When people think of Tom Hanks, they tend to call to mind a decent, stalwart American whose against-all-odds heroics inspire them to persevere when facing their own travails. They think of “Saving Private Ryan,” “Apollo 13,” even “Toy Story” — some of Hanks’ best films, and ones that could’ve easily starred classic Hollywood actor James Stewart had he been thriving during Hanks’ heyday.
There is, of course, more to Tom Hanks than this. Indeed, it often seems like people have memory-holed the star’s zany, adult-skewing comedies like “Bachelor Party,” “The Man with One Red Shoe,” and “Volunteers.” And what of the noble box-office misfires “Punchline,” “Joe Versus the Volcano,” and “Charlie Wilson’s War?” Hanks can play a loser or a cad when called upon, which, if you’ve a firm grasp of film history, is as Jimmy Stewart as it gets. (And speaking of Jimmy Stewart, check out our ranking of his best movies here.)
Hanks contains multitudes, but if I were to pick one of his films that exemplifies everything I’ve read and heard about the man, I would go with the Wachowskis’ “Cloud Atlas.” It’s a sweeping, humanistic saga spanning centuries that allows Hanks to play multiple roles, while dipping into science-fiction (a genre the star loves). And knowing what I know about Hanks, I’m not surprised his all-time favorite movie is the sci-fi extravaganza to end all extravaganzas: Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Tom Hanks is a tad obsessed with 2001: A Space Odyssey
Tom Hanks isn’t just an actor. He’s a filmmaker. And filmmakers love “2001” so much they collectively named it the greatest film ever made two years ago in Sight and Sound magazine’s decennial top 100 poll. So it tracks that when asked to name the movie he loves above all others, Hanks went with the sci-fi epic.
The actor/producer/writer/director discussed his affection in a Q&A with the app Letterboxd, telling its users, “I still watch it a couple of times a year … I could walk you through ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and not stop talking once during the entire film. So I don’t know if you want to have that experience.”
Speaking as someone who’s seen “2001: A Space Odyssey” from start to finish at least a dozen times, I’d gladly sacrifice one screening to a Hanks commentary — which would differ from other directors because, again, Hanks could speak from his experience of working on a film where the technique is every bit as important as his performance. How do you navigate that as an actor, especially for a director as meticulous as Kubrick, without losing your emotional attachment to your character? Let this be my call for Hanks to record a “2001: A Space Odyssey” commentary posthaste, and if he could convince his buddy Steven Spielberg to ride along, all the better!
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