Movie Review: Larry Crowne

Can you believe that this movie has Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in it? My god, is that not the most awesome pairing in the known acting universe? I mean, if actors were small, adoptable animals, that would be like having a puppy and a kitten sitting on your lap at the same time. Pure joy!

This movie is about finding joy in life and not letting age or education stop you. It's also about appreciating the little things and teaching us how sometimes, when we become too self-satisfied, we miss what life is really about. I just love that I can get all that out of one, two-hour movies instead of reading half a dozen self-help books for months on end. Really, that time-savings right there made me so happy that the life lessons were just like whipped cream on my big, chocolate sundae.

So Larry (Hanks) is this guy who's pretty happy with his life and he works in a big box store where he's very successful, having earned "Employee of the Month" honors many times. Unfortunately, he's let go from his job due to the fact that he doesn't have a college education, so he goes back to school to get one. Of course, it's one of those things where his friends tell him he's too old or that it's going to be hard or whatever, but Larry just has this zest for life. He's like a Hari Krishna who's been slipped some Zoloft. He's just so happy about everything and so positive.

Larry is not lacking for personality. He used to be in the Navy and when he goes back to school, he gets a scooter from his friend played by Cedric the Entertainer, and he kind of dresses like an old guy. In his Communication class, he develops a crush on his teacher, Mercedes (Julia Roberts). As much as Larry loves life and appreciates every minute, Mercedes has lost her love of teaching and life. As they get to know each other, Mercedes begins to live vicariously through Larry's love of life and begins to see things fresh again. It's beautiful. After I saw this film, I walked outside and sniffed a flower and thought "Isn't life great?"

The chemistry between Hanks and Roberts is wonderful. They're so familiar with each other that it's like they're brother and sister, if brothers and sisters could be romantically involved, but that's not legal as far as I know. I'm just saying they have an easy way with each other. I think they were last together in "Charlie Wilson's War", so perhaps it's their experience.

Maybe you don't know that Tom Hanks not only stars in the film, but directed it and wrote it too. His writing partner was Nia Vardalos, who starred in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". I don't know how much talent can be packed into one film, but if this film had anymore, we'd have one, big talent explosion. It would be like a nuclear bomb of talent with talented people flying all over and raining down on us like those frogs in "Magnolia".

I just learned so much from this film. After watching it, I'll never take my life for granted again.