Movie #398 - A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own
1992 - Rated PG - 2 hr 8 min
Director: Penny Marshall
Starring: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Bill Pullman, Megan Cavanagh, Rosie O'Donnell, Tracy Reiner, Ann Cusack, Bitty Schram

A pivotal movie from my youth... Girls can play sports! I remember how much I loved this movie, how I'd want to watch it over and over again.  And also how I'd quote it whenever possible.

"There's no crying in baseball!"  -- The valuable wisdom of Tom Hanks, boys and girls.  There is no crying in baseball, all true.

With a fantastic cast of vibrant characters and the perfect She-Ra strength of star Dottie Henson (thank you, Geena Davis), it's easy to see why this movie inspired so many of my young girlfriends to play baseball. Beyond the fun parts, there's also a really great story line here. A telling portrayal of two sisters, the younger always struggling to get her due and the older just trying to live her life. A heartbreaking reality of war-time America and the lengths people went to in order to go about "normal" life. These girls did much for the spirit of our country and should most definitely be celebrated in a movie like this.

It's always been a favorite, and now that I own it (finally), it will continue to be for a long time.

Movie #213 - Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump
1994 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 12 min
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, Haley Joel Osment

This movie has the unique ability to appeal to viewers of nearly any age.  I remember seeing this in the theatre at 12 and enjoying it.  My parents loved it even more, because they'd live through most of the major events that appear in it.  And I can appreciate it even more now, as adult, since I get the hints and subtleties.

The innocence of this character is what makes him great.  He is exactly as he appears: friendly, easy going, simple, his heart on his sleeve.  Forrest Gump is the kind of man you want good things to happen to. And in this movie they do and they don't.  Life happens to him, and simultaneously, he happens to life.  It's so well written and so flawlessly executed you forget it's fictional. 

And who doesn't love all those Forrest pop-ups in archival footage?

So I love this movie. If you haven't seen it (because you live under a rock), see it.  It's deserving of the experience. Just like Hanks was deserving of that Oscar win.

Movie #172 - Dragnet

Dragnet
1987 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 46 min
Director: Tom Mankiewicz
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Christopher Plummer, Dabney Coleman

Yup, here's a cheesy, dated movie.  I vaguely remember this one as a kid, but haven't seen it in ages.  Actually, this is probably the first time I've seen it all the way through.  Aykroyd and Hanks make a good pair, straight cop and funny cop, good cop and bad cop, by-the-book and by-the-seat-of-his-pants.  They do justice to these characters, which makes the movie palatable.  Otherwise, I'd have been bored to tears.

There's not much else to report from this one.  It's a standard buddy cop movie, your regular uncover the internal corruption kind of plot. Dabney Coleman is funny, mostly for his weird accent.  And Christopher Plummer is in this too, because he's in everything.  I think this is his seventh or eighth appearance on the Wall.  Wow!

All right, one more on this shelf!!

Movie #151 - The DaVinci Code

The DaVinci Code
Columbia Pictures
2006 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 29 min
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Ian McKellan, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina

Finally the prequel movie (or sequel book) to Angels & Demons has come up on the way.  I know it's almost cliche these days, but I'm a fan of Robert Langdon and his adventures, as well as his token female adventure partner.  Actually, I like Sophie the most of the two of them.

So here we are on the hunt for DaVinci's clues across Europe, uncovering deep and dark Christian secrets, and blowing the lid of the life of Christ.  Interesting to think how much of this is true - which many speculated when the book first hit shelves, but that's long since died down.  Now, most people just enjoy it for the adventure and the mystery of it all. 

Some argue that the movie's too long. Maybe it is. But with book to movie adaptations, there's no pleasing everyone.  Overall, I think this captures the tone of the book, which is the part we all like, which makes this a good adaptation in my opinion.

Movie #103 - Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can
DreamWorks
2002 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 21 min
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Amy Adams, James Brolin

Want to watch Leo play with people's hearts, minds, and money for two hours? Want to see what it would be like if Christopher Walken were his dad?  How about if Tom Hanks were a fast-acting FBI agent, just one step behind a masterful con artist?

This movie's just fun to watch, given that it's based on an actual true story.  Adapted from the book by con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. - who led federal agencies on a wild goose chase across the country before he turned 19 - these stories seem delightfully farcical.  When you stop and remember that they actually happened, it's even more interesting.  Of course, none of these tricks would work today, but it's still funny to see how easily this kid manipulates and cons.

Then you realize it's a good thing he was a fairly good-natured guy...

Movie #29 - Angels & Demons

Angels & Demons

Columbia Pictures

2009 - Rated R - 2 hr 18 min

Director: Ron Howard

Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor

Like The DaVinci Code, I was glad I read the book before I saw the movie. The books are better, but I can't say I'm surprised. It's hard to improve on a Dan Brown adventure. Also like The DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons centers on Robert Langdon, the world's leading symbologist, on another adventure rooted in Catholicism (and it's surrounding -isms). This time, it's the Illuminati out to get the Church, and Robert has to save the day (and Vatican City).

Unlike The DaVinci Code, the movie is well adapted from the book, rarely chopping out huge sections of action or dialogue. It also doesn't seem choppy. Oddly, this book is written as a prequel, but since DaVinci came out as a movie first, they chose to turn this into a sequel. It's not a plot point, but I know some Langdonites were irritated by this.

Overall, Angels & Demons is my favorite Langdon adventure, both in the written and visual artforms. I definitely recommend reading both titles (and the new one, The Lost Symbol) before adding this to the Netflix queue, however.