Larry Crowne Review

Thank you for taking a look at Movies In The Rockies. This blog will take a stab at reviewing movies from the eyes, ears and mind of my non-hollywood mind. I am not an artist, insider or expert. I just like movies and want to share some opinions. Each review will start with a quick synopsis of the film, followed by my perceptions. A final rating will be given with the following rating scale:


Sea Level = The movie falls short of climbing even to the first tier Altitude.


Colorado Plains = The movie starts moving upward but lacks the legs to take it to the hills.


Foot Hills = The movie has legs, but air has left the lungs and stops the movie in its tracks.


Montains = The movie has legs & lungs.


14ers = This movie has eclipsed the summit.

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Taraji Henson, Pam Grier, Cedric the Entertainer, and SULU? This must be the formula for success, right? Well throw in that Tom Hanks directed, starred and wrote (along with Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame) and it can't miss. Well let's just see about that...

Hanks plays Larry Crowne (or Lance Corona if you use the Michael Vick name translator on the internet, ask Fillerbuster or TWill if you have questions about this) a former Navy cook and nine time winner of employee of the month at U Save. Within the first ten minutes of the film Larry is canned for not having a college education. With no other options Larry turns to his game show winning neighbor, Lamar (played by Cedric the Entertainer). Well, who wouldn't go to a winner of a game of chance for financial and career advice. Lamar tells Larry to get back to school and all will work out.

Larry does just that and enrolls in classes at his local college where he meets an interesting group of characters, gets a part time job as a short order cook, and joins a scooter gang (think Hells Angels on Vespas and drinking lemonade). One of the classes that Larry enrolls in is Speech 217: The Art Of Informal Remarks. As a speech communication major I never heard of such a class but my course work was 20 years ago and things change. Speech 217 is taught by the lovely Mrs. Tainot (pronounced Tay-No, not Tie-not or Tie-bo) who tends toward the grumpy. Yet, who wouldn't be grumpy with an internet porn hound for a husband and a class load that boarders on cancellation each semester due to low enrollment. This of course all ends when Larry enters the scene.

Larry takes on his course work with a fervor that is unmatched with his younger student counterparts. He grasps Econ: Prime, taught by Dr. Matsutani (SULU from the original Star Trek), at a level that his professor can't fathom even though he can't seem to keep from getting his cell phone taken away from him by the good Dr.

After Mrs. Tainot has a falling out with her scumbag husband (played by Bryan Cranston), she gets a ride home on the back of Larry's scooter where in a drunken stupor she kisses him passionately. The next day Mrs. Tainot kicks out Mr. and although she stiff arms Larry, we see an opening for him.

Final exams are now upon us and Larry studies thoroughly as many older students do. He aces his ECON exam and now is ready for his final speech. Larry nails the speech and in doing so, proves to Mrs. Tainot that he really is a great one.

When the next term rolls around, Larry leaves a note on Mrs. Tainot's door asking her to come to his address for French Toast (remember, he's a former Navy cook and currently works part time as a short order cook). Mrs. Tainot, heads to Larry's place where they kiss and he asks her in for the French Toast (We are left to imagine on our own what else happened after the meal).

My take. Hey, I enjoyed the movie. I have been a fan of Tom Hanks since he played the wacky Rick Gassko in Bachelor Party in 1984 and Julia Roberts... enough said. This will not be another award winner for Hanks or Roberts though. The premise was fun, the characters were interesting, the message of Americans finding a different road when unemployment issues arise is timely, but the movie just lacks any real depth. The whole idea starts with a mostly erroneous concept of a Retail Sales associate losing his job due to lack of education. Not many people will argue that an education is helpful but you can ask Michael Dell, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison if not having a degree slowed them down. Larry Crowne, written, directed and starring the great Tom Hanks earns a FOOT HILLS rating as an entertaining yet benign film.