Tom Hanks Tribute

Born on the 9th July 1956 in Concord, California Thomas Jeffrey “Tom” Hanks first started acting whilst attending Skyline High School in Oakland, California where he appeared in various school plays. It wasn’t until in 1980 that Tom Hanks made his movie debut in the slasher flick “He Knows You’re Alone” and although he appeared in various TV shows, including one episode of “Happy Days”, it would be four years before his next movie. And it would be Ron Howard from “Happy Days” who would offer Hanks his first major movie role in “Splash” although originally Hanks auditioned for the part of the brother rather than the central character of Allen Bauer.

In the same year Hanks also starred in “Bachelor Party” one of many less than memorable movies which he made during the 80s. And it would be fair to say that for every “Big” (1988) there was a “Volunteers” (1985). Although whilst such movies as “The ‘Burbs” (1989) and “Joe Versus the Volcano” (1990) were box-office flops they have got a little better with age.

It wouldn’t be until 1992 that Tom Hanks’ up and down movie career finally came into it’s own firstly with his performance as a washed up baseball star in “A League of Their Own” which was then followed in 1993 with “Sleepless in Seattle” the second of three movies which he made with Meg Ryan. But it was his portrayal of Andrew Beckett in “Philadelphia” (1993) which would show everyone what a great actor Tom Hanks was and he won his first of two Oscars for the breath taking performance. Interesting during his acceptance speech he acknowledged his high school drama teacher who was gay. It was this speech which was the inspiration for the 1997 movie “In & Out” featuring Kevin Kline.

Having just won his first Oscar Hanks would follow it up with his second for his performance in the hugely entertaining and memorable “Forrest Gump” a favourite of many people’s top movie lists. Hanks was now on a roll and in 1995 he appeared in two hugely successful movies, firstly reuniting with Ron Howard for “Apollo 13″ and then voicing Woody in the first of 3 “Toy Story” movies

With his next movie “That Thing You Do!” (1996) Hanks would not only act but he also directed and his behind the camera work continued as he produced, co-wrote, and co-directed the HBO drama “From the Earth to the Moon”. But he was back in front of the camera once more in 1998 firstly with what is widely praised as one of the best war movies ever made “Saving Private Ryan” and then teaming up with Meg Ryan once more for “You’ve Got Mail” a remake of “The Shop Around the Corner” which starred James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan.

And so it continues with Tom Hanks having starred in some of the biggest and best movies over the last decade with the likes of Stephen King’s “The Green Mile” (1999), his outstanding solo performance in “Cast Away” (2000), gritty anti hero in “Road to Perdition” (2002), stranded foreigner Viktor Navorski in “The Terminal” (2004), Robert Langdon in “The Da Vinci Code” (2006) and more recently reprising his role as Woody in “Toy Story 3″ (2010).

With more movies in production, and his continual work behind the camera as writer, producer and director it looks like Tom Hanks will be continuing to entertain us for many more years to come. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he got a third Oscar before long.

#10 Big (1988)
Tired of being small, Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) wishes he could be big and when he spots a fortune telling machine at the travelling fair he wishes exactly for that. Well the next morning when Josh wakes his dream has come true, except instead of being a little bit bigger he now looks thirty something. With the help of his best friend Billy, they head off to the city in search of the machine in the hope he can reverse his wish but whilst there finds himself landing a job for a toy company. Forced to act as an adult yet with a childs mind, life is fun for Josh as he experiences freedom, except he still longs to be a child again.

#9 The Terminal (2004)
Having arrived in New York Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) has got a problem, whilst in the air his country Krakozhia has been over thrown and America now doesn’t recognize it as a country. That means Viktor is in a state of limbo as he can’t enter America and he can’t be exported back so is forced to remain in the airport till things are sorted out. Forced to live in the airport Viktor makes the most of things and makes friends whilst there but becomes a pain in the butt of Frank Dixon whose job it is to keep things running smoothly.

#8 Apollo 13 (1995)
Based on the true story of the 13th Apollo mission which on its way to the moon ran in to some serious trouble. Astronauts Lovell (Tom Hanks), Haise and Swigert who having been bumped up from the 14th mission find themselves almost helpless as their stricken spacecraft orbits the moon, forced to conserve power whilst the team back at Houston try and work out not only how to get them back but more importantly get them back alive.

#7 Toy Story (1995)
For years Woody (Tom Hanks), the toy cowboy, has been young Andy’s favourite, and being the favourite means that all the other toys, which come to life when no one is about, treat him as their leader. But Woody’s world comes crashing down when Andy receives a new toy, the all singing and dancing Buzz Lightyear. Discarded in favour of Buzz, Woody becomes jealous and having let his jealousy get the better of him finds himself along with Buzz in the hands of Sid, Andy’s neighbour with a thing for mutilating toys. Despite being enemies Woody and Buzz are forced to work together to try and escape.

#6 Cast Away (2000)
Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is not only a top manager for FedEx but also a workaholic whose life is ruled by the clock. But when the FedEx plane he is catching a lift on hits a massive storm and crashes somewhere in the midst of the Pacific, Chuck finds himself washed up on a desert island with just a few FedEx packages. Forced to learn how to survive, Chuck discovers how to make fire, catch fish and make a raft in the hope that one day he will get off the island. The only thing which keeps him going is a fading photograph of his girlfriend Kelly.

#5 Road to Perdition (2002)
Having kept secret his work as a hitman for suburban crime boss John Rooney from his children, Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is forced to explain to his oldest son Michael Jr. what he does when he witnesses him killing another man. If that wasn’t bad enough Rooney’s own son Connor becomes jealous of how his father treats Michael like a son and in a pique of rage kills Michael’s wife and other son. Forced to go on the run to protect himself and Michael Jr., Michael seeks to avenge the death of his loved ones, which forces John Rooney to hire a new hitman to go after him before Michael gets his hands on Connor.

#4 Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Following the death of his wife, Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) and his young son Jonah relocate to Seattle in the hope of a new start, but 18 months later and Sam is still struggling to move on. Knowing that his father is so unhappy Jonah secretly phones up a radio talk show and pours out his heart about how his father is lonely. Sam’s story hits a chord with thousands of women who write in, including Annie who becomes infatuated by Sam despite being engaged to the very safe Walter and ends up writing to him proposing that they meet up at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. When Jonah reads Annie’s later he sets about trying to make it happen.

#3 Forrest Gump (1994)
Whilst Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) may have had dodgy legs as a child and is a little bit simple it never stopped him from leading an eventful life. He taught Elvis Presley the hip shake, served in Vietnam where he became a hero, played ping pong for his country, met some Presidents, ran back and forth across America as well as running his own shrimping business. None of which really matters to Forrest as all he cares about is Jenny, the young girl he made friends with as a child and who he keeps on thinking about through all his adventures.

#2 Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Having battled ashore to secure a beachhead during the Normandy landings, Capt. John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) is ordered to put a select group together from the 2nd Ranger Battalion to go on a rescue mission. Their goal is to find and bring home Private James Ryan whose 3 bothers have all been killed in action and his poor mother is about to receive all three telegrams informing her of their deaths on the same day.

#1 Philadelphia (1993)
Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) is a successful associate for a prominent Seattle law firm, so successful that he is given the firms most important case to handle. What his bosses don’t know is that Andrew is gay and has contracted AIDS. But when one of them notices a lesion on Andrew’s face they put two and two together and fire him. Determined to prove he has been treated unfairly Andrew sets about suing his former employers with the help of Joe Miller, who despite being homophobic shows Andrew compassion and learns that whilst Andrew is gay and has AIDS is no different to him.

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