Opening up in a crowded market Larry Crowne takes a big chance that the romance filmgoer needs a break from all the explosive action now on the big screen. But does this film have what it takes to go up against Transformers 3, Green Lantern, Super 8 and Bad Teacher? Even Monte Carlo with its teen market will have a tough time.
The film centers on Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) a mild mannered man who is liked by his fellow employees at U-Mart. In fact he has won Employee of the Month a lot of times. On the last Friday of the Month he hears his name called over the store speaker to report to the break room. The company is downsizing and since Larry doesn’t have a college degree they let him go. Torn by this Larry goes home to rethink and downsize his life goals. When the bank finds Larry with no job and late payments Larry decides to go to college and earn a degree.
From this point on the fun begins with Larry getting acclimated with the younger students and his new teachers. But the movie wouldn’t be more than a average Indie if it weren’t for Tom Hanks (the film’s writer, producer, director and actor). As an actor Hanks makes his character inquisitive, energetic, positive and involving the things that make a person interesting. As a writer he invests in the deplorable situation of job loss in order to capture his audience before showing them that there is always a way out.
His directing skills are not all that bad either, moving his characters in and out of the story after showing their lighter side of life. Here he really stands out however, keeping his story tight, not giving his recognizable actor’s too much rope to take over the action and not spending a lot of time with Larry’s difficulties thus avoiding a sappy film.
Julia Roberts makes a good teacher and even provides a few Erin Brockovich moments that show her characters bold ilk. Although the chemistry between her and Hanks is lacking in part, Roberts still sells herself well on the screen.
Hanks throws in some good character actors like Cedric the Entertainer (his garage sale diva next door), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (a hottie fellow student), Bryan Cranston (Robert’s character’s husband in a midlife crisis), Wilder Valderamma (a jealous scooter ‘gang’ member), and many more recognizable faces to help his film with a comical touch.
The film is good and enjoyable to watch and though it received a PG-13 rating for brief strong language and some sexual content (a sensual kiss) should not be too over the top for mature pre-teens.
FINAL ANALYSIS: It’s a film the older crowd will probably appreciate most. (B)
