10-17-2022, 08:40 AM
I was channel surfing on Saturday when I came across this film. I kept watching because I had no idea existed. The first image I had was of Tom Hanks, the titular Larry Crowne, riding along on a scooter. What the hell? He was playing just some normal guy, probably in his late forties, who seems to have lost everything and is rebuilding his life. He has to take a job as a short order cook and is going back to school. His teacher in his speech class is Julia Roberts. Roberts has problems of her own. She is the sole support in her relationship with her husband, who has also lost his job. She might have a bit of an alcohol problem as well.
It's a strange sort of Rom-Com from 2011. I caught about the last thirty minutes of it and then it popped up again and I got about thirty more minutes of the plot. I have yet to see the beginning. I kept watching because of the cast in this. At the time Roberts and Hanks were big starts but the supporting cast went on to be very famous. Rami Malek is one of the students. George Takei (Okay, he's famous) plays an econ professor. Bryan Cranston is Robert's Husband. Cedric the Entertainer is Hank's neighbor. Taraji P. Henson plays Cedric's wife. Rob Riggle is Hank's former boss. The list keeps going. They need to give that casting director a raise.
The other reason I kept watching was I needed to confirm that Hank's job as a short order cook was actually a restaurant I used to eat at in Burbank. And it was indeed Frank's on Olive Street.
It's not a great film. It's very simple. The characters are kind of funny and charming. I do need to see the beginning to see how everything went wrong and how he ended up at school.
No sword fights. Not Doom recommended.
It's a strange sort of Rom-Com from 2011. I caught about the last thirty minutes of it and then it popped up again and I got about thirty more minutes of the plot. I have yet to see the beginning. I kept watching because of the cast in this. At the time Roberts and Hanks were big starts but the supporting cast went on to be very famous. Rami Malek is one of the students. George Takei (Okay, he's famous) plays an econ professor. Bryan Cranston is Robert's Husband. Cedric the Entertainer is Hank's neighbor. Taraji P. Henson plays Cedric's wife. Rob Riggle is Hank's former boss. The list keeps going. They need to give that casting director a raise.
The other reason I kept watching was I needed to confirm that Hank's job as a short order cook was actually a restaurant I used to eat at in Burbank. And it was indeed Frank's on Olive Street.
It's not a great film. It's very simple. The characters are kind of funny and charming. I do need to see the beginning to see how everything went wrong and how he ended up at school.
No sword fights. Not Doom recommended.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm