Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors, and he turned 57 yesterday. Hanks has two films coming out this year: Captain Phillips (directed by Paul Greengrass) and Saving Mr. Banks where he will play Walt Disney. Could Hanks be nominated for two Oscars come next year? Only time will tell, but in the mean time, let's look back at some of the most memorable performances from one of America's most beloved actors.
Hanks won his first Oscar for playing a gay man who sues his former job because they terminated him for having AIDS in Philadelphia. The end still makes me lose it, but probably not as much as Hanks winning his first Oscar makes me tear up.
Hanks won his second Oscar the very next year for the title character of Forrest Gump. The only other back-to-back Best Actor winner is Spencer Tracy.
My favorite Tom Hanks performance might be for his drunken baseball coach, Jimmy Dugan, in A League of Their Own. I remember seeing it when I was younger and loving all the women, but now I appreciate Hanks' comedic turn.
I will just leave this milestone of my childhood here...
I am one of the very few people who thinks Shakespeare in Love deserved Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan. Sorry bout it, haters!
You've Got Mail is my favorite Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks pairing. It feels like such a period piece now because of how fast online culture has evolved.
The last movie Hanks received an Oscar nominated for was Cast Away back in 2001. I would love to see him nominated again.
I never saw The Polar Express. I'm not losing sleep over it.
Maybe I don't have a soul, but I HATED Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Hanks played a businessman who is killed on 9/11, and his son who tries to find hidden messages left for him. Sandra Bullock was effective as his wife, but I wanted to walk out of that movie so badly.
If you haven't seen last year's Cloud Atlas, stop what you're doing and find it. I love that movie. I am definitely in a very small camp.
I for one am happy to see Tom Hanks turn out two very different movies this year. I miss seeing him on screen, and I will gladly buy a ticket to anything he's starring in. Except Larry Crowne.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM HANKS!!!
I haven't seen Extremely Loud but I read it when it first came out and loved it. I was surprised to see Tom Hanks as the dad because I don't remember the dad being in the book.
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