LARRY CROWNE

US, 2011, 97 minutes. Colour.
Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Gugu Mbatha- Raw, Taraji P. Henson, Holmes Osborne, Wilmer Valderrama, Tom Budge, Pam Grier, Rita Wilson, Cedric the Entertainer, Bryan Cranston, George Takei.
Directed by Tom Hanks.

Light and likeable.

For the first few minutes, there was Tom Hanks been Tom Hanksish in his old cheery, cheery way, being ‘have a nice day’ upbeat in a supermarket employee. He is Larry Crowne, 20 years navy experience straight after school, later working in supermarkets. Then, with some bad news for Larry, the film changes tone for the better and turns into a romantic comedy with stars in their more poised 40s and 50s rather than in the brash 20s and 30s. The film should appeal to older audiences wanting some relief from the younger shenanigans.

Not that there aren’t shenanigans here, but they tend to be nice shenanigans. The screenplay was written by Tom Hanks and Nia Vardalos (who was responsible for My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Hanks also directs.

When Larry decides to go to college, he is advised to take Economics 1 – with George Takei doing an amusing turn as a self-important lecturer. He also takes up a course on Public Speaking. And who should be teaching that course but Julia Roberts! Julia Roberts reminds us of how telling a screen presence she can be. Here is a bit of a spoiler: by the end of the film she has laughed raucously as we usually expect her to laugh. However, for most of the film, she is grim-faced, frustrated by life, alienated from her husband, grimacing at the students and their attempts at impromptus and debates. She is entertainingly serious with the grim.

But Larry gets mixed up with a young student after he sells his possessions and buys a motor bike. She is a bikie with a Latino boyfriend who runs a gang. They cruise the streets but are more interested in antiques and garage sales, especially that of Larry’s neighbour, played by Cedric the Entertainer. She arranges Larry’s makeover, haircut, clothes, tidy house.

So, not the most profound of movies, but Tom Hanks can play an ordinary ‘Everyman’ convincingly and audiences may identify with his troubles and his way of overcoming them. And he and Julia Roberts (who appeared together in Charlie Wilson’s War) work well together. And the end? Of course, you’ve guessed it, but you may enjoy the long way round to that final kiss.

1. A feelgood film for older audiences? As drama? Comedy? Romance?

2. The stars and their special appeal?

3. The title, the focus, Tom Hanks as Larry Crowne? His life, lack of education, service in the navy, work as a cook, in stores, an employee, manager? His failed marriage? The audience now seeing his wife and children? An ordinary citizn?

4. The Los Angeles settings, the stores, homes, the motor cycle gangs, the university? The blend of reality and fantasy in Los Angeles? The blend of reality and fantasy in Los Angeles?

5. The introduction to Larry, over-nice, with customers? Expectations of a nice comedy? The interview with the boss, his expectations of winning an award, his being let go, the dynamics of dismissal – the seeming heartlessness, his later encounter with one of the men who sacked him?

6. Larry Crowne as optimistic, experiencing the shock and the blow, his various attempts at interviews, his lack of qualifications?

7. The suggestions to go back to study, upgrade his skills? His house, his goods, selling everything, his car? Going to the bank and unable to raise a loan?

8. The echo of the years in which the film was written and made, the global financial crisis?

9. The adviser on courses, motivations?

10. Going to the university, going to the economics classes, the professor and his self-importance, his text, the issue of answering the mobile phone, the confiscation? Larry and his response, learning economics, ability to give advice, especially to Talia? His exams? The professor praising him?

11. Mercedes, her life, the hollow marriage, her husband online, searching for pornography, her drinking, sour attitude towards life? Her friends and chatting with them? Her role at the university, her courses, not having enough students, wanting to walk out, Larry turning up? Her reaction to the different students? Impatience, boredom? The classes, the development of the speeches, the debates, the different styles of the students, her reactions?

12. Talia, flirting with Larry, her boyfriend and his rivalry, the gang, respectable, on their Vespas? Larry and his buying his bike, his neighbour Lamar and the garage sales? Bringing the group, their buying out Lamar? Talia and her setting up the shop?

13. Larry, the makeover, Talia and her influence, new clothes, his haircut, rearranging his apartment?

14. The encounter with Mercedes, her being out with her husband, the clash with him, her drinking, her flirting, the kiss, the aftermath and her wanting privacy? Her husband, the arrest? Their separation?

15. Larry and his ability to cope, the variety of pressures, going to see Talia and the shop, her boyfriend? Giving Talia economics advice?

16. The range of students, the cross-section, the different attitudes of young people, cheeky, private, extroverted, interactions, speeches?

17. The final speeches, the assessment?

18. The happy ending – and Mercedes and Larry together?