#HANX for the Memories: The Tom Hanks Podcast

Now that A Man Called Otto is available on VOD, we stopped kicking the can down the road and decided to watch it. After sharing our pre-conceived notions of the film (and whether or not it lived up to them), we talk about the depressing trend of Hollywood's continual remakes of European films and wonder whether a movie with those tone plays better there than it does here. We also wonder why the movie decided to both cast a young Tom Hanks AND digitally de-age him in separate scenes, whether or not Hanks will return to comedy (or at least to the types of movies we prefer), and what's holding Hanks back from making more exciting movies. We try to manifest his upcoming film roles and share ways we could make A Man Called Otto better -- or at least more interesting.

#HANX for the Memories is back for a semi-surprise dump of Pinocchio (2022) onto Disney+, featuring Tom Hanks as Gepetto. It's not the longest episode we've ever done, because, well... it's a movie we've seen before. We dive into the "quest for content" on all streaming services, the many adaptations of Pinocchio that have released in the past few years, and whether or not Robert Zemeckis's version does anything truly new. We talk about Tom Hanks's portrayal of Gepetto, the character found in this movie but not in the original, and whether or not the ending is a cop out.

It's a Viva Pod Vegas / #HANX for the Memories special crossover event as we talk about Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, the Elvis Presley biopic! We discuss Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis (and how he is the movie), Tom Hanks's portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker (and why he took the role), and Baz Lurhmann's novel take on the biopic via a new POV. We talk about Hanks's makeover and his level of "going for it," the movie's frenetic pacing and structure, and how it navigates around some controversy. We also wonder if Riley Keough would have fit in the movie and try to picture Tom Cruise as Colonel Tom.

After a brief hiatus, #HANX for the Memories is back and talking about Tom Hanks' most recent film, Finch! Available on Apple TV+, Finch tells the story of a dying man who builds a robot to take care of his dog after he's gone. In this episode, we talk about the complicated journey of bringing Finch to the big screen, the bizarre reality that this WASN'T filmed during the pandemic, the fairly outstanding performance turned in by Caleb Landry Jones, and our sort of frustration at a movie that we mostly liked but feel we should have loved. Also, we preview the (really, really) big year that Tom Hanks has coming in 2022!

Tom Hanks wasted no time in getting the year (and Phase II of #HANX for the Memories) started off right with News of the World! The film sees Hanks re-unite with Paul Greengrass, which now marks two team-ups where Hanks plays a captain: Captain Phillips and News of the World. In this episode, we talk about "western Hanks," the pacing and structure of the movie, and the sort of surprise (yet inevitable?) ending. Also, we talk about the difference between character-based and atmosphere-based westerns as we try to figure out which of those styles this movie tried to hit -- and whether or not it was successful.

At long last, the time has come to (once again) don our tuxedos and roll out the red carpet. Welcome to The Woodies: The Tom Hanks Awards! All podcast long, we've talked about our favorite (and least favorite) parts of Tom Hanks's movies and TV roles, and we announced our official selections for the best and worst of what Tom Hanks's filmography has to offer and opened the voting to the public. Now, your votes have been tallied, our very special guest Bob Fischer has verified the results, and it's finally time to reveal our picks -- as well as the fans' selection -- for each and every category. Live, from the internet, it's The Woodies: The Tom Hanks Awards!

Before we tally up the votes for the Woodies (The Tom Hanks Awards), we've got one more task ahead of us: we've got to rank Tom Hanks's movies! As always, there's a weird alchemy here that doesn't quite make sense, as we combine the movie's "quality" with Hanks's performance, add a dash of how much we like him in the movie, and toss in some other hints and touches of things we can't quite articulate, and wind up with a comprehensive list of his films and roles in an order that only makes sense to us. 

Four short years ago, our hearts were captured by a haunted elevator, its peculiar operator, and his two friends. (Note: these relationships may not be canon.) A year later, that elevator operator returned, and his universe... kind of, sort of, maybe (?) grew a little bit. As we wrap up #HANX for the Memories and look ahead to the Woodies (voting still open!), we're remembering the reason for the season and talking about the David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special! Any questions?

We may have covered every movie that stars or features Tom Hanks -- along with both seasons of Bosom Buddies, his three episode arc on Family Ties, and more -- but there's a whole lot more work that he's done that we haven't covered. Welcome to the Tom Hanks Clip Show! In this episode, we're working our way through guest starring roles in TV shows, his acceptance speeches for his two Academy Award wins, a Carly Rae Jepsen music video, one of his all-time greatest clips, some more of his directing work, and much more!

We've watched and podcasted about all 58 movies (and TV shows, and more!) that Tom Hanks has made so far. Each episode, we've talked about our favorite and least favorite moments, and we've ended each episode by nominating that movie (or show) for awards that showcase the very best (and very worst) that Tom Hanks's filmography has to offer. We've pared down our lists, and -- at long last -- the time has come to announce the official selections for the Woodies: The Tom Hanks Awards. Sit back, relax, listen to all of the films, shows, roles, moments, and actors nominated, then go to cageclub.me/bracket and cast your votes on who's taking home those sweet Woodies awards! (Voting closes on Wednesday, November 4.) 

We've made it. After traversing the treacherous waters of the Atlantic (i.e. the middle of the #HANX for the Memories run), we've finally re-gained air support (vis-a-vis the truly strong showing from the last handful of Tom Hanks movies). We finish Phase I of #HANX for the Memories with Greyhound, the Hanks-written World War II flick that dropped on AppleTV+ this summer. Joining us to talk about Greyhound is Dan "The Duke" Hayden. We discuss the film's tremendous soundscape, the tremendous supporting cast, and Hanks's return to the open sea. We also wonder why Elisabeth Shue took her very tiny role, and lament not being able to see this in theaters.

Tom Hanks may have sworn off playing any more real people, but he taps that well once more (for the ninth time!) in his turn as Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. In this episode, we try to wrap our heads around making a Mr. Rogers movie that isn't really about Mr. Rogers, which fits in perfectly with the inherent weirdness found throughout. We also talk about whether there's a better casting option for Mr. Rogers than Tom Hanks, attempt to reconcile the two halves of the story, and explore all the stylistic flourishes that Marielle Heller lends to A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

We may have already covered Toy Story 4 on #KeanuClub to dive deep into the world of Duke Caboom, but now we're focusing (once again) on the franchise's star: Sheriff Woody. We're joined by two guests who are definitely not trash: Nico Vasilo and Kevo Risse (X is for Podcast, .html) to talk about Woody and Bo Peep, the toys with (and without) Woody, and the future of the franchise. In addition to talk about Toy Story 4, we also cover the Lamp Life short (available on Disney Plus), even though it's (gasp!) Jim Hanks as the voice of Woody, rather than Tom Hanks.

Stop the presses! Well, actually, fire 'em up, because we're covering Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee in Steven Spielberg's 2017's film The Post. Joining our crack news team are Tobin Addington (The Contenders) and resident Meryl Streep expert Michael Domanico (Not Her Again). We talk about the superbly selected (and supremely stacked) cast, Steven Spielberg's incredible ability to turn procedure and process into something magical, and his ability to fill the screen with performances that won't let you look away. We also talk about how Tom Hanks led the newsroom in The Post, and also the ever-expanding reach of his family tree, which is now so grandiose that it almost doesn't feel realistic.

Before we reach the end of #HANX for the Memories, we needed to overcome one final obstacle: the one-two punch of Inferno and The Circle. At long last, the time has come for Mike to watch The Circle, a movie he mythologized to the nth degree (for what reason? unclear!), in spite of Joey's best efforts. Could it possibly have lived up to whatever hopes he had placed on it? Is it everything he ever dreamed it could be? Or will he wind up (like the rest of us) angry and disappointed? Joining us to find out is our resident literature expert Jessica "Montez" Collins, pulling double duty after last week's Inferno episode. Get ready for some anger and depression! 

Seven long years after we saw Robert Langdon's second European caper (which was actually based on the first book in the series by Dan Brown), we're headed back "across the pond" in search of our missing Mickey Mouse watch (and our memories!) for the third and final (for now, anyway) Robert Langdon adventure, Inferno (which is actually based on the fourth book in the series). Still with us? Good. Today, we're joined by our resident religion expert John Brooks (Hard to Believe) and our resident literature expert (or, in this case, "literature") Jess "Montez" Collins, as they complete their Da Vinci Code trilogy punch cards. In this episode, we discuss not really knowing what Inferno was about before seeing the movie, whether or not this could secretly be the best movie in the trilogy, and why Felicity Jones's betrayal (spoilers!) was both sudden and inevitable. 

Another week, another Tom Hanks portrayal of an American icon. This week, we're making a water landing in the Hudson River as we talk about Sully. After a couple movies off the beaten path -- and before a couple based on pretty massive books -- Hanks is back in his sweet spot as Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the captain of US Airways Flight 1549. Jeremy Kelly joins us to talk about all things Pilot Hanks in what is... could it be... our first ever Clint Eastwood movie covered on the podcast network? Is that possible? It just may be!

While it's commonplace today, A Hologram for the King marked a special occasion: it's the first straight-to-VOD movie in Tom Hanks's filmography. To commemorate (?) the occasion (?), we're bringing in Christian Larson, who was our guest on #CageClub: The Nicolas Cage Podcast, when we covered Seeking Justice, Cage's first straight-to-VOD release. That's about where the comparisons end, though. In this episode, we talk about the tonal inconsistencies of A Hologram for the King and wonder what this movie's really trying to do. We also discuss its origins as a book, and its Eggers-connection to The Circle, which draws ever nearer.

Ithaca is the elusive fourth (!) team-up between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, flying under the radar for both good and bad reasons. Ithaca also marks the directorial debut for Meg Ryan, who pulls double duty as the mother to a few boys (including her son in real life, Jack Quaid)... as well as widow to Tom Hanks (and therein lies the rub). In this episode, we talk about the protagonist issue of Ithaca, Tom Hanks as Ghost Dad, and whether or not the movie telegraphed its inevitable ending (or whether we've just seen far too many movies).

Feeling sad about the nearing end of #HANX for the Memories? Would it help if we told you we were talking about Bridge of Spies? In this episode, we welcome in Tobin Addington (The Contenders) to help secure the exchange of a lifetime as we talk about the fourth time Tom Hanks has acted in a Steven Spielberg movie. Does being exactly as good as you expect it to be make Bridge of Spies less interesting? It's up for debate as we discuss Hanks's penchant for history (and long movies), a Game Night pre-union, and the many award-nominated elements of this movie.

How many mythic American figures will Tom Hanks play in biopics that aren't really about those men? The answer may surprise you! In a career filled with biopics, the comparisons between Walt Disney (in Saving Mr. Banks) and Mister Rogers (in our upcoming A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) are many. Today, though, we're focusing on Tom Hanks's portrayal of Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, a tale about wooing the persnickety P.L. Travers (played by Emma Thompson) to get her to sign over the film rights to Mary Poppins. We talk about Hanks's portrayal of Mickey Mouse's dad, the best and worst parts of this movie, and how much fun it would be to go fly a kite. (Okay, maybe we don't talk about that last one, but the song's stuck in my head.)

After coming off the high of Cloud Atlas, we're grounded back to terrifying reality with Tom Hanks's titular portrayal of Captain Phillips. It's yet another installment in the ongoing "Tom Hanks plays a real person" -- and it certainly won't be the last -- but does it hold up as well on second viewing? Can the world-class acting overcome the rising and falling tension that you know will play out? Does Captain Phillips end with the greatest acting moment in Tom Hanks's filmography, or perhaps all of modern cinema? We're joined by Holly Gore to talk about all things Captain Phillips as we begin to move into the endgame of #HANX for the Memories and close in on modern day.

Last week's episode of #HANX for the Memories was painful, but this week more than makes up for it. We're spanning centuries and transcending all conventions as we dive into the six timelines -- and six Toms Hanks -- of Cloud Atlas. We're going solo bolo (on purpose) this episode so that we can each get maximum airtime talking about the movie that may wind up being both of our favorite Tom Hanks movies when all is said and done. We talk about each of his six incarnations, the journey of his character(s) throughout each of the stories, and how each of the parts of Cloud Atlas work together in miraculous ways to tell a grander story.

We're just one week away from Cloud Atlas, which is one of the main reasons we began this entire endeavor. First, though, we're headed back in time to a year after The Worst Day to talk about Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, misery porn to end all misery porn. We're riding out the proverbial storm solo bolo style, since I guess no one wanted to re-live 9/11 through the eyes of a precocious and equally cloying and sociopathic young boy. In this episode, we try to uncover things we like about this movie, wonder what versions of this movie could have worked, and talk about how it feels like The Book of Henry without any sense of insane camp or charm.

Tom Hanks pulls quadruple duty on #HANX for the Memories, as he's the writer, director, producer, and leading man in Larry Crowne. Joining us to talk about the "explosion of benign, muted joy" of Larry Crowne is Michael Domanico (Not Her Again), a past guest of the TomTom Club and an expert in all things Julia Roberts. In this episode, we talk about Hanks's second effort from behind the camera, the strange reality that this movie seems to inhabit, as well as the absolute and total lack of any real problems in this movie, which is almost exclusively inhabited by kind people. Also, stay tuned to find out what little moment in this movie may be Joey's favorite thing in any movie ever.

Within a few years of the release of Toy Story 3, five more Toy Story, uh, stories were released in the form of Toy Story Toons and TV specials. In this episode, we're working our way through three Toy Story Toons (Hawaiian Vacation (2011), Small Fry (2011), and Partysaurus Rex (2012)), as well as two Toy Story TV specials (Toy Story of Terror (2013) and Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014)). Mike works double duty to recap five separate plots, we talk about our favorite and least favorite moments, our biggest disappointments, and our favorite surprise characters. Plus, of course, more talk about how Mr. Potato Head continues to defy the laws of physics and reality.

How many Toy Story movies will wind up atop our list of favorite Tom Hanks movies? That's up for debate today as Cara Gael O'Regan (Wistful Thinking) joins us to talk about Toy Story 3. In this episode, we try to do the impossible task of comparing this to previous installments in the series, which came out 11 (!) and 15 (!!) years before this, while also looking ahead to the next sequel, which won't release for another 9 (!!!) years. We talk about the many references within Toy Story 3, try (once again) to get to the bottom of how sentience works in this universe, and admire Barbie as the presidential candidate we all need right now. Remember, kids: “Authority should derive from the consent of the governed, not from the threat of force!”

Get ready for an adventure! We haven’t clawed our way through history in a few weeks, which means it’s about time to cover Angels & Demons! We’ve once again re-assembled our religious historical fiction team of John Brooks (Hard to Believe) and Jess “Montez” Collins. In this episode, we gain access to the Vatican Archives so that we can talk about the truths, half-truths, and lies of Angels & Demons; Tom Hanks’s new supporting cast (and the severe lack of Audrey Tautou); and all things God Particle and antimatter. We also compare this adaptation to the book and to the adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, and we look ahead to the confusing “which books will they turn into films” nature of the rest of the Langdon book series.

Colin Hanks began his movie career with a cameo role in That Thing You Do!, but The Great Buck Howard is our first full-blown Colin Hanks vehicle on #HANX for the Memories! While Tom may not have a lot to do in this one, The Great Buck Howard is notable for the podcast because he and Colin (real-life father and son, in case you didn't know; thanks, IMDb trivia!) play father and son in the movie. In this episode, we talk about Hanks's two scenes and the father/son dynamic at play. Also, Joey tries to figure out why he watched this movie ten years ago (pre-Moviepass!), given that no one really talks about it.