Movie Review: 'Larry Crowne' lacks wit of 'Bad Teacher'
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Sun, 07/03/2011 - 9:28am
"Larry Crowne," a romantic comedy now playing at the Fandango Galaxy in Carson City, is the second romantic comedy to hit the scene after the delightful "Bad Teacher," was a hit because of Cameron Diaz' loopy, wide grin.
Sadly, "Crowne"with Tom Hanks directing, writing and co-staring with Julia Roberts, can't come up with the wit and charm of "Teacher." Where "Teacher" is profane and clever, "Crowne" plots along predicable lines from the opening when Hanks as Crowne is laid off from a big box store (read Wal-Mart) because he does't have a college degree. Sure.
Crowne decides to vacate his mortgaged underwater home with the help of Lamar (Cecil the Entertainer as an example of terrible miscasting). He enrolls as the local community college taking a speaking class conducted by distraught Julie Roberts who has a lousy husband and a modest drinking problem. The class is a collection of misfits, matched by a large economics class where fellow student Talia (the youthfully lovely Gugu Mbatha-Raw, honest, that's her name) updates his dress and look and puts him on a moped and includes him in her gang.
Roberts mopes through teaching classes and unhappy home life and watches her husband get arrested for drunken driving and hitches a ride with Hanks on the scooter.
You can probably write the rest of this without seeing the movie. The speech misfits shape up, Hanks falls for Roberts and there's a lusty smooch at the end. And Hanks gets top grades in his econ class from Dr. Matsutani (George Takei, an example of weird casting).
Too bad this came on the heels of "Bad Teacher," which covers much of the same ground but with a lot more wit and charm. Julia, you've met and lost your match with Cameron.
Rate this as PG-13 with a faint smile out of five smiles. Hanks overdid himself in this one.
--- Sam Bauman
Cast
• Tom Hanks as Larry Crowne
• Julia Roberts as Mercedes Tainot
• Cedric the Entertainer as Lamar
• Taraji P. Henson as B'Ella
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Talia
• Wilmer Valderrama as Dell Gordo
• Bryan Cranston as Dean Tainot
• Pam Grier as Frances
• Rami Malek as Steve Dibiasi
• Maria Canals Barrera as Lala Pinedo
• Rita Wilson as Wilma Q. Gammelgaard
• George Takei as Dr. Matsutani
• Dale Dye as Cox
Directed by Tom Hanks
Produced by Gary Goetzman
Tom Hanks
Written by Tom Hanks
Nia Vardalos
Starring Tom Hanks
Julia Roberts
Music by James Newton Howard
Cinematography Philippe Rousselot
Editing by Alan Cody Studio Vendome Pictures
Playtone Distributed by Universal Pictures Release date(s) July 1, 2011 Running time 99 minutes Country United States Language English. Rated PG-13.
