The 15 Best Tom Hanks Movies, from ‘Cast Away’ to ‘Toy Story’ to ‘Big’ – IndieWire

The Best Tom Hanks Movies, Ranked.

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Take a gander at the last 40 years of cinema, and youll find at least one universal truth: The people love Tom Hanks.

The 66-year-old actor is known around Hollywood and the world as an affable everyman, with as much capacity for heady drama as he has a knack for quippy comedy. Hanks most famous roles range from the light and whimsical (see flicks like Money Pit, Turner & Hooch, and Larry Crowne) to the darkly complex (The Green Mile, Charlie Wilsons War, and The Post). Hes also responsible for delivering lines in some of cinemas most quotable movies, including A League of Their Own (Theres no crying in baseball!) and Apollo 13 (Houston, we have a problem).

Hanks cut his teeth as a stage actor, performing Shakespeare and other plays in his hometown of Lakewood, California for much of the late 70s. At 24-years-old, Hanks made his first movie appearance as a flirty jogger in the slasher He Knows Youre Alone before starring opposite Daryl Hannah in Ron Howards romantic comedy Splash four years later (which ranks at No. 3 on IndieWires guide to the best mermaid movies).

Hanks was known for his rom-coms for some time, famously pairing up with Meg Ryan for both Sleepless in Seattle and Youve Got Mail. His broader comedies were similarly well-received, with Toy Story becoming a franchise (to which Hanks voice remains essential) and Big snagging the actor his first Oscar nomination (for his performance as a 12-year-old trapped in an adults body).

That said, the best Tom Hanks roles have largely been dramatic. Philadelphia would earn Hanks his first Academy Award for Best Actor in 1994. Hed immediately follow it up with a second Best Actor win for Forrest Gump in 1995. Teaming up with director Steven Spielberg for Saving Private Ryan, Hanks was nominated again in 1999. The actor topped off his turn of the century success streak with one more nomination for Robert Zemeckis 2000 survival epic Cast Away. Hanks wouldnt be honored by the Academy again until 2020, when he played beloved childrens show host Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

Following Hanks performance in Baz Luhrmanns Elvis and ahead of the actors reunion with Zemeckis for the live-action Pinocchio on Disney+ September 8, here are the 15 best Tom Hanks movies of all time. Plus: A list of his characters best lines from those titles.

Note: For the purpose of this ranking, the Toy Story franchise has been regarded as a single body of work.

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The 15 Best Tom Hanks Movies, from 'Cast Away' to 'Toy Story' to 'Big' - IndieWire