Review of Larry Crowne (2011) by Sonia V — 21 Dec 2012

Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he's worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves...often moving around town in a herd of scooters. In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband. The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live...

First of all, I reckon Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts has in a way passed as the stars they used to be. We've seen them a bit too many times and partly doing the same role a bit too many times. In terms of "Larry Crowne" (written and directed by Hanks, and based on a close friends life) I think the general idea/ foundation is there. It's never too late to start over. Something might turn your life upside down, and initially it might seem hard and difficult, but many times it will be for the better in the end. What doesn't work in "Larry Crowne" is how the script has been developed. A really silly plotline in many ways with Hanks looking halfway lost and Roberts floating around being quite unlikeable. The sudden friendship with Talia is just too much, Larry's change in every aspect is too obvious to show his transformation, the lovestory with Mrs Tainot is too stereotypical. "Larry Crowne" is a sugarycoated silly all american kind of comedy/ drama. It doesn't work in my eyes at least.