When it comes to A-list actors working today, Tom Hanks is about as iconic as it’s going to get. Having started his career off in television with Bosom Buddies, and appearing in a series of whacky comedies through the early-to-mid 80’s, he quickly launched into stardom in 1988 with the fantasy comedy Big. And from there, Hanks became… well, big. Many of Hanks’ films are universally known, thanks to their crowd-pleasing approach, as well as thanks to Hanks’ charm that allows him to be so naturally likable, a trait he carries with him in real life.
Hanks’ reputation as Hollywood’s “nice guy” has allowed him to easily portray many real-life figures that are already well-liked by many, including Walt Disney, Richard Phillips, and now, Mr. Rogers in his latest film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. He’s gone on to win numerous awards for his performances, including winning two out of five Academy Award nominations, and most of his films are still beloved today. But which of them are the best? It’s tough to choose, especially given any “Best Of” list with Hanks involved is sure to leave off plenty of excellent performances.
But to coincide with A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’s release, here’s a look at ten of Hanks’ best films (ranked).
Honorable Mentions
Bridge of Spies, Cast Away, Catch Me if You Can, Philadelphia, Sleepless in Seattle
10) Forrest Gump
This Best Picture winner is by far one of Hanks’ most universally recognized roles. The film was a huge success at the box office, and has since gone on to be preserved by the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It contains a slew of memorable images and endlessly quoted lines. While it can be overly sentimental at times, it’s almost impossible to resist Hanks’ performance here, which has led to some truly hilarious moments that are just as enjoyable today. Also giving standout performances here are Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan, Mykelti Williamson as Bubba, and Sally Field as Gump’s mother.
9) Apollo 13
Houston, we have a great movie. This is a film that I feel doesn’t get as much credit these days as it did when it was first released, despite being a smash at the box office and universally praised at the time. The film is an exciting thrill ride through the desolate journey of space. Its imagery is absolutely stunning, and its performances, including those from Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise, are all on-point, with Hanks himself commanding each and every scene. The film is also noteworthy for its technical accuracy and realistic portrayal of space travel, something Howard went to great lengths to recreating.
8) Sully
One of the most recent entries on this list, Hanks plays real-life hero Chesley Sullenberger, who famously piloted an emergency landing of a plane onto the Hudson River, only to be investigated for the events that led to him having to land the plane. The film has the feel of an old-fashioned “good vs. evil” movie, as Hanks’ Sully has to go up against a merciless investigative committee who are convinced Sully was not properly piloting the plane, something that did cause a bit of controversy due to objections from the real-life figures involved. This is by far one of Hanks’ finer latter-day films, but also a solid late-period entry for director Clint Eastwood.
7) Big
Hanks’ earliest great success still holds up as an awfully fun movie, with a chance for the young Hanks to show off his physical talents, something which was rarely seen again. Hanks’ goofy, yet innocent, performance is what really anchors this hilarious comedy. It’s also incredibly sweet, addressing its Peter Pan-like themes of growing up too fast and the loss of one’s innocence, showing what life can really be like when one does enter adulthood. With scenes such as the famous FAO Schwartz piano scene still as memorable today as they were in 1988, this is a wonderful film that wound up giving us a star.
6) Captain Phillips
Of all Hanks’ post-2010 films, this is by far one of his best. Directed by Paul Greengrass, who gave us three of the Bourne films, this manages to infuse elements of tense, layered thrillers like those, while still maintaining a broad appeal that goes with placing Hanks in a starring role. That’s not to say this isn’t a dark movie. In fact, this is probably one of Hanks’ most tense films to date, and he absolutely crushes the material, with him as the title character going up against a group of ruthless terrorists, led by Barked Abdi, in an equally great performance. Nominated for six Academy Awards, this one is a true modern-day gem.
5) Saving Mr. Banks
Hollywood’s nicest guy portrays one of the most universally-known figures of all-time in ehat’s one of his sweetest outings. Chronicling the story of how Walt Disney fought tooth-and-nail with Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers into adapting her book into a now classic film, the movie serves almost as a nice companion piece to the actual Mary Poppins film, really breaking down that film’s true meaning and showing as whole different side behind the story of the magical nanny. The film has a whole lot of heart to it, capturing the spirit of the time period, and seeing classic Mary Poppins songs being crafted and sung with actors like Jason Schwartzmann, Bradley Whitford, and BJ Novak, is absolutely delightful.
4) The Green Mile
Directed by The Shawshank Redemption’s Frank Darabont, I’d argue this is the better of the two Stephen King prison dramas. The one thing to keep in mind is that it can be a bit long. But this is an absolutely beautiful movie that tells an incredibly dark, yet somehow also a bit sweet at times, story about life inside a death row cell block. By far the standout in this film is Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey, who portrays the gentle giant with such nuance that his seemingly simplistic character never comes off as manipulative or trying too hard to pull at your heartstrings. It’s not mentioned as often these days in terms of great Stephen King adaptations, but it’s an excellent film that looks at themes such as death and morality that it should definitely be watched by all.
3) Saving Private Ryan
If this isn’t the greatest war movie of all-time, it’s damn near close. This is a harrowing, thrilling experience that showcases the great lengths one troop will go to have one soldier brought home that unfortunately comes at the expense of quite a few others. The film boosts an all-star cast with Hanks leading the charge, but also includes Vin Diesel, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, and Matt Damon in the title role. The film is three hours long but you never quite feel that three hours, with an incredible fight scenes, yet still finding so much time to build characters that never ruins the pacing. The opening scene showcasing the Normandy Invasion alone makes this film worth watching and is one of the reasons this is such a classic.
2) A League of Their Own
It’s a really sentimental, crowd-pleasing movie, but it’s still just an absolute joy to watch. A League of Their Own’s story - while by no means bad - isn’t anywhere as deep as many of the other films on this list, but what really makes this movie so easily watchable for plenty of viewings are its cast. Geena Davis gives what probably is her best performance as the film’s lead character, while Lori Petty brings a lot of fiery energy as Davis’ younger sister that becomes one of the film’s biggest arcs. But while this is a film centered around women’s baseball, Hanks really is the one who steals the show as the team’s manager. It’s rare to see Hanks in a role where he gets to go around being antagonistic towards others, and while part of his arc is that he does lighten up, getting to see him in such a change of pace is just so hilarious to watch, and leads to plenty of truly memorable scenes. A movie with long-lasting appeal that will get you to both laugh and cheer every time, this is one of the greatest sports movies of all-time.
1) All the Toy Story Movies
Yeah, I’m cheating with this one, putting four movies at once here. Though the thing about the Toy Story series is the fact that each film is so nearly flawless that had I counted them individually, they would have just taken up the first four spots here and knocked so many other great movies off this list. Plus, altogether, they tell such a wonderful story that somehow still finds a way to not just continue a seemingly complete story, but still maintain the same quality as the previous movie, sometimes even improving upon it. Hanks’ voice work as Sheriff Woody is untouchable. He can be over-the-top loud and hilarious, and other times he’s pulling at heartstrings as easy as it is for kids to pull the string on Woody’s back. And he has a perfect foil and later partner in crime, in Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, who is also at the top of his game here. To talk about these movies is worth an entire article by itself, but with its themes of feeling fulfilled with life and finding one’s place in the world, through the eyes of toys, not only are these some of Hanks’ best movies, but honestly some of the greatest movies of all-time.
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