The Tom Hanks Thread

I like Tom Hanks quite a bit, so I thought it might be fun to list his best performances in order of our personal favorites. If you haven't seen a role of his , please abstain from putting it your list. Here's a list of his movie credits, courtesy of IMDb.

He Knows You're Alone (1980) .... Elliot
Mazes and Monsters (1982) .... Robbie Wheeling
Splash (1984) .... Allen Bauer
Bachelor Party (1984) .... Richard 'Rick' Ernesto Gassko
The Man with One Red Shoe (1985) .... Richard
Volunteers (1985) .... Lawrence Bourne III
The Money Pit (1986) .... Walter Fielding
Nothing in Common (1986) .... David Basner
Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986) .... David
Dragnet (1987) .... Pep Streebeck
Big (1988) .... Joshua 'Josh' Baskin
Punchline (1988) .... Steven Gold
The 'burbs (1989) .... Raymond 'Ray' Peterson
Turner & Hooch (1989) .... Det. Scott Turner
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) .... Joe Banks
Bonfire of the Vanities, The (1990) .... Sherman McCoy
Radio Flyer (1992) (uncredited) .... Older Mike
A League of Their Own (1992) .... Jimmy Dugan
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) .... Samuel 'Sam' Baldwin
Philadelphia (1993) .... Andrew Beckett
Forrest Gump (1994) .... Forrest Gump
Apollo 13 (1995) .... Jim Lovell
Toy Story (1995) .... Sheriff Woody
That Thing You Do! (1996) .... Mr. White
Saving Private Ryan (1998) .... Captain John Miller
You've Got Mail (1998) .... Joe Fox
Toy Story 2 (1999) .... Sheriff Woody
The Green Mile (1999) .... Paul Edgecomb
Cast Away (2000) .... Chuck Noland
Road to Perdition (2002) .... Michael Sullivan

I hope this thread gets some responses.

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Do I have to list that many? just kidding...

My favorite Tom Hanks Movies: (in order, this time...)

Saving Private Ryan
Road to Perdition
The Burbs
Forrest Gump
Apollo 13
That Thing You Do
Toy Story 2

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Basically reverse that list while keeping Turner & Hooch (1989) .... Det. Scott Turner where it is, but yes i agree Tom Hanks is a brillent actor and is rather underrated, he has rarely starred in anything unworthy of starring. A great actor with a great deal of knowledge my faviourite film with him in it was undoubtably Castaway.

I always like Tom Hanks so this is hard… I’ve seen almost all of his older movies but it’s been so long I need to re-watch a few of them before I could decide and I haven’t seen Road to Perdition yet…

Forrest Gump
Turner & Hooch
The 'burbs
Saving Private Ryan
Apollo 13
Green Mile, The
Cast Away
Philadelphia
A League of Their Own
Big
Sleepless in Seattle
You've Got Mail
That Thing You Do!
Splash

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My favorite Tom Hank performances, in order:

Road to Perdition (2002) .... Michael Sullivan
The Green Mile (1999) .... Paul Edgecomb
Saving Private Ryan (1998) .... Captain John Miller
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) .... Joe Banks
Forrest Gump (1994) .... Forrest Gump
Cast Away (2000) .... Chuck Noland
Philadelphia (1993) .... Andrew Beckett
A League of Their Own (1992) .... Jimmy Dugan
That Thing You Do! (1996) .... Mr. White
The 'burbs (1989) .... Raymond 'Ray' Peterson
Big (1988) .... Joshua 'Josh' Baskin

I've seen all of his movies. The rest are all tied for last place.

The Burbs:8.5/10
Toy Story:8.5/10
Saving Private Ryan:8/10
Toy Story 2:8/10
Joe versus the Volcano:7.5/10
The Green Mile:7.5/10
A league of their own:7.5/10
Apollo 13:7.5/10
Forrest Gump:7.5/10
Cast Away:7/10
Big:7/10
Sleepless in Seattle:6/10
Turner & Hooch:6/10
Bachelor Party:6/10
The Money Pit:6/10
Splash:6/10

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I love Tom Hanks. I know I still need to see a few of his others...but here are my fav's....

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) .... Samuel 'Sam' Baldwin
You've Got Mail (1998) .... Joe Fox
Toy Story 2 (1999) .... Sheriff Woody
Toy Story (1995) .... Sheriff Woody
Forrest Gump (1994) .... Forrest Gump
Apollo 13 (1995) .... Jim Lovell
Big (1988) .... Joshua 'Josh' Baskin
A League of Their Own (1992) .... Jimmy Dugan
The 'burbs (1989) .... Raymond 'Ray' Peterson
Turner & Hooch (1989) .... Det. Scott Turner
Dragnet (1987) .... Pep Streebeck
The Money Pit (1986) .... Walter Fielding
Nothing in Common (1986) .... David Basner
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) .... Joe Banks
Splash (1984) .... Allen Bauer
Bachelor Party (1984) .... Richard 'Rick' Ernesto Gassko
The Man with One Red Shoe (1985) .... Richard
That Thing You Do! (1996) .... Mr. White

"Take me to...THE VOLCANO!"

1. Joe versus the Volcano
2. That Thing You Do!
3. Toy Story
4. Toy Story 3
5. Big
6. Philadelphia
7. Apollo 13
8. Catch Me if You Can
9. Toy Story 2
10. Bridge of Spies
11. The 'Burbs
12. Captain Phillips
13. Splash
14. Forrest Gump
15. The Post
16. Cast Away
17. Saving Private Ryan
18. A League of Their Own
19. Asteroid City
20. Bachelor Party
21. The Ladykillers
22. The Money Pit
23. Punchline
24. Toy Story 4
25. Charlie Wilson's War
26. News of the World
27. A Man Called Otto
28. Sleepless in Seattle
29. Road to Perdition
30. The Green Mile
31. Larry Crowne
32. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
33. Dragnet
34. Nothing in Common
35. Greyhound
36. Saving Mr. Banks
37. Finch
38. Sully
39. You've Got Mail
40. The Da Vinci Code
41. The Man with One Red Shoe
42. The Great Buck Howard
43. Angels & Demons
44. Hologram for the King
45. Inferno
46. Elvis
47. Volunteers
48. Radio Flyer
49. The Polar Express
50. Cloud Atlas
51. Turner & Hooch
52. The Terminal
53. The Circle
54. Pinocchio
55. Bonfire of the Vanities
56. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
57. Mazes & Monsters
58. He Knows You're Alone
59. Every Time We Say Goodbye


*UPDATED to include films through 2023

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You thought his performances in Cast Away, Saving Private Ryan, and Road to Perdition were all sub par? Wow. You understand this isn't a rate the movie, but rate the performance thread, right?

Yeah, but personally I'm grading as for performance and overall film quality, as well as what he brought to the project (or didn't). His role in That Thing You Do! for example is pretty small, but he wrote and directed the thing and it's a charming little movie, so it gets a good grade. His "acting" in the Toy Story movies isn't the best, most fully rounded work of his career, but it is rich and his reading of Woody adds much to those projects overall high quality.

I did indeed think his performances in Road to Perdition and Saving Private Ryan were subpar, and while his performance in Cast Away is far and away the best thing about the film, I find it's virtually the only thing to recommend and in my opinion not in itself a compelling reason to watch the flick, thus the C+ middle of the pack grade.


So yeah, I stand by my list as is, that's a-why I wrote it up that way, Big Boy. Thanks for double checking though.

So they are film grades and not performance grades?

What say you then is his best performance?

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I had a feeling, but now I'm sure...YOU'RE HIGH!

BTW, I love Joe vs. the Volcano. It's one of those completely original films. What are those you ask? Remember Independance Day?

Oh, as for a fine-tuned comic performance I'd say Joe vs. the Volcano. He stretched dramatically so very well and subtly without relying on easy tricks in Philadelphia. And then overall if I had to pick the one performance with a degree of difficulty that probably nobody else of his generation but Hanks himself could have pulled off as magnificently, I'd have to go with Big.

But I'll stand by my list as is.

*URP*


Why, what's tops Hanks-wise in your book, Bullet?

Oh, I wasn't attacking the list, I was just wondering.

I don't know, personally. I have always liked Forrest Gump and his performance in it. That would have to be the one for me, I guess.

Joe Vs. the Volcano .
Road to Perdition
Big
Toy Story
Shaving Ryan's Privates... : You know what I'm talking about.

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His performances in Saving Private Ryan and Road to Perdition were subpar you think? It is hard to imagine how his performances could have been better than the way they were in that film.

His performance as good as it was in Cast Away, did not lift the film to a standard set by some of his earlier triumphs like Philadelphia and Forrest Gump.

If I had to give my favourite Tom Hanks perforamnce then it would probably be in The Terminal, this is for teh very realistic Eastern European accent that he provides us with and the very light hearted humour. My favourite Tom Hanks film without a shadow of a doubt is The Green Mile, that is more to do with the story than any performance by teh actor.

I think Tom Hanks formed a wonderful on screen relationship with Meg Ryan, I saw both Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail recently (I made a pact with myself to watch all of Tom Hanks' film as soon as I could and to ensure I watch all of his forthcoming movies as they release), he along with Meg Ryan were very impressivem I almost would have been crying if they didn't hitch up in either of those films. Joe vs The Volcano is a film which you can either really enjoy or it doesn't have an impact on you, I didn't really enjoy it, but I think none of teh chemistry of teh later two films are in that film.

What do I think of Tom Hanks? Well I think both he and Denzel Washington are the stand out actors of their generation, it is touch and go as to which you think is better. I will honestly say that the best performance by any actor in any film/sow was Denzel in Training Day, so maybe I would pip him to the title.

Splash (1984) B
Bachelor Party (1984) B
The Money Pit (1986) B
Dragnet (1987) C
Big (1988) A
The 'burbs (1989) B
Turner & Hooch (1989) B
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) C
A League of Their Own (1992) A
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) B
Philadelphia (1993) A
Forrest Gump (1994) A
Apollo 13 (1995) B
Toy Story (1995) A
That Thing You Do! (1996) B
You've Got Mail (1998) B
Toy Story 2 (1999) A
The Green Mile (1999) B
Road to Perdition (2002) A

It's mostly A's and B's for Tom. No clunkers and only a couple that were ho hum. Tom has had a stellar career. It will be interesting to see what kind of roles he does as an older actor.

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The Green Mile or Svaing Private Pyan.

What are people's opinion of him being Robert Langdon in the upcoming Da Vinici Code movie?

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My top 5 fave:


5. A League Of Their Pwn
In a game mostly associated with male players, it's ironic that a film which focuses on the women's first professional entry into the sport, would be the one that, for me, truly captures the feeling which best reflects of why this sport is truly an American pasttime: that the purpose of a game is, no matter how the global scale of political events may be turbulently transpiring, we can all just escape for a little while by catching a ballgame. And hopefully, in the end, return into the real world with our spirits a little bit higher & our perspectives a little bit clearer. Because, as we all know by now,
there is no crying in baseball.




4. Saving Private Ryan
Tom Hanks.
Stephen Spielberg.
World War II stuff.
You do the math.




3. Forrest Gump
After watching this film, I was so inspired, that I decided, on a whim, to go running all the way across the country. However, by the time I got to the end of my block, I got so devastatingly winded, & I was weezing so desperately for air, that I thought for sure, my left lung had collapsed in on itself.
So, instead, I just reminded myself that "stupid is as stupid does", & went back into my house & ate an entire "box of chawk-letts".
Which, of course, is what life is kinda like.




2. Road To Perdition
Based off of a graphic novel of the same name, Road To Perdition is a quality film that addresses an area of the mobster life that rarely gets any notice from most movies from this genre: the relationship of a gangster with his kid(s) when the child is at the age in which the the parent's influence is most strongest & begins to crystalize in the kid's identity. Just this one aspect of the mafia lifestyle is enough to open a new set of ideas for future movies plotlines that focus on those in the world of organized crime.
Tom Hanks wanders out of his standard role to play an assasin who, along with his only survivng son, is on the run from the crime syndicate which he formerly called home. A life & death experience which reveals that there's a difference between the blood that is spilled for a mob-family & the blood that is shared between a real family.




1. Big
In this movie, Tom Hanks isn't really big.
He's just actin' like someone who is.
At least, big enough to kiss a girl without getting any cooties.
And in the process,
learns about love, responsibility 'n' stuff.

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