I know this might sound premature but his last two movies "The Ladykillers" and "The Terminal" were not huge blockbusters.


Do you think America is sick of Tom Hanks or is it just the movie roles he has selected of late?


Remember in the 90's when every movie he made was box office gold.

I have not seen the Terminal but it looks like a good movie.

The Terminal and The Ladykillers were still good solid movies. He worked with Spielberg and the Coens on both of those. I would just suspect audiences don't know what good movies are.

Not really. I'd imagine that both of those movies weren't really expected to be mega blockbusters, even with Tom Hanks.

I think he's just at the point in his career where he is established and comfortable, so he is able to choose projects that appeal to him and not necessarily to the mass market. His roles have more substance than in the past, even if they are not box office smashes.

Couldn't have said it better. Big Hanks fan here.

If The Polar Express finds it's audience, it should be a big hit... even if it's a CGI Tom

Right-o. If Hanks were to never do another cutsie-pootsie romantic comedy, I wouldn't mind one bit. Stick to the interesting stuff.

Decline? No way. I love his acting, it seems to be even better nowadays.

Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors and I believe he is choosing roles that are eccentric and not everyone will like.

He needs some more lowbrow type comedies. If I were his agent i'd recommend a bachelor party sequel. He could always follow it up with one of his usual good performances in serious minded big mainstream films.

I think Hanks is trying to relive his glory days. I read in Variety this morning that his next film is going to be called The Retarded Guy Who Went into Space and Died of AIDS.

How could anything he did after Turner & Hootch be considered a "decline" ?

And anyway, I prefer to evaluate a career by the performance on screen, not at the box office.

You're comments can be sort of funny, but they are getting to the point where they are just downright mean (and threadcrap material), Grouch(o).


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On actual topic, I agree that he is just choosing what he likes. Although not everyone can keep on making Blockbusters. Another although: You never know the audience.

You're missing the issue here.

And I do agree. It's a crime that Casper Van Dien's no longer a big star.

Polar Express is his moneymaker of the year. Terminal was to work with old pal Steve. And who doesn't want to work with the Coen Brothers?

oh - and I don't see how Groucho's post was mean. He wasn't making (I believe) a stab at challenged people or people with AIDS. Just summing up Hanks glory days into one movie, which was relevant to the thread.

I understood his "joke". I just don't see how many of his posts are really on the subject at hand. Wanting a higher post count, maybe? And he never uses smilies...hint why people may think he is mean.

Every once in a while, and I do mean once, he comes up with something truly intellectual and non-threadcrapish...but the rest having absoutely nothing to do with answering a question.

He wholeheartedly deserves his username.

There's nothing wrong with Hanks' recent roles or selection of films. The question you should be asking is what's wrong with the movie-going public for not seeing these releases and turning films like "Dodgeball" and "White Chicks" into hits?

It's sad. Or something wrong with me that it is me who is sad and should loosen up and embrace films like "Dodgeball" and "White chicks" ? I am confused.

I still love Hanks. The Terminal was great, glad he's taking roles like that.

Tom Hanks' career in a decline??? Ha ha, that's really funny.

Three years ago with Cast Away he made nearly 250 million domestically. In 2002, with Road to Perdition, he made a very dramatic and dark film that in no way could have made over 100 million if it weren't for Hanks. He followed that with Catch Me If You Can, a light breezy romp that played well against The Two Towers and still made near 200 million. This year, he starred in The Ladykillers which is the highest grossing Coen Brothers film of all time (and only played on less than 1200 screens). Now, he is in The Terminal which isn;t playing as high as other big films he has done, but is still doing quite well (I'm sure it will easily surpass 80 million, more than make its cost back).

I don't know how you can call that a decline. Even when he is making not mainstream films, he is still bringing in the mainstream cash. I'm really curious to see how The Polar Express will do, especially considering its opening against The Spongebob Square Pants Movie.

I thought that honor went to O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?

I think Tom Hanks generally appeals to an older audience now, and that audience probably won't see Dodgeball or White Chicks. The Terminal would have done better in the fall, its not really a summer type of movie.