Going to a matinee movie is an obvious choice when it's 100+ F outside with 100+ humidity. So the husband and I set off to see what seemed like another obvious choice—the Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts new release, Larry Crowne.
The trailers looked cute, and a lighthearted rom-com starring Hanks and Roberts promised to be a perfect way to escape the oppressive Charleston heat. The premise seemed interesting, with enough realism to give it some teeth. We were in.
The storyline: Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) is a friendly, hardworking big-box company employee. He's unceremoniously canned because he went into the Navy after high-school instead of going to college, so now he's hit the ceiling at the company. He isn't promotable. Bye.
In financial straights and without purpose, Crowne enrolls in the local community college. There he hooks up with a cast of characters who take him under their social wing. With his new friends' help, he slowly begins to emerge from the defeat of being downsized. In his public-speaking class, Larry falls for his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts). Her life is as messy as Crowne's, for different reasons. Let the story unfold...
See, I told you the premise seemed interesting. Add to it the fact that Tom Hanks wrote the screenplay with the funny Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding). He also directed the film. We were sure Larry Crowne would, at the very least, be entertaining.
It's like the movie never started. Although Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are nice to watch, it felt like nothing happened. The movie didn't go anywhere. It was bland.
I hope I'm not getting so accustomed to invisibility cloaks, blood drinking boyfriends and ancient struggles between extraterrestrial clans to enjoy a plot-and-character based flick, but I don't think that's the problem. There were cute scenes, fun cameos and a few witty exchanges. It wasn't a terrible way to pass the time but, if you came here looking for an honest opinion then I'll give it to you... the movie was boring.
Have you seen Larry Crowne? I'd love to hear your opinions.
Larry Crowne trailer:
