Larry Crowne – My Review

By Laura Gilbert

I just saw the first showing of Larry Crowne starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.  The film was co-written by Hanks in collaboration with Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding).

What I saw on the screen and in the audience weren’t exactly what I had expected, but sometimes that is just fine. The audience was meager but engaged.  Some were no doubt looking for a break from the sweltering heat.  The timing of laughter let me know others came to commiserate with Larry.

Unlike box office hits that count on shock and awe techniques, Larry Crowne played within a narrow emotional band from start to finish. No dramatic highs; no intense lows.  In musical terms I’d call it somewhere between mezzo piano and mezzo forte.  Think elevator music.  Even the soundtrack was, well, pleasant.  Still I found it to be a nice story on a quiet afternoon.  Something you can safely see with your aging relatives.  Nice and fine – words I chose with a nod to my ninth grade English teacher who threatened to flunk anyone lazy enough to mistake ‘nice’ or ‘fine’ as descriptors.  In this case, they fit.

As Larry travels from retail guy to student, we meet old friends, new friends and acquaintances.  There are supporters and a mild antagonist played by Wilmer Valderrama, better known as Fez from “That 70′s Show”.  There are a few twists and turns along the way.  Nothing to require Dramamine.

At first I was disappointed the film didn’t use more of the back-to-school experience in the story line.  At the very least I expected the energy and cleverness of the first season of NBC’s Community. But Larry Crowne is a story about a no-frills, average guy starting over in mid-life.  Larry is actually very much like several of my adult students; doing the best he can to weather the storm and move on.

Likewise, rather than dwell on Larry’s traumas, Hanks shared enough to show Larry was human and then moved on.   All in all, Larry Crowne is probably a better reflection of the average guy than a more dramatic, exciting, get-you-cheering show might be -  except for (a) being initiated into a “gang” with the cool kids and (b) having Julia Roberts fall for you because you are a gentleman.  Nice but not going to happen.

All in all I’d say rent it if you are thinking about going back to school like Larry.  But don’t expect the typical Hanks inspiration delivered in Apollo 13, Philadelphia or Cast Away to name a few.  Heck even the Toy Story series was more lively.   Too bad Hanks didn’t create a film about Buzz and Woody going back to school.  Now there is an adventure I’d love to see!