if I’m being really harsh and negative, I guess you could say that he seems like a big ol’ cheeseball… but even then, that’s one of the reasons I like him so much. Tom doesn’t need to do 20-second guest appearances on Saturday Night Live. He doesn’t need to happily pose with a fan who wanted to pretend he was passed out. He doesn’t need to have a Twitter account or a WhoSay page, but he does and both are utterly charming. He’s Tom Hanks! He has two Oscars, millions of other awards, he’s richer than God and at this point, he’s just working because he likes to work and that’s about it.
Or is something else going on? Does Tom Hanks want that elusive third Oscar? I’m starting to wonder. Daniel Day-Lewis has three. Jack Nicholson has three. Meryl Streep has three. Why doesn’t Tom Hanks have three?! So, Tom has two awards-baity looking films coming out this fall/winter and I really, really want to see both of them. And I think both could be legitimate awards-contenders.
First up, here’s the new trailer for Captain Phillips. Tom plays Captain Richard Phillips, captain of the MV Maersk Alabama in 2009, when Somali pirates hijacked the boat and took Phillips hostage. The film is directed by Paul Greengrass, who really knows how to put together an action sequence. Also: the actor playing the lead Somali pirate looks like he’s doing amazing work too.
Good, right? It’s opening the NY Film Festival. Can’t wait!
Then Tom also has the much more Oscar-friendly, Oscar-baity film Saving Mr. Banks. He plays Walt Disney. Literally, Tom Hanks as Walt Disney! And Emma Thompson is in it too as Pamela Travers, the author of the book that became Mary Poppins. Emma will probably get nominated for this too, don’t you think?
Last but not least, Tom and Ron Howard are going to team up again for a film adaptation of Dan Brown’s Inferno. Tom has played symbologist Robert Langdon in two previous Dan Brown adaptations. I read Inferno and I thought it was the weakest of Brown’s work, although I didn’t really care for Angels & Demons. The Lost Symbol was pretty good though.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Love him. All the hardcore Disney history nerds (yes they exist) are going to have a fit over the movie because it plays very fast and loose with the facts, but it looks amazing and I can’t wait to see it.
I can’t wait to see it…love Hanks, Thompson and the wonderful Walt Disney!
The thought of 60+ Hanks playing 40+ dashing and physical Lagdon (who makes all his lady sidekicks swoon) gives me the bad chills. Then again, so did Brown’s awful writing of Inferno.
A danish movie from 2012 called A Hijacking is a danish movie about Somali pirates – I think its going to be the danish bid for for the Oscar for best foreign film. Maybe its going to be the year of movies about hijacking.
Glad to hear they’re making a film of Inferno so I don’t have to read the book!
And since he stole his second Oscar from Morgan Freeman/Nigel Hawthorne for that excruciating Forrest Gump cinematic haemorrhoid he should never get another nom, like, ever…
Why is it that good films that could be Oscar nominated called Oscar bait? Why can’t people make a good film just because they think it’s a good project?
I don’t know, I think there’s a fine line between a legitimately very good film and cheeseball high profile movie meant to tug at the emotions. But I’m with you, I don’t think there is really a way to know which it is until after it is out.
He’s my sister’s favorite actor and she loves Disney so she’s going to LOVE “Saving Mr.Banks”! I’ll probably see it too, but it looks a little bit cheesy 🙂
What’s interesting is that the musical version of Mary Poppins is much closer to the original books than the film was. I knew there had been a dispute with Disney and I wondered if that was their way of making amends. (Even though I adore the film.). Can’t wait for this!
Is the stache part of the role? Please tell me yes.
it looks like he is playing the fuhrer
except it’s not a toothbrush mustache. Not every mustache is Hitler.
Love this guy and I can’t wait for these movies, and I have no problem with him getting Oscar number 3, he deserves it and doesn’t go the kiss-a@# route.
I hated the Lost Symbol. The ending totally sucked. I’m glad they are skipping that one.
The trailer for Captain Phillips looks absolutely amazing. Tom Hanks is the best!!
I think Tom can hang it up for this year. . . Put a wrap on it. . . . because you know who’s going to win the oscar for best actor? Robert Redford who has won for best director and has an honorary award but has NEVER won for best actor. That is all. . . . sorry Tom, better luck next year Tom.
Sorry but those two movies don’t look great. I mean, the Walt Disney movie looks awful: another biopic (again?), cheesy as hell, the English people are stuck up and don’t get on well with fun relaxed Americans trope (but eventually they’ll get on, you’ll see and everything will be alright! how predictable), Emma Thompson in a bad wig, just awful. Reminds me of the Hitchcock biopic (such a cringe-worthy film).
The Paul Greengrass movie looks slightly better but that’s not hard.
I agree. I thing there are other more anticipated movies for later this year, including 12 Years a Slave and The Butler. I don’t think this is his year for an Oscar. He might be nominated, but I don’t think he will win.
Tom andRita both look like they’ve had a wee bit of work done on their faces: Tom looks like he’s had a triple chin removed and Rita’s face looks “tighter”, especially her jawline.
Rita-definitely. I’m going to vouch for Tom, though. My dad is aging pretty much the same way. Chins multiply on men as they age and this looks pretty natural to me.
My three favorite elder statesmen actors (who I hope live forever) are Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray. I’ll watch anything any of them are in and if someone puts all three in the same movie I will die of happiness. Make this happen Hollywood!
There are of course some exceptions, but Tom Hanks tends to make movies that I find utterly unappealing. Like, I can’t figure out who actually thinks these movies sound like a good idea aside from ”He’s Tom hanks! Oscar Oscar Oscar Oscar!” The Terminal, Charlie Wilson’s War, whatever that one was where he went back to college, and of course The Davinci code, and now the Disney movie – the man just makes the most awful looking movies, that are primarily sold on the fact that they’re Tom Hanks vehicles. If that makes sense.
To be honest, the last TH movie I watched was You Got Mail with Meg Ryan. I think they are a great pair and it’s so sad that Meg’s career was torpedoed by her bad plastic surgery and the Rusell Crowe affair.
The other movies you mentioned were horrible. He actually refunded some guy at the gas station because he came up to him and said Larry Crowne sucked.
No matter what, Tom’s a nice guy and I’ll always remember him as Kip from Bosom Buddies!
Have you seen Catch Me If You Can? Tom was amazing in that.
I love him to death but why so greedy?
Considering that the last few movies that he has had out have not done well at the box office (outside of the Dan Brown movies), I am glad he has two movies upcoming with good buzz. I don’t think Tom Hanks has to be try hard like Anne Hathaway or Jennifer Lawrence for his Oscar. He is well liked in Hollywood.
Of course, best actor award might be a very tight race with the possibilities of him, Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Forrest Whitaker and Michael B Jordan
I. Don’t. Like. Tom. Hanks. There, I said it. I think he’s insufferable. I know I am alone on this.
I have a friend who absolutely hates Tom hanks and his son Colin, so you’re not alone. Personally, I’m indifferent about him.
“…doesn’t need to fool around on his wife with actresses like the one whose name rhymes with Mare Lanes…”