Tom Hanks Hustle: Cast Away

When you think of classic Tom Hanks dramas it would be hard to think that any other film other than Cast Away. 

This is the story of Chuck Noland. He is a time squandering gentleman who has his whole life planned out to the very last second. However, all of that changes on one fateful night on a FedEx plane back home. His plane, along with a shipment of FedEx deliveries, crashes into the ocean. He is the lone survivor and ends up spending the next four years on this island alone.

Let's face it. If you haven't seen this film you have a least heard it's most famous line "WILSON". I mean after you find out it's a volleyball that he talking to you can't help but think all volleyballs are Wilson. 

I actually got the chance to watch this film for the first time last year. It was not at all what I was expecting. I was thinking that is was going to be much more intense that it was. Don't get me wrong this is an intense movie but not the heart pounding thriller I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be him fighting off wild animals and other things and it was not that at all. 

The movie was truly about isolation. I thought it was so intriguing! Especially when you see how obsessed with time Chuck is. He tries everything to keep every aspect in his life in proper timing and order. Now he is stuck in a place where time does not really matter. It's just a state of being. That don't mean he doesn't try to use time. Instead of controlling it he learns to work with it. I think that is a lesson that we all need. 

This movie is very serious but it's not without it's funny moments. They aren't funny in a obviously hilarious way it's more of a "if I made it this far in that same situation I would totally be doing that" kind of way. I think my favorite part of the movie would have to be when he finally makes fire and he gets very excited about it and starts acting slightly crazy from the excitement of it all.

I think that this is a movie that everyone should see once but maybe when you are older and life starts to get complicated. You will either realize that we really don't have much time in our lives as a whole and we need to really focus on what is really important. Then again you could watch it and totally hate the film and realize that you wasted three hours of your life. Still hitting home the lesson that we need to focus on what is really important.

Tom Hanks Hustle: The Green Mile

The Green Mile. The last movie the Tom Hanks make in the old millennium. 

The last story that Mr. Hanks stars in in 1999 is The Green Mile. The story of a corrections officer during the Great Depression and the wonders that he witnessed. John Coffey is arrested for the rape and murder of two young girls is sentenced to death by electric chair. He is brought to Officer Paul Edgecomb's block to carry out the sentence. In the weeks leading up to his sentence Paul find that Coffey is not ordinary man. He has special powers that can heal people, within a timely manner. 

This is yet another movie that I have been yelled at for not seeing yet in my lifetime. I have has so many people ask me how, not why, but how have I never seen it? Truth is I really don't have an excuse. This is a movie that will be another classic someday but I just was never really interested, It hasn't been until recent years that I was interested in drama films. It's really was usually comedy or musical. When I started getting into drama it was older films in the 30s, 40s, or 50s. Drama from the 90s and early 00s were not for me. Yes, I am slowly realizing my mistake from last year and this years challenges that I have set for myself. 

I will say that this movie is something truly special. I was excited to see this film for the first time because it meant people could stop hounding me for it. I was not excited to see it because it 3 hours long. Trust me I love long movies but I was very tired and I didn't feel like watching it. Truth really be told I was waited till the very end of the month because Alaina and Luke got me into Doctor Who..... and my obsession became way too real with that it tied up most of my month. 

 

Anyways, this movie totally won me over. I have never cried so hard a Tom Hanks film yet, and I ball every time I see Forrest Gump. I thought that I would be board for most of the time, and want to do other things, because it's so long. I was totally drawn to the film from the very start. There is something about this film that makes you want to pay attention to it even if you have a million other things you have to do. It's a great film on humanity and love, caring and helping, being there in any way you can. It a film that touches your heat in soul in a way you never thought a Stephen King film could. There is no other way of really saying it other than you are watching something that is truly special. 

I love the character of John Coffey. He is played by Michael Clarke Duncan and big, tall, buff, intimidating looking black man who has the sweet heart of gold and would never heart a flea. How he is respectful of all of the officers, the rules, the other inmate from the moment he walks into the block you start to wonder if he really raped and murdered those girls. I mean this man's only question when he gets to the block is if they turn all the lights off a bedtime... because he is scared of the dark. That is really when you ask if he could have done such and awful thing because what human can be that cruel and afraid of the dark? Knowing this later hurts me because when he is about to be put to death he asks Paul not to put the cloth over his head because he is afraid of the dark.

This would mark the second time a character being afraid of the dark kills me because the first time that happened is in Gone with the Wind. 

The other part of John Coffey the speaks to my soul is after he tells the officers that he is innocent and shows him what really happened to the girls. He tells them that they he wants to die and it fine with being sentenced to death because then he can be at peace. They ask his if there is anything that they can do for him.. anything that he wants. He tells them that he has never seen a "flicker show". They set him up to watch the movie. They set him up to see Top Hat. Let me tell you I cried so hard because that hit my soul that all he wanted was to see a movie before he died. I was wailing in my living room and probably scared my neighbors. It was such a soul southing a beautiful moment for me personally!

I am not gonna lie, after seeing this movie I will not yell at others for not seeing it. I am a bit mad that it did not win Best Picture that year after seeing American Beauty last year and then see this film I think it was a HUGE mistake! I think this movie is far more remember already than American Beauty will ever be. There will never be character like John Coffey and Paul Edgecomb ever again and I thing that is a good thing. If there were they could have already been forgotten along with this movie. This film will surely go down in history as a classic "must see" along with other famous films. I think it should to studied and looked at over and over again. I for one will be doing that in future. I will be someone who makes other watch this movie and I will make sure it's not forgotten. 

Tom Hanks Hustle: Toy Story 2

We are about halfway there folks! The next movie on our list is Toy Story 2

Toy Story 2 is the sequel of Toy Story. In the first movie the toys showed us what is mean to belong and to be a toy. Buzz has a hard time realizing that he was just a story and now actually a space ranger. Woody helps him to see that he is a toy and that it's just as an important of a job. In this movie we find that Woody is not seeing that he doesn't live forever and realized that his time with Andy is very short. What he thought was going to last forever he sees is only going to last him a few more years. After being stolen from a garage sale to be put into a museum he must choose to go with the collection or he much choose to go up and watch Andy grow up and forget him.

 I'm sorry but you have got to love the Toy Story Movies! They are so good, cute and charming. The friendships and relationships in this film are just so lovely to watch and develop over the years. It's also hard to watch the films if you are an early 90s baby like me. I mean you are about the same age as Andy when you are introduced to him and his toys. Then you really hope that your toys come to life when you leave the room. You grow up at about the same time rate as Andy when these films come out. It really hard to see Andy as an adult when you get to the 3rd movie because then you realize that you are his age too.

Ok that went more in depth than I wanted for the second film. So, lets get back to Toy Story 2. 

I have to say that NO ONE could ever be the voice of Woody other than Tom Hanks! His voice is so unique, and his personality really shines through in the character. You can tell that he really has fun playing this character. I mean if he didn't like doing this character he would have stopped by now. Seeing that they have announced that there will be a Toy Story 4 in 2019 I can safely say he does like the character. 

I have to say that since we are on Mr. Hanks' second round of amination movies that I am really impressed. seriously I am. this is movie number 24 of 49, the second voiceover work that he has done, and seeing his the other 22 films that are none voiceover you know just how impressive he is in voiceover. He is just as perplexing with just his voice as he is when you physically see him acting. 

I really can not wait to see the 3rd Toy Story again to compare and to see The Polar Express later for a different character that he is voicing. 

Tom Hanks Hustle: You've Got Mail

You've Got Mail is the next movie on our list that is basically a classic movie. If it's not it will be very soon.

It is one of Mr. Hanks most memorable roles as a big shot business man, Joe, bringing a big named book story to New York. Just around the corner there is a small children's book store that is threatened to go out of business owned by Kathleen. These two people hate each other because they each bring a threat to their business. What they don't know is they actually really in love with each other. They have met before they met on the wonderful World Wide Web in a chat room. They are been sending emails back and forth to each other and slowing falling in love in the process. Everything goes nuts when they decide they want to meet in person and find they have met before.

I was scared to watch this movie....






Funny right? That I was scared to watch a Rom-com the stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Well, I was. You know how when it comes to most movie that sequels and remakes a rarely as good as the original? You've Got Mail is a remake..... It's not only a remake but it's the second remake of a film. The first film was called The Shop Around the Corner which premiered in 1940 and starred Jimmy Stewart. Then, in 1949, In the Good Ol' Summertime came out and that was a musical remake. So the fact that Hollywood decided to do another one was make me a little worried. I love both of the previous movies just about equal, In the Good Ol' Summertime I like a little bit more just because I love musicals, but to do another remake in the 90's had me worried.

Once again.... movies shocked me....


I am head of heels for this movie! I was totally into the film from the second that it came on the screen. I thought that it was going to be forced, I thought it was going to take away the charm and laughter from the film. I thought that it was going to have nothing but sex jokes and no likability at all! I was so wrong! I wanted to watch it again after it went off!


It makes me long for good rom-com to come back. I mean the stuff like When Harry Met Sally and How to Loose A Guy in 10 Days. There hasn't really been a good rom-com in a while and I really would love to see Tom Hanks come and do on since I got to see how phenomenal he was in this one!


I am not going to say that EVERY movie that Hollywood has done needs to be remade, they keep doing it anyways and it makes me mad, however this one is perfectly fine. I think I like this one just as much as I love the other two. Hopefully, I will keep this in mind the next time there is a movie being remade or a sequel that it may not end up being as bad as I think it will.

Alaina's Trial by Movies: Cary Grant

Known to be one of the best actors ever to have graced the screen, Cary Grant is the next star that Alaina chose to watch.

Cary Grant's filmography is very extensive because the man has done everything. Slapstick comedy, drama, mystery, romance, you name it he truly has done it. I was very hard to pick a just one movie for Alaina to watch him in. I could have gone with something like A Philadelphia Story, or I could have even gone with the Hitchcock classic North by Northwest. I took a different route. I went with a very simple comedy called The Awful Truth.

This is a movie that I hold near and dear to my heart because my mom and I both LOVE this movie. Every time we watch it we laugh. One of our inside jokes comes from this movie. My mom did watch a majority of the movie with us so that was a lot of fun. Knowing that we love the movie so much I would hope Alaina would as well.


1. What were your thoughts going into this movie? I knew it was a comedy but that is all I knew about it.


2. What was your favorite part of the movie? The scene where she (Irene Dunne) is "drunk" and the end of the movie.


3. Who was your favorite character? Lucy (Irene Dunne)


4. Why? I enjoyed all of the things that she got to do during the film. Like she got to play a range of emotions like drunk, happy, and serious.


5. What did you not like about the movie? I didn't like their lawyer. He kept trying to talk Lucy out of divorcing Jerry (Cary Grand) and kept saying "marriage is a beautiful thing" then every time he wife tried to get him off the phone he would tell her to hush.


6. What did you think of Cary Grant? I enjoyed him. He did a good job.... sorry that is not profound. He did have good double takes in his scenes.


7. What do you think of the movie after we have watched it? I enjoyed it. I was funny.


8. Would you watch it again? Yeah


9. Would you recommend? Yes, it was funny and I like funny.


10. What relevance does it have to today? Your marriage is worth fighting for.


I will say after  told my mom about this she was shocked that she did love it the film nearly as my as we did. However, my mom and I have an unhealthy obsession with that movie so I understand why we were both sad that she wasn't quite on the same level of love as we were. However, slapstick my not have been her thing. I think if I get her to watch A Philadelphia Story she might like that one better.

Tom Hanks Hustle: Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan is the movie the I have been dreading to watch. It stopped me in my track for a bit we are here now and here is what I think...

I have been dreading this movie because I have seen bits in pieces of it in the past. From the little bit I watched it was really had to face. This is just a movie and I can't hardly watch it let alone someone in real life experienced it! 

The film is centered around the events of D-Day. When is it found the four brothers were sent to fight and three died in battle there is a mission sent out to bring the last brother home.

This film was way harder to watch than I remember or thought it was going to be. I can't imagine being there on those beaches myself and I am very glad that the men who did. I am very sad that the world had to come to that point of where they had to be on those beaches but I and thankful for them fighting for our freedom. 

I am not going to lie this movie has you very raw by the end of it. You go on this journey with these men and you pray that they all make it back home. You hope they end up safe and that all of it is some miracle. Slowly you get attached and feel everything they are going through emotionally and when they start dying feel just awful. You keep wishing they find Private Ryan and then they can all just go home. 

But this is a movie about war not a fairytale... 

When you get to the end of the film you are glad that you experienced the fil but almost hope you never watch it again. You are angry that this even happened and your are sad that it did. Yet, it leaves you with a profound since of hope and the human spirit. 

I will rank this to be one of those movies where everyone should see at least once. It's eerily realistic depiction of war that everyone needs to realized actually happened. Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast does a phenomenal job of bringing humanity to the war and to their characters. Mr. Hanks deserved the Best Actor nomination that he received and truly deserves more recognition for his role in this film. 

Alaina's Trial by Movies: Gene Kelly

Oh man! The great Gene Kelly! We finally get to this great man! Alaina has seen him in several other movies already but none quite like the one I made her watch.

Alaina has seen him in On the Town and of course Singin' in the Rain! Because I think that you want to find out more about an actor you need to see him in several different movies, I knew that I had to make her watch another film that was just a great!

The movie I chose may not be one that many people would have made her watch. I not even sure how many other people know about this movie if you don't watch the classics. The movie I chose is wildly under played and has Mr. Kelly paired with my favorite actress of all time Judy Garland. It's the movie called The Pirate.

If you love Judy Garland or Gene Kelly then you have to watch this movie! It has great music and it's hysterical!

The movie is about a woman who lives on a small island who dreams of traveling and seeing the whole world. She has this fascination of the myth of the dreaded pirate Macoco. She wants him to "swoop down like chicken hawk and take her away". Her dreams are dashed when she finds that her Aunt to arranged for her to marry the mayor or their island. On a trip to port to get her wedding gown she meets an entertainer named Serafin, a ladies man who falls in love with her. He goes on this chase to win to her love by following her home and lying saying that he is Macoco.

Ok, I know it sound crazy but it's really good. I chose this movie because it show off the dancing chops of Mr. Kelly so well and it show the hysterical side of Ms. Garland too! 

Let's see if Alaina thought that this movie is as great as I think it is.

1. What were your thoughts going into this movie? I was looking forward to it because it was a comedy.

2. What was your favorite part of the movie? Where is was throwing everything in the room at him because she found out he lied. It was hilarious!

3. Who was your favorite character? Judy Garland's character Manuela (This shocked me because everything else Mr. Kelly has been in he was her favorite character).

4. Why? Because she was super spunky and I loved how she started screwing with him after she finds out he lied.

5. What did you not like about the movie? How quickly Judy Garland changed her tune about being in love with Gene Kelly. I mean she was just literally throwing everything in the room at him, including and ax, and when he is finally knocked out she realizes how much she loves him. They met like a week ago!

6. What did you think of Gene Kelly? I love him! I love how athletic is was and the gymnastics that he was doing through the film. He made scaling a building to get to a balcony look as easy as me going up one step on a staircase. He made it look super easy.

7. What did you think of the movie after you have seen it? I enjoyed it. It was very funny and very entertaining.

8. Would you watch it again? Defiantly!

9. Would you recommend it? Yes!

10. What relevance does it have to today? That movies don't have to be wildly complex or nasty to be entertaining, fun and awesome. This was not a complex movie was an overdrawn plot. It was a simple fun movie that everyone can enjoy and I liked how fun it was.

I have to say I could have not had said it better myself! I knew she would like this film and I am glad that she liked it more than I hoped that she would! 

Tom Hanks Hustle: That Thing You Do

Lets take a quick trip back shall we? Do you remember the video that I posted of Tom Hanks doing snippets of all of this movie with James Corden? I have at least heard of all of those movies with one exception. That movie would be the one I just have the pleasure of watching That Thing You Do.

I was shocked that all of a sudden Mr. Hanks and Mr. Coden were singing a song and the first thought that came to my mind was "was in he a musical and I never knew"! That wasn't so much the case. I'm not sure you can call a film a musical if all they do is sing the same song over and over again and that is all that they really did. 

This is the story of the band called The Wonders. Their rise and fall to glory is a matter of months. However they were discovered by chance and they lack of focus and egos all got in the way.

I am not gonna lie the song 'That Thing You Do' has been stuck in my head for a week now. However I was very impressed by the film. No, I don't think it will go down as one of the greatest in history but it's was impressive for many other reason.

This was Mr. Hanks debut as a writer and director. He also started in the film and wrote the songs. Yes, he wrote the songs because none of the story is true! Now if you have seen the move you might be a bit confused too because at the end of the film it tells what happened to the members of the Wonders. Then you do research to write something about the film and find that it was all made up!

Let me tell you it had me going. I thought that this was not a real band though the whole film then end tells us what happened after "the band" broke up and where they are at now. Making me think that they were real people, then come to find it was all a hoax was brilliant!

I think the Mr. Hanks did an excellent job with the whole movie but I really like he work as the manager for the Wonders. He played the part of slimeball manger very well... a little too well sometimes.

I think that this film did an great job of showing off all of Mr. Hanks' talents. We got to see a new side of acting for him, he hasn't really played a "bad guy" yet, and we got see what he can really be capable of when he is in total control.

I can not wait to see what other talents that man has up his sleeve!

 

Alaina's Trial by Movie: Lana Turner

The lovely and ever elegant Lana Turner is one of those actresses that I want to find out more about. She has this timeless look about her and this enticing feeling about her that makes you want to listen to everything that she says.

I have not seen many movies of her, trust me that will change with time, but her performance in the movie Ziegfeld Girl is the once I have held to be one of the best performances of any actor ever. Ms. Turner has this way about her to make you feel things you have never felt before, and really don't want to feel again. 

So, of course that is the movie that I made Alaina watch to show off my love of Ms. Lana Turner. 

This movie is about the lives of 3 girls trying to make good in the world and the great man who makes all of their dreams come true, Mr. Florence Ziegfeld. Even thought we never see Mr. Ziegfeld in the film he is the all looming presents that seems to be the guiding force behind all of their actions. One girl is already in show business and wants her and her father to become more popular. One was trying to support her husband by find a job and ended up getting a job herself, and the last was hand picked by Ziegfeld to join the Follies. This is the story about fame, betterment, love, loss, ups down, and everything in between. This is the story of the life of the Ziegfeld Girl. 

Here was Ms. Alaina's thoughts of Lana Turner and Ziegfeld Girl.

1. What were your thoughts going into this movie? I was apprehensive because you said it was super sad.

2. What was your favorite part of the movie? Anytime Jimmy Stewart was on the screen. I also like the "below the belt" comment that Lana made to the fighter when he was trying to flirt with her and she wanted nothing to do with him. I love Heddy Lamar's character and her relationship with her husband. I thought it was super sweet.

3. Who was your favorite character? That would have to be between Heddy Lamar and Judy Garland. 

4. Why? Heddy Lamar had a classic poise about her through the whole movie and Judy Garland was super spunky.

5. What did you not like about the movie? Watching how fame and money destroy people. I understand that was the point of the movie but I still did not like seeing how it wall played out.

6. What did you think of Lana Turner? I enjoyed her! I thought she did an excellent job of the development of her character. I liked seeing her handle the pressure of it all emotionally as she did. 

7. What do you think of the movie after we have watched it? It was really good. It was interesting and had funny moments. It was also thought provoking on how everyone started to handle fame. That one did it because they needed the money, another because they were talented and needed more gigs, and another ended up falling to pieces. 

8. Would you watch it again? Yes.

9.Would you recommend this film? Yes, I would. It was a thought provoking movie concerning fame and fortune. 

10. What relevance does it have to today? It show what fame and fortune can do to a person. That it's not fame and fortune's fault of what happened to you in the end. It's about the type of person and your character that really matter and that is what is going to effect the rest of your life.

I was really nervous having Alaina was this movie. The reason for that is because it's a sad story. I think she ended up enjoying it more than I thought she would because I thought she was going to hate it. The next movie that she wants to see it far funnier that this one so I think she is going to get a kick out it!