BCN's Movie Database: Tom Hanks | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: To kick-off a fresh, new service, Movie Database, here in BCN, we are offering actor profiles - short in duration, but offering valuable links to informative posts and essential content - to better know the 'poor players' in the art of transferring story to celluloid.

    Our reviewer of films, good and bad, Wyatt Sanderman Day, will be in charge of managing the actor profiles; however, if you have any interest in contributing a profile similar to the Wyatt Sanderman Day template, please join BCN as a member, send Stan Deatherage a private message, and we will consider your submission.

    Wyatt Sanderman Day's note: Stan has asked me to work on this task to provide a discussion on the actors and to provide insight and avenue to BCN's newest database, this time movies /films, and I am happy to help, but we do it my way: that I take some of my favorite actors, and link to the reviews that I, and others may, have written that they acted in; then we link to their database profile, and, or any other links that I see fit. That's about it, and to that end, I continue with one of my favorites - Tom Hanks.

    Often described as the modern day Jimmy Stewart, Tom Hanks has the versatility of character adaptation to play roles that his audience can identify with, especially in roles that offer him the range to be the quintessential American. That is his forte, playing the good American, full of principle, with a glint in his eye.

    Tom Hanks began his career doing comedy on television, "Bosom Buddies", Ron Howard's comedy "Splash", 1984, then a reel of comedies: among them "Volunteers", 1985; "The Money Pit", 1986; "Dragnet", 1987; and then the best of the lot - "Big", 1988 - a funny, but poignant film about pre-adolescent angst and growing older.

    Tom Hanks kept doing the comedies, but eventually, they became more about the story: "Turner & Hooch", 1990, "A League of Their Own", 1992, even a romantic comedy, "Sleepless in Seattle", 1993, and then in 1993, Tom Hanks did his first no holds barred drama, Philadelphia, where Actor hanks played a gay lawyer with AIDS seeking retribution for being fired for his illness. Hanks was pitch perfect, and won his first of two Oscars. The next year, 1994, Tom Hanks would ply the titular role in a little film, "Forrest Gump", winning his second Oscar for Best Male Actor in a Leading Role.

    After "Forrest Gump", Tom Hanks has had his pick of fine roles, but no more Oscar wins. You can't keep giving the same actor Oscars even though his portrayal of Captain Miller in "Saving Private Ryan", 1994, was certainly worthy, maybe his best character yet ... well: How can you beat Forrest? You can't.

    Even though Tom Hanks does not do comedy roles any longer, he has long guest hosted "Saturday Night Live", and is considered by many as one the best hosts in the show's long, nearly 40 year series, having hosted over 10 shows. Tom Hanks is still a funny guy.

    Come join us at our new Movie Database. We welcome you our latest feature to sort through film data to discover information on actors, directors, film images, or just what is playing, when it will pay, or when it did play. It is a work in progress, so we would appreciate your input.