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Mr. Tom Hanks is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide. The dude is honestly a national American treasure and should be encased in bubble wrap. With a distinctive voice and lovable personality, anyone would love to spend some time talking to this great man. Tom Hanks has done it all from being a popular cowboy toy, to telling us that life is like a box of chocolates, to not being able to sleep in Seattle and finally solving some of Da Vinci greatest mysteries. Hanks has done it all!
Sheriff Woody- Toy Story 1, 2 ,3 ,4
Who would’ve thought that giving a toy a personality and voice? Playing Woody is one of Hanks best works and has given children all over the world a love for a toy they once had. Hanks vocal performance as Woody is one of the best all time. Making the character a leader but also deeply wound up, he is honestly one of the best animated characters of all time and Hanks deserves a lot of the praise even if he is a strange little man.
Forrest Gump- Forrest Gump (1994)
In a role that sent his character throughout United States history, Tom Hanks was the perfect choice as Forrest Gump. I don’t think anyone else could portray Forrest like Hanks did. Hanks just has that genuine and good nature heart about him and maybe that is why he worked so well. He had the perfect balance of dry humor, sadness, seriousness and lovability.
Chuck Noland- Cast Away (2000)
When you trying to deliver packages and end up in a plane crash. The only person you have to talk to is a soccer ball. Hanks is awesome in this role as man who fixes systems problems only to being in the largest messes of his life. Hanks looks like a mountain man trying to survive and the emotional look when he loses Wilson is so heartbreaking. That is great acting right there.
Jimmy Dugan- A League of Their Own (1992)
Hanks plays Jimmy Dugan, a cynical alcoholic and former star Cubs slugger. Hanks is mean and hilarious as Dugan. He is always drunk and sweating most of the time and yet cares for his team even when he doesn’t want to be there. Hanks also delivers one of the most iconic lines for baseball. We all know there is no crying in baseball.
Andrew (“Andy”) Beckett- Philadelphia (1993)
Philadelphia is a film that is notable for being one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to address HIV/AIDS and homophobia. Hanks plays Andrew Beckett a senior associate at the largest corporate law firm in Philadelphia. In the film, he conceals his homosexuality and his status as an AIDS patient from the other members of the firm until one discovers a lesion and soon Andrew is terminated. Beckett decides to fight back and gets the help of another lawyer played by Denzel Washington. Hanks is strong as he plays a man slowly dying from the disease but wants to be treated fairly. With strong chemistry with Washington, Hanks won the Academy Award.
Joshua “Josh” Baskin- Big (1988)
How can I not add this film to the Tom Hanks list? Hanks was excellent as Josh, a boy who wished he was big and ended up grown. Hanks is baby face as this was one of his first 10 films, I think. He seemed to have fun as a big kid and played it so well. The piano scene still one of the best highlights and fun moments. Now the sad part is, when people get older, it doesn’t seem as fun. Oh, to be adulting.
Captain John H. Miller- Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Saving Private Ryan is one of the greatest war movies ever made by the legendary Stephen Spielberg. The film follows United States Army Rangers Captain John H. Miller and his squad sent on a mission to find Private Ryan, the last surviving brother of four as the other brothers have been killed in action. Hanks is one of those actors who always does amazing work. As Captain Miller, he is a quiet man with shakes in his hand. When everything seems to breakdown, Hanks has this calmness to sway his men as Captain Miller.
Allen Bauer- Splash (1984)
In his second role ever and the film that launched his career, the baby face, wet behind the ears, breath smellin like similac, Hanks plays a young man who falls in love with a mysterious woman who is secretly a mermaid. In this Ron Howard film, Hanks is funny even though John Candy is with him. Hanks gives it his all as it is the start to a beautiful and long career. Also, the movie is well done as a mermaid recuses Allen when he was a young boy and looks for him in NYC as the get older.
Jim Lovell- Apollo 13 (1995)
“Houston, We Have a Problem!!” You damn right we have a problem up here in the wide open of space. In the space docudrama film directed by Ron Howard, it recounts the near-catastrophic 1970 NASA mission. The film depicts astronauts Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise aboard Apollo 13 for America’s fifth crewed mission to the Moon. Things don’t as planned when an on-board explosion deprives their spacecraft of much of its oxygen supply and electrical power. Yep, things get really real in the emptiness of space. Hanks plays Commander Jim Lovell who you want to be in charge of something like this. He was calm, collective and just had a sense where you think you might make it.
Carl Hanratty- Catch Me If You Can (2002)
In the Stephen Spielberg biographical crime film that is based on Frank Abagnale, who “before” his 19th birthday became a con artist who successfully posed as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor. Catch Me If You Can stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the title character, Frank, and Hanks who plays FBI agent Carl Hanratty who goes to great lengths to capture the con artist. Hanks is great as the square and straight edge authority figure. Yet, the best part is there is great chemistry between DiCaprio and Hanks who play off each other in this cat and mouse film.
