Larry Crowne
(2011)Comedy drama about the amiable Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks, who also directs), a middle-aged fellow who is made redundant from his job during a recession. Behind on his mortgage and needing to up-skill, he returns to college. There, he develops a crush on his public-speaking teacher (Julia Roberts) who has lost her passion for her job, her husband and her life.
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Directed by Tom Hanks
Starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Wilmer Valderrama, Taraji P. Henson, Nia Vardalos, George Takei
Written by Tom Hanks, Nia Vardalos
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 1 providers
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Larry Crowne
BY adamatdramatrain superstar
Okay, if you're into "nice" films with no potty mouth language, "nice" people and two "nice" leading players who fall in heterosexual love so that the whole thing can be tied up with a "nice" happy big pink ribbon at the end - good for you. You'll love it. If you loved "Mamma Mia" - this is pretty much the same type of thing - only minus the horrible singing. Trite, predictable, and directed and co-written by that "nice" Tom Hanks - 'Larry Crowne' is so f-ing "nice" that I wanted to gouge out my own eyeballs and eat them. Oh, and did I mention how "nice" it all is? Nice.Hide
BY Whitney lister
This movie would definitley appeal to most of your parents / mums as this has that kind of middle age humour with it. Great movie to take your mum to but prob not your boyfriend or friends!!
BY munchkin superstar
alright an average story with Tom Hanks although he is a wonderful actor the story line didnt see that great Tom Hanks spark where all used to I heard somewhere that someone came up to him and told him they didntl like the movie so he refunded them there money back a genuine nice guy
BY bigspendakev superstar
Best parts were in the trailer utter rubbish
BY Taylor-Wallis grader
I went to this to keep my mum company & throughly enjoyed it & had a good laugh & it's nice to find a good clean movie for a change.
Showing 5 of 9 reviews. See all reviews
The Press Reviews
35%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
The story feels half-considered, the relationships thin, and the direction visually indifferent. Full Review
The screenplay carries blandness to a point beyond tedium. Full Review
This one coasts by on Hanks' immense appeal and charm, but more focus and a touch more sharpness are needed to make it really come alive. Full Review
Every scene is on the prowl for laughs at the expense of the inherent drama in the lives of its colorful characters. Full Review
A rom-com fairy tale so tepid and well behaved that watching it feels like being stuck in traffic as giddy joy-riders in the opposite lane break the speed limit. You have little choice but to cool your heels and pretend that the parched crabgrass in the median is a field of flowers. Full Review
It's sweet, bordering on mushy, and while it's a nice reminder that life in a recession doesn't mean the end of the world, overall Larry Crowne is more cringeworthy than uplifting. Full Review
Tom Hanks has fun in slippers-comfortable throwback. Full Review
As lightweight as a salad and about as filling, this is amiable but predictable. Tom and Julia are as solid as ever but, like Hanks’ direction, they won’t be winning any awards. Full Review
Movie stars may be less valued than they used to be, but it's still puzzling to see Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts stuck in a romantic comedy as flat-footed and tone deaf as Larry Crowne. Full Review
BY Andreas Heinemann Flicks Writer
The global credit crunch continues to provide cinematic source material, this time for Tom Hanks, pulling double-duty as director and lead actor in this fish-out-of-water comedy about a middle-aged man who goes back to college in an attempt to up-skill in a competitive job market.... More
Hanks has long been one of the best A-listers at portraying everymen and here he turns in another solid performance in that role. The problem is how old fashioned and flat the material he’s working with feels. For a movie about contemporary issues, it sure isn’t afraid to use a dated comedic style. The supporting cast is rounded out by youth market stereotypes that allow the film to dredge up plenty of comic clichés, with only romantic interest Julia Roberts able to provide any real support. She’s a veteran in this type of material and has a character that can introduce bitterness and cynicism into what is otherwise a ridiculously sweet tone.
This is a movie that shows its age, or more accurately the age of its creators. If you’re of the same generation of Hanks and Roberts, it should appeal. Younger audiences might find the only laughs to be ironic ones at the way they themselves are portrayed.Hide
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