and A Most Beautiful Thing Among Nominees at Critics' Choice Documentary Awards. More and more recognizable faces showed up and all of those characters were useful in the progression of the plot and in the comedy area. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. It’s a dog texting! They did not appear to try too hard to make you laugh, they didn't do anything over the top, and maybe that's why it was good, because it was just pure and simple. Don't expect character development to blow you away, but it did, at the very least, impress me.Of course, if you walk into the theater expecting "Harold & Kumar" or "Chuck & Larry" humor, you would most definitely be sorely disappointed. Larry passes his final exams, and Mercedes visits him at work, and sparks fly. Greetings again from the darkness. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. The screenplay carries blandness to a point beyond tedium. (It is hard to believe he couldn't find another retail job, but we've got to get Tom Hanks in college) Larry does seem to really find himself in college and falls in love with with his speech teacher, Julia Roberts, who is in the process of splitting with her hubby,a frustrated writer who is obsessed with ladies with large boobs. Don't expect character development to blow you away, but it did, at the very least, impress me.Of course, if you walk into the theater expecting "Harold & Kumar" or "Chuck & Larry" humor, you would most definitely be sorely disappointed. View production, box office, & company info. Why is the movie getting such a bad rap?? It’s almost impressive that even with this particular trope so well exhaustively articulated in the film world, someone like Vardalos has the guts to write an exact copy of the stereotype without a single deviation from the mold. This Article is related to: Uncategorized and tagged. 'LARRY CROWNE': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five) Tom Hanks directs his second feature film (after 1996's 'THAT THING YOU DO'). If you've binged every available episode of the hit Disney Plus series, then we've got three picks to keep you entertained. There’s also dependable and optimistic support by Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Pam Grier, Rami Malek and George Takei, but none of it helps push the narrative out of its profoundly uninteresting inevitability. Sadly, Mr. Hanks broke the number rule of movie-making: have a point to make or a story to tell. Some others have criticized the film, saying that it had "cheap laughs" at best. What's Hanks' other feature-film directing credit? Hanks and Roberts were simply great but the whole cast did an impressive job and George Takei as the economics lecturer, Dr. Matsutani, was absolutely hilarious. Nia Vardalos might benefit from one of those classes. FAQ Julia Roberts really did reach hilarity here at several moments, especially during the drunken scene, I laughed till I was to the point of tears. And I'm glad I did.First, let me get the 'acting' part out of the way - It's good. More than this a nice guy cannot be expected to do. Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne (Hanks) was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he's worked since his time in the Navy. He enrolls in a couple classes and winds up falling for one of his professors. There is also character interest from his neighbors, Lamar (Cedric the Entertainer) and B'Ella (Taraji P. Henson), but that's what they're in the movie for: character interest. I was actually pleasantly surprised at the film. He didn't end up with a better life in financial point of view but a truly happier person. The characters were real and the film really got into the sincerity of them. Larry Crowne (2011) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Looking for something to watch? There was no raunchiness which was very refreshing. And what a big success that movie proved to be. The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live. I often complain about screenwriters who slavishly follow the story arcs taught in screenwriting classes. A murder inside the Louvre, and clues in Da Vinci paintings, lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years, which could shake the foundations of Christianity. In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband. There are countless awkward moments in which the film pauses for a laugh, but the room is deadly silent. Overall it is a nice comedy. Written by Tom Hanks himself, gotta see it. A failed American sales rep looks to recoup his losses by traveling to Saudi Arabia and selling his company's product to a wealthy monarch. And I'm glad I did. They embrace, and go inside. In what other movie did Hanks star with Julia Roberts? It's really a very charming film with wonderful acting by Hanks and Roberts as well as a very good support cast. As I said, not a whole lot happens but that's somewhat similar to life most the time. Title: This is an old fashioned movie that was made in the 50-60's, so it's not relevant today? In "Larry Crowne," Hanks plays a nice guy who gets fired from his retail job because he lacks the education to qualify him for a management position. It could have been so good, the right actors were there, loved the economics professor, when he was on screen it was the only time I got a good laugh. I can imagine when the original idea was pitched, it made sense, but on screen, it has nothing. But I felt that the reviews here (as of 9th July 11) were doing Larry Crowne such injustice that I had to write this to balance it out.Cheers. I believe this movie to be very underrated and cannot understand why. In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband. At semester’s end, Larry prepares his final project for speech class, a talk about his experience in the Navy. Both main characters learned valuable lessons about life, and about who they are, and what they need to do to go forward, and how they can start anew. Yes, I liked it that well. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual content, Who Is Sarah Levy Dating? 227 of 274 people found this review helpful. It's a fun ride that's not to be taken seriously, so just sit back and enjoy this wonderful comedy. A nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. From the eccentric neighbor who runs a full time yard sale in his front yard-- to the free loving scooter chick that embraces Larry and shows him beautifully simple options to his current lifestyle. He did not fight for his job, he did not fight for his home. He eventually inspires the bad teacher to become a good teacher, abandon her porn-surfing loser of a husband, cure herself of alcoholism and fall in love with him. The film tells the story of Larry Crowne, a middle-aged man who unexpectedly loses his job and returns to education. The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live. While the Hanks' character is lovable (as many of his characters are ) there are plenty of interesting, vibrant characters in the mix. This FAQ is empty. Mercedes and Dean hate each other, primarily because she’s tired and he watches a lot of internet porn. 227 of 274 people found this review helpful. Larry cashes in his possessions, trades his car for a scooter and decides to enroll in a local community college. There are quite a few jokes in the film; the failure is not for lack of trying. | Looked it up on IMDb; not so good - an average of 5/10. It shows that life can be joyous and wonderful even when you just made end meets. This movie is simply a movie in which Tom Hanks wrote, directed, and acted in, not for pure entertainment value. Larry's in Mercy's speech class: he's stiff, by the book, dull. When they kissed it was so fake. A middle-aged man (Tom Hanks) loses his job, enrolls in college, and reinvents himself. They were all so real and very funny. I'm not a movie critic. She's cranky and dismissive. A detective must adopt a rambunctious dog in order to help him find a killer. Taglines I still LOVE Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in frivolous romantic comedies. "Larry Crowne" has Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts and a good premise and a colorful supporting cast, but what it doesn't have is a reason for existing. He goes off to college, big surprise here! Similar to Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams in “Midnight in Paris,” one wonders how Mercedes even ended up with this guy in the first place, though in “Larry Crowne” it’s much more of an obvious problem. Copyright © 2020 Penske Business Media, LLC. Julia Roberts' character could have been developed a bit better but overall this movie was hysterical and my grandkids loved it also.