Thomas Jeffrey Hanks, born on July 9th, 1956, in Concord, California, has made his name into one that’s known all over the world. Because of his stellar performances, both dramatic and comedic, he’s one of the most popular and recognizable Hollywood stars and the fourth-highest grossing actor in North America. His hard work has been awarded several prestigious awards, and the movies he has starred in have made it into cinema history. So, to pay our respects where they are due, we are dedicating this article to the best Tom Hanks movies, as ranked by critics and audiences.
Now, watching Tom Hanks perform, you would never believe that this charismatic actor once was, in his own words, a total geek and a spaz, too shy to converse with anyone in his teenage years. However, that soon changed when Hanks became an intern at the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio, where he learned the craft of making a play, which consequently led to starring in one. This garnered him his first-ever award as the Best Actor in Cleveland Critics Circle Awards in 1978 for his performance as Proteus in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen Of Verona. This is where Thomas dropped out of college to pursue a career as an actor. And boy, aren’t we glad about it!
As you’re about to see, Tom Hanks’ movies range from ones about war, like the iconic Saving Private Ryan, to kids’ movies like Big and legal dramas like Philadelphia, which proves again just how universal his talent is! If you wish to revisit his best movies or maybe discover some you haven’t seen, then scroll on down below and check out our collection! Be sure to give a vote for your favorite movie and share this article with your friends.
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#1 The Green Mile
1999 | 3h 8m | Directed by Frank Darabont
Starring Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan and David Morse
The movie tells the story of Paul’s life as a death row corrections officer during the United States Great Depression. The Green Mile was very well received by critics, especially for its performances (particularly those of Hanks and Duncan), Darabont’s direction, cinematography, and musical score. It received multiple award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Stephen King called this movie the most faithful adaptation of his work.
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42points
#2 Forrest Gump
1994 | 2h 22m | Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise
It is not uncommon for people to consider Forrest Gump an all-time great film. The movie is full of unforgettable scenes and quotes that are still popular today. Forrest Gump tells the story of a slow-witted but kind-hearted guy from Alabama living through some significant American historical events, like Kennedy’s presidency, the Vietnam war, and the Watergate scandal. His only friend is Jenny Curran, with whom he has been friends since they were kids. As they go through school together, they fall in love, but her troubled past keeps her from having a real relationship with Forrest. The acting by Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, who play Forrest and Jenny respectively, is phenomenal. Their chemistry is undeniable, and it greatly contributed to the movie’s success.
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41points
#3 Saving Private Ryan
1998 | 2h 49m | Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore
Saving Private Ryan is an epic war drama film set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is notable for its graphic and realistic portrayal of war and the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depict the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944. It follows United States Army Rangers Captain John H. Miller and his squad as they search for James Francis Ryan, the last-surviving brother of four servicemen. In 2014, Saving Private Ryan won five Oscars and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
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40points
#4 Apollo 13
1995 | 2 hours 20 minutes | Directed by Ron Howard
Starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon
Apollo 13 is a space docudrama film that's a dramatization of the aborted 1970 Apollo 13 lunar mission and an adaptation of the 1994 book Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage Of Apollo 13 by astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. The depiction of this disaster was made to be as accurate as possible as the movie's director, Ron Howard, employed the assistance of NASA's expert every step of the way. But Apollo 13 isn't only real in its technical aspect but also in its depiction of the internal ordeal that the astronauts went through trying to save their own lives. Apollo 13 is a truly iconic movie that garnered praise from anyone who has watched it.
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40points
#5 Cast Away
2000 | 2 hours 23 minutes | Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Paul Sanchez
Cast Away is a survival drama film and basically a one-man show, since mister Hanks mainly has just Wilson to keep him company. To those that have skipped this movie before, it follows the story of a man crash landing on an uninhabited island. Now he has to find ways to survive and hope for the best. However, being challenged to survive while completely alone takes a toll on our protagonist, so he finds a friend in a volleyball whom he aptly names Wilson. And if you’re skeptical about his solo adventures on an isolated island, you’d never believe the number of events Hanks’ character has to endure while waiting to be saved.
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35points
#6 Big
1988 | 1 hour 44 minutes | Directed by Penny Marshall
Starring Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia
Big is a 1988 fantasy comedy starring Tom Hanks. The movie goes like this - twelve-year-old Josh Baskin asks an antique fortune-telling machine to grant his wish to become 'big.' The next morning, Josh wakes up to find he has turned into an adult overnight, and the carnival that had the machine is already off to another destination. Being the smart kid that he is, Josh builds a quite cool life for himself and even finds a lovely girl, but upon finding the malfunctioning machine, he decides to go back to being just a kid. Upon its release, Big became a massive success both commercially and critically with cinephiles, as per usual, praising Hanks' stellar performance.
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33points
#7 Catch Me If You Can
2002 | 2h 21m | Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken
When a movie is made by Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Hanks, it’s bound to be a hit. Based on the story of real-life Frank Abagnale, Catch Me If You Can follows Frank’s life as an expert con artist. After running away from home to escape his dysfunctional family, Frank manages to forge checks worth $2.5 million before he’s even old enough to drink in most states. With Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, Catch Me If You Can is a fun crime film that touches on more serious issues like family relationships and coming of age.
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32points
#8 Toy Story
1995 | 1h 21m | Directed by John Lasseter
Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Don Rickles
The first feature-length computer-animated film and the first feature film produced by Pixar, Toy Story became a blockbuster hit when it was released in 1995. It received widespread critical acclaim, earning three Academy Award nominations (including Best Original Screenplay) and winning a Special Achievement Academy Award for its visual effects. Toy Story is a hilarious and heartwarming tale of an old-fashioned cowboy doll named Woody and his rivalry with space ranger Buzz Lightyear for the affections of their young owner, Andy.
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30points
#9 A League Of Their Own
8 A League Of Their Own
1992 | 2 hours 8 minutes | Directed by Penny Marshall
Starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna
What's a sports comedy without broken bones, noses, and bruises during filming? Well, even though you couldn't tell that by watching the glorious all-girls baseball team (including a performance from Madonna!) on screen, the making of A League Of Their Own did involve plenty of physical sacrifices from the cast. However, that isn't the thing that made this movie an iconic one. Instead, a thoroughly charming cast, non-soppy sentimentality, and lightheartedness are why this movie is still beloved even decades after its release.
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30points
#10 Philadelphia
1993 | 2 hours 5 minutes | Directed by Jonathan Demme
Starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Roberta Maxwell
Philadelphia is a legal drama and one of the first mainstream Hollywood movies to talk about HIV/AIDS and homophobia. Tom Hanks here is Andrew Beckett - a senior associate at the largest law firm in Philly. However, once his secret of being a homosexual and an AIDS patient surfaces, he’s fired from his job. To help him in court, Beckett hires the only attorney willing to help him on his wrongful dismissal case - an openly homophobic small-time lawyer. Although Philadelphia might seem to rely on cliches quite heavily, stellar acting and sensitive directing definitely balance it out into a movie absolutely worth watching.
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28points
