Movie Review: "Larry Crowne"
Danny Alves
Seen on: July 1, 2011
The players: Director: Tom Hanks, Writers: Tom Hanks, Nia Vardalos Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Rob Riggle, Sarah Mahoney
Fact of interest: Nia Vardalos appears in the film as the voice of Julia Roberts' GPS.
The plot: Retail salesman Larry Crowne (Hanks) is forced to reinvent himself by going back to college after being laid off.
Our thoughts: "Larry Crowne" is possibly the first mainstream film released dealing with effects of our economic downturn and what happens to the thousands of individuals who have been laid off as a result of it. Coming off the heels of critical darlings like "Up in the Air" and "Company of Men," which deal with the same material in very dramatic and serious ways, "Larry Crowne" has the particular challenge of presenting rather dark material in a wide-audience, family-friendly way. Unfortunately, it misses the mark in almost all regards.
First of all, the film is sanitized. When someone loses a job, they lose a life, an identity, a sense of self. It is a real struggle to get back on one’s feet. Alas, "Larry Crowne" barely touches the surface of this aspect. In the film, we find Larry – annoyingly chipper, nine-time winner of the Employee of the Month award - called into the office to receive the bad news in one of the most awkwardly written terminations ever.
We then get only a short montage of the futility of finding work and the frustration that it causes, before his neighbor suggests that he just go back to school, a point that echoes the lame reason for his termination. Then, before we have a real moment to grapple with the serious financial predicament that Larry is in, the film takes a 180 as Larry busies himself having a feel-good time in college.
To make things more annoyingly sanitized, nearly everyone Larry comes in contact with is nothing but friendly and helpful, as if the entire world is out to help poor Larry Crowne. Of course, the only exception to this is the stereotypical evil bank manager who owns the mortgage on Larry’s house (strangely played by Tom Hanks’ wife and producing partner Rita Wilson).
This brings up issue No. 2: Larry, as a character, never does anything on his own. There really is no arc here to follow. Someone tells him to go to college, and he does. Someone tells him to change his wardrobe, and he does. The list just goes on and on, and it becomes difficult to invest in his struggle and what he is accomplishing, primarily because none of it feels like his own.
The one bright spot to this movie is the surprising performance by Julia Roberts in her most engaging role since 1999’s “Notting Hill.” She shines as the disenchanted speech professor with her own personal issues, which are unfortunately treated in a very awkward and totally unnecessary subplot. She seems to be the only person in this film with any real depth, story to tell, or journey to take, and truth be told, the movie should have been about her.
"Crowne" could have been so much more, because it had a great premise and a great cast starting off. It just seemed content to coast on mediocrity. There is really nothing in this movie that hasn’t been done better somewhere else. It’s almost a slap in the face to those unemployed right now; those really having to deal with the horrors of making a life in this economy, to present this story with such saccharine optimism. “It’s easy!” it cries. “Just take a class and the world is your oyster.”
Freaky quote: "I’m right here! This is only glass… I can see through glass!" - Wilmer Valderrama
The final word: For a movie that had the potential to be so much more, “Larry Crowne” just falls flat.
On the web: http://www.larrycrowne.com/
Article by Danny Alves
Reader Comments (1)
This movie has been done a hundred times. Nothing new, even the same actors are pretty much the same. Tom fold up that directors chair for good.