Larry Crowne (2011)

When a divorced, middle aged man (Tom Hanks) is let go from his store manager's job because of a lack of formal education, he decides to attend the local community college. Directed by and co-written by Hanks (along with MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING's Nia Vardalos), you would think a story of a 50ish man being fired, losing his house and having to start all over would be a hard hitting and relevant topic in today's recessive economy. But instead of exploring the hardships and difficulties of such a situation, Hanks turns it around into a "feel good" movie as if audiences wouldn't be able to hand the reality. Forrest Gump without the mental deficiency. Hanks' screen presence is as charming as ever but his Larry Crowne, as written, isn't a very interesting character. By default, Hanks turns the picture over to Julia Roberts' character who's much more compelling. A resentful, alcoholic, pill popping teacher who hates her job and is stuck in a bad marriage. Now, that's something the audience can relate to! I dreaded the moment when Hanks would make Roberts' character all warm and fuzzy but to his credit, he doesn't ... well, not quite. With her sassy screen presence, there's no way you can make Roberts cuddly. No to LARRY CROWNE, yes to Julia. With Bryan Cranston, Pam Grier, Taraji P. Henson, George Takei, Rita Wilson and Cedric The Entertainer.