Review of Larry Crowne (2011) by Martin D — 25 Nov 2011

This is a cute romcom that takes place in an alternate reality.

Think about Larry Crowne, a man in his 40's, who is of good nature and has been an employee of the month many times at Umart, where he assists customers and gathers shopping carts at the parking lot. Yet his boss fires him for not having attained a college degree (apparently a state requirement). So he goes back to school and takes a course in Informal Speech. His teacher is so miserable, that one would wonder how she is still allowed to teach. Then he catches the attention of a much younger girl, who takes an unusual interest in him, and who gets him to join her hip scooter gang.

Despite the incredulity, it goes without saying that Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts carry this story. Hanks has made a career out of playing innocent characters that we want to see succeed. And Roberts can act, not to mention has a smile that can put us all in a good mood.

So here is a film to approach without expectations but rather a purpose, and that is to have a pleasant viewing experience.