Review of Larry Crowne (2011) by Ana B — 25 Mar 2014

Middle aged Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) is fired from the big box supermarket he has worked for since he left the Navy kitchens. Realising that the reason for his joblessness is that he never got a higher education he decides to join his local college where he meets an array of bohemian students and he develops a crush for his speech professor Mrs. Tainot (Julia Roberts), a bitter woman that has lost faith in teaching and spends her afternoons drinking martinis at home while her once talented husband looks at internet porn.

Through his experience in college Larry learns that he has made lots of mistakes in his life but that he is still in time to correct them, the movie is a depiction of his learning curve.

An uplifting film about the power of education and of second chances in life, the script walks us through his classes where he encounters funny situations and lovely people. It is entertaining but too sweet for me, there is no struggle, not a baddie not an insurmountable or overwhelming situation, just smiles and good will, at the end it just feels like you ate a giant marshmallow.

Another issue is the main character, despite his mild charm and good predisposition I cannot fall in love with Larry (sorry Larry), he is just too plain, lacks charisma and he isn't memorable enough, I know he fixed her tom-tom but I just don't get why Mrs. Tainot is so taken with him (who needs a tom-tom to get to work anyway?). I am perhaps a little tough with rom-coms as there isn't much of novelty in them, this is a clear example. Pleasant? Yes, Meaningful? No.