Larry Crowne

Big name stars can't help to save this wishy-washy routine film. The story which was directed, co-written, produced by Tom Hanks, and stars Tom Hanks, strives too hard to get out. The film spends too much time on sub-plots, and not enough on character chemistry. I found very little spark and believability.


The films perception is focused around social issues ( our great recession). Larry (Hanks) is a dedicated retail worker fired because he doesn't have a college degree, so his optimism leads him to enroll in community college. Well, the teacher just happens to be Julia Roberts, who has her own marital problems. She's married to an internet porn addict. Other life changing events happen to Larry, such as replacing his gas guzzling SUV with a scooter.


C ( 2 stars)
Jack


BTW...being your own boss you can cast who ever you desire. Hank's wife (Rita Wilson) and son is in the film, as well as Meryl Streep's daughter. Oh yea, Cedric the Entertainer lives next door to Larry, before his house is foreclosed.

I disagree Jack. Maybe not a great movie but I've watched it more than once. I'm not sure if you've got a problem with Cedric the Entertainer but I really liked his scenes. You also didn't mention that Hanks' co-writer was Nia Vardalos (people seem to love to hate her and she was the Map Genie voice) and she got to cast her husband Ian Gomez as the diner owner. They also got to cast Pam Grier.

B-

Never seen it.

I liked it.

Larry Crowne
Movie Blurb by Shale
July 2, 2011

This is a pleasant romantic comedy that deviates a little from the usual formula by having middle aged, more experienced protagonists. Tom Hanks is in the titular role of Larry, one of those orderly, conscientious people who don't just pass by trash on the parking lot or in the hall but picks it up and puts it in the trash can.

He works at a large chain store called U-Mart and instead of getting another employee of the month award when he is called in to see the managers, he gets canned. Some BS (bureaucratic stupidity) about not having a college education so he can't advance, therefore must be let go.

So, Larry in his free time takes some college courses in public speaking and economics. His speech class professor is Mercedes (Julia Roberts). Larry goes thru many changes, which a lot of people are going thru right now. He can't afford to make payments on a house that is not worth it, so in his econ course he figures out to let it get foreclosed and sell off a lot of his furniture and move to a small apartment. He falls back on experience he got in the Navy (the reason he never went to college) and lands a different job.

It was a nice relaxing movie; I would recommend it for those who like character studies played by a couple of actors who can pull it off. And it is uplifting seeing real events of our time being surmounted by regular guys.

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Never heard of it.