Recently, Tom Hanks’ newest film, NEWS OF THE WORLD, was released to positive reviews. The film has been in the discussion of one of Hanks’ best works, which then of course sent the Reel Speak machine into high gear…bringing us to The Top 10 Best Tom Hanks Films.
Hanks, who is often considered to be one of the world’s most popular and best actors, producers, personalities, and statesman who always gives it his all…got his start on the small-screen, playing one-half of a comedy duo in BOSOM BUDDIES (1980-1982). His work there captured the attention of director Ron Howard, who cast Hanks in his mermaid-comedy SPLASH in 1984. It was Hanks’ breakout film role, and he followed that up with a string of comedies in the Eighties that would define the decade, with notable films such as BACHELOR PARTY (1984), THE MONEY PIT (1986), DRAGNET (1987), and THE ‘BURBS (1989). In the 1990’s, he moved into a new era of serious films, teaming up with established directors such as Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and Paul Greengrass…a move which earned him critical acclaim and Oscar gold. Worthy mentions include ROAD TO PERDITION (2002), THE POLAR EXPRESS (2004), THE TERMINAL (2004), and THE GREEN MILE (1999). With such an extensive catalog of films that have now spanned close to 40 years, narrowing down his best films to just ten is a challenge. These are the films that not only have a great Hanks performance, but have stood the test of time.
So let’s get to infinity and beyond…
10. TOY STORY (1995)
Pixar’s first feature film that changed the industry and the way we look at animated films. Hanks provides the voice of Woody the toy cowboy, who has his world turned upside-down with the arrival of the fancy new space-ranger toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). It can be argued that this isn’t really a Tom Hanks movie since he doesn’t appear physically and we only hear his unmistakable voice, but the amount of heart and soul Hanks puts into Woody makes him one of the most endearing characters in cinema of the last 25 years. It’s impossible to look at Woody or quote him without hearing Hanks.
9. SAVING MR. BANKS (2013)
Hanks plays Walt Disney and Emma Thompson plays P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, in this often overlooked gem. One of the best films of the year in 2013 which earned plenty of acclaim and nominations, it’s a short-and-sweet story of the creative process that would end in an all-time cinema classic, and the tough road Disney and Travers took to get there. It’s a story of the creative process that works not just for Disney lovers, but for those of us who find it difficult to share our passions and lives with the rest of the world.
8. FORREST GUMP (1994)
Hanks won his second of two consecutive Oscars for his role of Forrest Gump, the lovable below-IQ aw-shucks guy who finds himself in some of history’s biggest events. Robert Zemeckis directed this Best Picture winner which became a pop culture icon and continues to have a presence in social media memes. Over the years this film has become everyone’s favorite punching bag, but there’s little arguing its presence in our culture today, even after 27 years, which is the mark of any good film. It has a timeless nature to it; feeling like a fable that would be spun around a campfire.
7. SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993)
Hanks did two romantic comedies with co-star Meg Ryan and the late great director Nora Ephron in the Nineties, with this hit the best of the two. Hanks plays a grieving widow and Ryan a lost reporter, who find each other through the help of their family and friends. A story about handling loss with a lot of heart, it has one or more gimmicks that shouldn’t work but do…making for a minor classic that is charming, witty, and a perfect movie for date night.
6. BIG (1988)
Hanks earned his first Oscar nomination in this comedy-fantasy about a boy who becomes a man overnight. Directed by the late great Penny Marshall, Hanks is hilarious while maintaining an element of seriousness. The film is funny and makes another gimmick work well. To this day, the Walking Piano scene still resonates and is often referenced and imitated.
5. CAST AWAY (2000)
Hanks famously lost over 50 pounds to play a lone castaway on a remote island after surviving a plane crash, and earned another Oscar nomination. Robert Zemeckis directed this drama which not only serves as a survival tale, but as a life-lesson in the basics of humanity. Hanks puts in one of his best and committed performances, with many of the films’ scenes (and volleyballs), surviving into social media popularity.
4. A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992)
The late great Penny Marshall directed this comedy-drama about the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was created to fill in the gap while America’s men were off fighting in WWII. While this isn’t really a Hanks film since he doesn’t have the lead role, he makes his presence felt in every scene. Hanks plays Jimmy Dugan, a former pro ball player (who loves to pull the cork a little too much), who is asked to manage one of the new teams. Reluctant at first, Dugan eventually commits to his new team. Hanks shows toughness and eventually heart, and helps the film earn its status as one of the best ever made about the game.
3. PHILADELPHIA (1993)
Perhaps the most important film Hanks has made. Hanks plays attorney Andrew Beckett, who is fired from a prestigious Philly law firm due to his contraction of the AIDS virus. Beckett then hires attorney Joe Miller (Denzel Washington), to take his old bosses to court. Directed by Jonathan Demme of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991), PHILADELPHIA gives us an intimate look at the gay community and the prejudices they faced when AIDS came into their lives. Hanks once again shed the pounds for the role, and puts in a startling performance that more-than earned him his first Oscar win.
2. APOLLO 13 (1995)
Ron Howard helmed this thriller about the real-life story of Apollo 13, the doomed manned-mission to the Moon which never landed due to an explosion while only half-way there. Hanks is teamed with Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan in a drama that is so gripping and emotional, that we are 100% caught up in the fate of the astronauts even if we know the outcome. Made during an era before CGI started to dominate visual effects, APOLLO 13 has stunning visuals and a tremendous score by the late great James Horner. Nominated for nine Oscars and a winner of two.
1. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
Steven Spielberg’s WWII, multi-nominated epic about a small platoon of soldiers on a mission to find one man in Nazi-occupied France just days after the D-Day invasion. Hanks leads the mission that he does not believe in, and strikes a balance of hard-nosed military man that still has ounces of humanity deep inside. The battle scenes are harrowing with the D-Day invasion ranking amongst the best depiction of war ever to see the big screen, and Spielberg balances it all out with his gentle touch…delivering the horrors of war and capping it off with a lesson that should have us re-thinking the way we live our lives. Hanks is excellent, with his emotional breakdown near the end of the film a startler…and his ensemble supporting cast of Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Dennis Farina, Nathan Fillion, Harve Presnell, Ryan Hurst, and Bryan Cranston add to the enormity of the movie. There are scenes here that are hard to believe, and plenty to take with us long after the credits roll. The mission was a man, and Hanks accomplishes this with everything he has.
REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST TOM HANKS FILMS
- SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
- APOLLO 13
- PHILADELPHIA
- A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
- CAST AWAY
- BIG
- SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
- FORREST GUMP
- SAVING MR. BANKS
- TOY STORY
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