Even The Biggest Tom Hanks Fans Can't Name All These Movies
- by Ben Sherlock
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Tom Hanks is without a doubt one of the biggest and most popular movie stars in the world and he has been for decades now. He has starred in all kinds of movies. He has done both the silliest of comedies and the most harrowing of dramas. He has done spy movies, war movies, mystery movies, buddy cop movies, pretty much every kind of movie that there is. He has also occasionally gotten involved behind the scenes and produced or directed or written movies either for himself to star in or for others to star in. He has done movies that made a serious social point about the men who fought in World War II or the AIDS crisis or all of these points in 20th century history that he covered during his two and a half hour stint as Gump. Hanks has worked for some of the greatest directors in the world: Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, the Coen brothers. Many people consider him to be one of their favorite actors, if not their favorite actor altogether. Only the biggest fan of Tom Hanks could name all of these movies that he starred in. It will probably go well, but then life is like a box of chocolates.
What is this island survival movie?
This movie is the first word in the subgenre of movies about people who are in planes that crash and then get stranded on a remote island for an extended period of time. The movie is full of all kinds of symbolism and allegories. This movie inspired a network executive somewhere to start developing the TV show that would eventually become Lost. It was directed by the Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis. What is this island survival movie?
What is this classic fantasy comedy?
In this movie, Tom Hanks plays the adult version of a kid who wishes he could be an adult, so although he is an adult, he has to play the role like he's just a teenage kid. This movie is also a progressive record breaker, since it would go on to become the first ever feature film directed by a woman to gross over $100 million at the worldwide box office. What is the title of this classic fantasy comedy?
What true life-based piracy thriller is this?
Paul Greengrass is a director with a knack for taking a serious social issue that is plaguing the world and turning it into an incredible movie. He did just that with this Oscar nominated thriller based on true events about a cargo ship captain who is taken as a hostage by some Somalian pirates who jump aboard his ship. The movie shows the crisis from both sides of the fence to be fair. What true life based piracy thriller is this?
What is this very entertaining history lesson called?
This movie was an unexpectedly gigantic hit at the box office as it became one of the highest grossing movies of all time at that time and most of the lines and scenes and characters from the movie went on to become staples of popular culture. The movie takes audiences through the history of the 20th century, so it is educational as well as entertaining, which is always a good thing. What is this very entertaining cinematic history lesson called?
What female-centric baseball comedy is this?
It could be said that this movie was the direct precursor to the Netflix wrestling comedy GLOW, as it combines sports with comedy with female empowerment. This movie is based on a true story about the first all female baseball league. Tom Hanks' role in this comedy movie is sort of like the Marc Maron role in GLOW: the hard drinking, burned out, bitter man who is forced to work with the women. What female centric baseball comedy is this?
Which World War II epic is this?
This World War II epic was a big Oscar winner back in the late 1990s when it came along with its huge ensemble cast of stars – everyone from Matt Damon to Ted Danson and of course Tom Hanks – and dazzling visuals. Steven Spielberg directed the movie and it is one of many collaborations that he has done with Hanks over the years. They have also co produced miniseries about World War II for the HBO network together since then. What is the name of this World War II epic?
Which delightful animated adventure is this?
This movie was not only the first feature length movie created by Pixar, it was the first computer animated feature length movie, period. It's about a cowboy doll who feels threatened by his owner's new spaceman doll and thematically, that represents Old Hollywood being threatened by New Hollywood. To represent this, Paul Newman and Jim Carrey were originally cast, but the roles later went to Tom Hanks and Tim Allen instead. There have since been two sequels with a third on the way. Which delightful animated adventure is this?
What Cold War spy thriller is this?
They don't really make spy movies like this anymore. They used to be ten a penny back in the '60s and '70s when the Cold War was raging. Actors like Robert Redford and Michael Caine used to make these movies a lot. But since the Cold War ended, they have gone out of fashion. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks brought it back to tell the incredible true story of a lawyer and the spy he represents. What Cold War spy thriller is this?
What is this LGBTQ-themed legal drama?
Tom Hanks won his first of two consecutive Academy Awards for his performance alongside Denzel Washington in this legal drama that went on to become what is considered to be the first ever mainstream Hollywood movie that dealt with the AIDS crisis. The film went a long way towards changing people's perceptions of the gay community and is considered to be an important social document that made a real impact. What is the title of this LGBTQ themed legal drama?
What is this fact-based drama?
This movie was rushed into production and made as quickly as possible and released just in time for awards season, because its true story of the free press coming under fire from the government in the 1970s was too timely to pass up. Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep starred in the movie, while Steven Spielberg directed it from a script that had been featured on the Black List of best unproduced film scripts a couple of times. What is this fact based drama?
What Dan Brown adaptation is this?
This movie was the first part of a trilogy that starred Tom Hanks in the role of Robert Langdon. All three movies were based on books that were written by Dan Brown. This first one is based on one of the best selling books of all time. It has popularity of a Harry Potter or Fifty Shades of Grey level. Millions of people flocked to buy that religiously themed mystery novel and then this movie adaptation directed by Ron Howard became a huge hit. What film adaptation of a best selling Dan Brown novel is this?
What classic romantic comedy is this?
Much like the pairing of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore or Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have starred alongside each other in a bunch of different romantic comedies over the years. This one is arguably their most popular collaboration as it ends with that iconic sequence on top of the Empire State Building and is celebrated as one of the finest romcoms of all time. What is the title of this classic romantic comedy movie?
What con artist caper is this?
This movie tells the incredible true story of Frank Abagnale, who conned his way into working as an airline pilot and a teacher and a lawyer when he was just a teenager. He had no job training or qualifications or licenses to do any of this stuff, he just did it because he felt like it. Abagnale is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and in many ways, this is truly his movie, but Tom Hanks provides great support as the federal agent on his tail. It's a great cat and mouse chase movie. What con artist caper movie is this?
What Stephen King adaptation is this?
Writer and director Frank Darabont was known pretty exclusively for making movie adaptations out of the works of Stephen King before he became known as the producer that got the TV adaptation of The Walking Dead comic books off the ground. This one was his second Stephen King adaptation to be set in a prison and it's about a magical inmate. It is a humongous novel and a very arduous read, even by Stephen King's standards. What is the name of this film adaptation of a Stephen King novel of the same name?
What is this true events-based drama?
This movie tells the amazing true story of the airline pilot who successfully landed a passenger jet on the Hudson River, effectively saving the lives of everybody on board. He has since come to be considered to be a national hero by millions of people across the country and Clint Eastwood took note of this story. He then made it into this movie, which stars Tom Hanks in the lead role and also features a supporting performance by Aaron Eckhart. What is this cinematic airbound tale taken from a true story?
What is this email-themed romcom?
Remember a time when emails were actually considered to be a cool and cutting edge mode of communication? This was long before the days of social media and iPhones. Email was considered to be incredible and groundbreaking and revolutionary. This romantic comedy movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan uses the power of emails to advance the plot and get the two characters to fall in love. What romantic comedy movie with a heavy narrative focus on emails is this?
Which movie has Tom Hanks living in an airport?
This movie is one of the many collaborations between Tom Hanks as a leading man and Steven Spielberg as a director. It is not as big or epic or socially relevant as a lot of their other movies. It's just a simple story about a man who is forced by political circumstances to live in a hotel, since he can't leave the airport in the US and he can't fly home. Which movie has Tom Hanks living in an airport?
What space-bound docudrama is this?
This movie was directed by Ron Howard, who gave us the Han Solo origin story this year in the form of Disney's Solo: A Star Wars Story, and in this one, he does take his characters to space, but it's a much more grounded and realistic story as it tells the true story of an Apollo space mission. It stars Tom Hanks, of course, and also features Ed Harris and Gary Sinise in supporting roles. What space-bound docudrama is this?
What is this mermaid romcom?
"I don't understand. All my life I've been waiting for someone and when I find her, she's... she's a fish." This movie stars Tom Hanks as a human man and Daryl Hannah as a mermaid and the two of them fall in love. It's a great romcom, because it plays around with the absurdity of its premise and yet there is also a very real love story at the core of the film. What is this mermaid romantic comedy called?
What is this dark comedy directed by the Coen brothers?
Tom Hanks has worked with a ton of great directors over the years, including Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, both of whom he's done multiple movies with. When he starred in a remake of an Ealing dark comedy classic that starred Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers, he was directed by the Coen brothers, so he could add the helmers behind The Big Lebowski and Fargo to his growing list of genius collaborators. What is this dark comedy directed by the Coen brothers?
What movie stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney?
Mary Poppins has a very rich cinematic legacy. The character will return in a new sequel in a few months starring Emily Blunt. The behind the scenes drama of the movie was explored in this movie from a few years ago, which starred Tom Hanks in the role of entertainment mogul Walt Disney, one of the most celebrated and beloved self made men in the history of show business. What true life based movie stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney?
Which buddy cop movie paired up Tom Hanks with a dog?
Buddy cop movies are a subgenre of the action comedy film genre in which two mismatched cops or a cop and a criminal or a cop and a witness are paired up together to solve a crime. In this one, the pairing of the two investigators who are searching for a criminal is a little different, because one of them is a cop and the other is a dog. Which buddy cop action comedy movie paired up Tom Hanks with a dog?
What trippy science fiction epic is this?
The Wachowski siblings, the pair of directors behind The Matrix trilogy of sci fi action movies and Speed Racer and Jupiter Ascending, were involved in this adaptation of one of the most classic science fiction epic novels ever written. Tom Hanks is credited as a bunch of different roles: Dr. Henry Goose and Hotel Manager and Isaac Sachs and Dermot Hoggins and Cavendish Look A Like Actor and Zachry. It's a trippy movie. What sci fi epic movie is this?
What is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code?
The Da Vinci Code is more or less the only movie franchise that Tom Hanks has done outside of the Toy Story animated film franchise. There are three movies in which Tom Hanks plays the role of Robert Langdon, starting with The Da Vinci Code, and they were all adapted from the novels of Dan Brown. They all did well at the box office, albeit each less well than the last. What is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code?
What suburban horror comedy is this?
Everyone can relate to the struggles that Tom Hanks goes through at the beginning of this movie. He is a suburban husband and father who gets a week off work and begins to go stir crazy when he is just stuck sitting around the house. He's bored out of his mind. And then he begins to think that there is a macabre cult on his street. The question is: is there actually a cult in his neighborhood or is he just bored? What movie is it?
What Aaron Sorkin movie is this?
There is some serious talent behind the scenes and in front of them in this movie. It is directed by the legendary Mike Nichols, who directed the classic comedy drama The Graduate, and written by the icon Aaron Sorkin, whose other works include the highly acclaimed TV series The West Wing and the movie A Few Good Men. Tom Hanks stars in the movie alongside other heavyweight acting talent like Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman. What movie is it?
What is this slapstick comedy?
While Tom Hanks has gone on to become one of the most celebrated dramatic actors in the world, with multiple Academy Award wins and performances as real life figures in respected movies on his resume. But he got his start in comedy movies, with his earliest starring roles in wacky comedies like this one. What comedy movie stars Tom Hanks and Shelley Long from the TV sitcom Cheers as a newlywed couple who try to do up their new house?
What is this motion capture animated Christmas caper?
The motion capture animation in this movie has been criticized by some viewers for dipping in the uncanny valley. In other words, it is almost exactly the same as the people and settings of our world, but just different enough to be scary. It's a term usually used for robot technology, but it does apply to the computer animation technology that director Robert Zemeckis pioneered in this Christmas movie. What is the title of this motion capture animated Christmas caper?
What Great Depression gangster movie is this?
This is a very different kind of gangster movie, as it is just as much the story of a father and son as it is the story of a bunch of gangsters doing criminal activities. It's a million miles away from something like The Godfather or Goodfellas. Its bleak visuals put it closer to a movie like the Coen brothers' crime opus Miller's Crossing. What gangster movie starring Tom Hanks and directed by Sam Mendes is this 2002 blockbuster film?
What volcanic romcom is this?
This movie stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in one of their many romantic comedy collaborations. Hanks plays a man who has a terminal illness and is about to embark on a quest to have himself thrown into a volcano in some sort of demented ritual that is performed by a superstitious tribe of island natives. On the way, he falls in love with Ryan's character and ends up reconsidering the whole thing for her. What volcanic romcom is this?
What TV adaptation paired Tom Hanks with Dan Aykroyd?
Long before 21 Jump Street came along to combine both homage and parody of an old cop show from 20th century television, Dan Aykroyd did it with this movie adaptation of a classic police series. Aykroyd plays the role of Joe Friday (the nephew of the original character from the TV show), while Tom Hanks joins him in a sort of play on the whole buddy cop action comedy film subgenre. What TV adaptation paired Tom Hanks with Dan Aykroyd?
What movie turned Tom Hanks yellow and animated?
This movie is based on one of the most popular TV shows of all time and Tom Hanks makes a brief appearance in the film as himself. The Fox network has renewed the show that it's based on up to season 30, which will make it the longest running show in TV history, and they're also working on a second movie. Maybe they will try to get Hanks back to do another cameo in that one. What movie is it?
What Dave Eggers movie adaptation is this?
This movie is based on a novel by Dave Eggers that was published back in 2013. Barack Obama counts Eggers among his favorite writers, which is obviously some honor. Tom Hanks stars in the 2017 techno thriller. A brilliant supporting cast that surrounds Hanks is populated with the likes of Emma Watson and John Boyega and alt comedy god Patton Oswalt and Karen Gillan and all kinds of big names. What adaptation of a 2013 Dave Eggers novel is this?
What is this 9/11 drama?
This drama film is adapted from a book with the same unwieldy title and has a screenplay that was written by the same guy who provided Tom Hanks with his iconic lines of dialogue in the 1994 classic Forrest Gump. It deals with the still relevant social issue that is the 9/11 attacks and it was a pretty divisive movie when it was first released back in 2011. Still, it got a Best Picture nomination. What movie is it?
What movie starred Tom Hanks as a standup comic?
It is hard to make a movie about standup comedy. It is hard both to portray the behind the scenes world of comedy clubs and the struggles of a comic's life, and also to portray it in a way that is actually interesting to watch as a movie. Comedians lead very particular lives and it's hard to interest a general audience in their neurotic and unusual world. Still, Tom Hanks tried it once to some success. What movie was it?