It is no secret that I love Tom Hanks. He has
been my favorite actor for as long as I can remember. He is always a reason to
watch a movie, and even when not all of his movies are perfect, Hanks always
delivers. I decided to create a list of his best movies. This list is based,
not only on overall ratings, but also on my personal connection with the movie.
And making this list was damn hard, so I made a top 25. Here it is!
25. The Great Buck Howard
Not the most known or liked Tom Hanks film, he
doesn’t lead this film. His son Colin Hanks does, alongside John Malkovich and
Emily Blunt. But I found this a movie worth mentioning because it’s so
overlooked and it’s very entertaining.
24. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Tom Hanks plays television icon Fred Rogers,
who was probably the nicest celebrity ever. He is being interviewed by journalist
Lloyd Vogel. If any movie were a hug, this is it.
23. Bridge of Spies
During the Cold War, an American lawyer is
recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate
an exchange of a spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot. This
is one of the very few newer Tom Hanks movies where it’s not just him stealing
the show. He is accompanied by the very capable Mark Rylance.
22. Saving Mr. Banks
Even in more recent films, Tom Hanks still
proofs he is one of the best things Hollywood has to offer. Hanks played real-life
iconic figure Walt Disney for “Saving Mr. Banks”, where we follow him in the
creation of the film “Mary Poppins”. Pure likeability this movie has.
21. Sleepless in Seattle
Tom Hanks plays Sam, a widower. His son is
looking for a new woman for his dad and makes an emotional call on the radio. Hundreds
of women respond. One of them is Annie, played by Meg Ryan. It’s one of the most
romantic movies, where the lead characters literally only share one scene together.
20. The Da Vinci Code
In this mystery thriller Tom Hanks plays
professor Langdon, who is suspected of the murder of the museum curator of the
Louvre. Langdon soon understand that this man has left clues that only he can
understand. It’s an exciting search for the truth and the real killer. Oh, and
we ignore the hair here.
19. Toy Story 2
The second installment of the “Toy Story”
franchise has the gang looking for Tom Hanks’ Woody, who was stolen by a toy collector. We
are introduced to Jesse and her backstory kind of made me cry. And this is only
one of the films on this list.
18. Turner & Hooch
Tom Hanks had a different kind of co-star in “Turner
& Hooch”. Hanks plays a cop, who has to take care of a big, sloppy dog
called Hooch who is the only witness to his owner’s murder. The chemistry
between man and dog is relatable and this film played an important role in
establishing Hanks’ brand identity.
17. The Money Pit
Anna and Walter bought a beautiful house, but
when they move in they find out there is lot that needs to be done there. This
film has a lot of physical comedy, for both Tom Hanks and Shelly Long. And I
have always loved this comedy.
16. Philadelphia
Andrew Beckett is a successful lawyer, who is
fired shortly after his promotion. Is it because he messed up a case, as his bosses
claim to be, or was he fired because they found out he’s gay and has AIDS?
Andrew hires an attorney to contest his dismissal. The story grabs you and the
performance by both Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are unforgettable.
15. You’ve Got Mail
Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly have the most
wonderful conversations online, but in real life they can’t stand each other
since they run rivaling bookstores. Strangely enough I always preferred “You’ve
Got Mail” over “Sleepless in Seattle”. It’s one of the few romantic comedies I
can watch without having to vomit. Maybe because it doesn’t feature teenagers
or tweens, the story isn’t sugar sweet and the characters aren’t the most
beautiful people with the most dreamy jobs and apartments. Is this movie
without clichés? No, but this film is so lovely. Not timeless, since the way
they communicate is a bit outdated. But I still watch this movie with the
biggest smile on my face.
14. That Thing You Do
The film follows the starting band ‘The
Wonders’, who become an overnight sensation with the hit song ‘That Thing You
Do’. Tom Hanks plays their agent Mr. White. Hanks’ most important role in this
project was directing it, since his role is fairly small. But this is a great
feel-good film, even though the song is played SO MANY TIMES.
13. Toy Story
Andy’s big toy collection comes to life,
whenever he’s not around. This was the first Pixar film and the first fully
computer animated film by Disney. Tom Hanks voices cowboy Woody, together with
Tim Allen as his astronaut pal Buzz Lightyear. This is a movie that made history.
12. Apollo 13
“Apollo 13” tells the story of the 3rd
mission to the moon on April 11th 1970. The flight starts flawless,
until it goes wrong: an oxygen cylinder explodes and damages the spacecraft. Tom
Hanks plays astronaut Jim Lovell and embodies the most modest hero: tough,
resourceful, pragmatic and a true leader.
11. Road to Perdition
This is one of the few films that has Tom Hanks
play the crook. The crime film is based on a graphic novel and is set in 1930s
Chicago. Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a criminal who tries to keep his son out
of trouble after his wife and other son were killed. Even though Hanks plays a bad
guy, you root for him since the men that are after him are even worse. A truly
beautiful father and son tale.
10. A League of Their Own
Tom Hanks delivered a classic line in this
baseball film: “There’s no crying in baseball”. He plays a grumpy former
baseball player, and is now given a comeback by coaching a female baseball
team. This is probably the only time Hanks fully inhabits an unsympathetic
role, but we love him anyway!
9. Catch Me If You Can
A young master crook (Leonardo DiCaprio), who
pretends to be a pilot, lawyer and doctor at several points in his life,
commits one scam after another. However, he is in the sight of the FBI, whose
team is lead by Carl Hanratty (Hanks). It becomes a true cat-and-mouse game.
The film is so good because of this element and the mutual hate end respect
between the two leads.
8. Cast Away
Chuck Noland works for FedEx and crashed on an
uninhabited island during a transport flight. He has to survive on his own. His
only friend is a volleyball he names Wilson. A perfect on-man-show by Tom
Hanks, what a wonderful performance. It’s just him and he captivates u from
start to finish. Tom Hanks, the only man that made us cry over a volleyball.
7. Captain Phillips
When American freighter MV Maersk Alabama is
attacked by pirates just off the Somali coast, Captain Phillips must do
everything to protect his crew. He gives himself up as a hostage, to save his
crew. The film is based on actual events and is very intense. Hanks’ performance
is amazing, just that emotional scene at the end is reason enough to check it
out.
6. Saving Private Ryan
During WWII, it is discovered that two
soldiers killed in battle are brother of each other. Then there appears to be a
third brother, who has dropped somewhere in France. Captain Miller is assigned
to the task to find this soldier. “Saving Private Ryan” is one of the best WWII
movies and has one of the most impressive opening scenes in a movie ever.
5. Toy Story 3
Andy is getting ready for college, which means
he is all grown up. His toys Woody, Buzz and all their friends realize they had
their best time. They are donated to a kindergarten. But when they think they
found the best place to live, they are wrong. This is the best film in the “Toy
Story” franchise, love everything about it. And Tom Hanks is again voicing
Woody wonderfully.
4. The ‘Burbs
It might be surprising that this film is in my
top 5, but “The ‘Burbs” is a brilliant comedy. Hanks plays Ray Peterson, a nosy
neighbor who loves nothing more than spying on his neighbors. While on a break
from work, he decides to investigate his new neighbors, who seem suspicious and
he suspects them to have killed one of his neighbors. This is probably Tom
Hanks’ most underrated film and a comedy everyone should see. I can quote this
film and it had a special place in me and my family’s hearts.
3. Big
Josh is a 13-year-old boy who wants to be an
adult. He makes a wish at a fair and the next morning he wakes up in the body
of a 30-year-old man. Tom Hanks played a 13-year-old boy trapped in a grown man’s
body and he nails it. It’s one of Hanks’ best performances.
2. The Green Mile
Tom Hanks plays Paul Edgecomb, a prison guard
working with prisoners who are on death row. Here he meets John Coffey, a big
and strong man, with a fear of the dark and special powers. One of the many
movies that makes me sad, but “The Green Mile” really made me weep like a
little child. It’s a long movie, but you never feel its length because of the
amazing story and great performances.
1. Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump isn’t the smartest person you will
ever meet, but he is not limited by his low IQ. Forrest manages to play an
important role in 30 years of American history: as a Vietnam veteran, as owner
of a shrimping boat, a football hero and meeting the American president, twice.
It’s a film that can be both funny and sad, but in the end is a perfect
feel-good movie. “Forrest Gump” is Tom Hanks’ best film and one of the best
performances in movie history.
Action: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Drama: Jakob the Liar (1999)
Comedy: Metal Lords (2022)
Animation: Spirited Away (2001)
Romance: Their Finest (2016)
Horror: Anatomy (2000)
Science Fiction: Men in Black: International (2019)
Crime: Casino (1995)
Thriller: Till Death (2021)
Documentary: Return to Space (2022)
Family: Free Willy (1993)
