Movie Review: "Larry Crowne" (Tom Hanks, 2011)

LIGHT LIES THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE “CROWNE”:

HANKS’ “LARRY” IS A DELIGHT by Bennett Campbell Ferguson

 Above: Mr. Hanks in a scene from the film

 

In "Larry Crowne", Tom Hanks plays the titular character, an out of work, bouncy nerd who enrolls in community college for the first time after stints in the Navy and at a Wall-Mart type chain. As the film's director, co-writer (he wrote the screenplay with "Big Fat Greek Wedding" actress Nia Vardalos), and star, he not so much captures the rhythms of college but uses them as a landscape in which to whip up a totally breezy comic world.

It's a place of terrific madness--of students (and professors) who can't stand early rising, imperious economics lecturers (George Takei), and hipster scooter gangs who are more preoccupied with vintage clothes and hair styling than "West Side Story"-esque turf wars.

I'd happily spend another one hour and thirty-nine minutes in that world. Mr. Hanks is hilarious as an older man who is transported into a younger world of grades, finals, and text messages. But he doesn't resist it--instead, he earnestly and merrily rolls with the punches. His combination of nerdiness (he does get a slick makeover) and unflappability is both entertaining and inspiring.

Larry Crowne speeds through the world on his scooter in a striped helmet, but he walks on awkward, let light, and nimble feet. So does the movie, except there is nothing awkward about it--Mr. Hanks allows it to roll briskly, without pausing for speechifying, philosophizing or awkward gags.

"Larry Crowne" is the definition of light touch, but more importantly, it's a blast.