Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks, 2011)

Sometimes a trailer is good enough to get you to go see a film even when you think it might be bad. Often it's the stars that draw you in and you see a film even when you hear bad things about it. Such is the case with Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks, 2011). I had seen the trailer and while the film showed promise, I was afraid it would be that film where everything good or funny resides in the trailer. I had also gotten some inkling that the film wasn't getting good reviews. That said, I like Tom Hanks and I LOVE Julia Roberts, and the the premise looked good so I went. My initial reaction was that I liked the film, but as a few days has passed I really am starting to feel that the film lacked resonance and could have made a stronger statement. I keep thinking back to Up in the Air (Jason Reitman, 2009) and remembering how profound and socially relevant that film was and realizing they missed a special opportunity with Larry Crowne.
Larry Crowne is topically relevant in today's society. The film deals with our downsized economy and the effects that economy has had on all of us as individuals. Everyone has had to re-prioritize their lives, whether it be spending less, getting laid off and finding a new job or maybe going back to school for more education. In Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) we have a man facing all of these things. At the start of the film Crowne is laid off and this shakes up his world. He has trouble dealing with losing his job and cannot find a replacement. This starts Crowne down a path of change and enlightenment. He starts downsizing his life helping to save money. As he fills his gas tank and the cost rises over $70 who in the audience doesn't feel that pain? So, in comes a more affordable Vespa. Crowne signs up at the local JC, ostensibly to get educated but truly starting the evolvement of his character. Finally he gets a job, not a glamorous one, but one that pays the bills. In this respect the character comes full circle but here resides a problem with the narrative. Larry Crowne's path is one we all know quite well, yet is he (and by extension, us the audience) learning anything?
The path that Crowne takes is an interesting one to me and I wonder if many (or anyone) will take this same message home with them. In the film Crowne loses his job and home. Looking deeper, the man truly is walking dead. He is divorced, has no real friends or meaningful relationships. He is uneducated and at the time of his being laid off, not far from being out on the streets. On his journey, he gets educated. He downsizes his life and in so doing allows a lesser paying job to suffice when it comes to paying his bills. All this happens while he meets and starts relationships with true friends and of course discovers love again. What I question about us, the audience is what exactly we shall take from this film? Many of us are in the same position that Larry Crowne was in right as he was to be fired. How many of us could survive such a turn of events that Crowne does? This is obviously a much larger question, but just because of it's depth and complexity doesn't mean it should be overlooked.
This brings me to one of the stronger points made within the narrative. The journey that Crowne takes is one that many of us could take, but not all. There also is the journey that Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) takes. She already is in college and befriends Crowne upon his arrival. She helps to guide Crowne through the pitfalls that beset him as he tries to navigate his way through a life he never knew. Yet soon her character realizes that the traditional path isn't for her. She drops out of college and starts her own business. This is a powerful statement. Crowne is laid off because he has NO education and this serves as the catalyst into his life evolving. Yet here within the same narrative the exact opposite also occurs. She eschews college and education because she knows what works for her. I think what the film says so magnificently is that we all must find our own paths, particularly in today's world. This makes the narrative extremely effective.
The narrative is quality throughout. There is intelligence to it, particularly in the dialogue of Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts). In fact the writing and dialogue throughout the film is crisp and witty. The cinematography and editing were fresh and interesting, nothing overly mind-blowing but at the same time not the usual routine things you see in so many films.
My biggest issue with the film resides in two things primarily. First, everything falls too easily in place for Larry Crowne. He seemingly skips from place to place, slowly conquering all on his road of discovery. This is how the film doesn't hold up when compared to Up in the Air. And this is where the second problem resides. There is a lack of character development for every character within the film that is unnerving and serves to weaken the overall narrative. Up in the Air had fully fleshed out characters and they all came full circle. In Larry Crowne, there is not any explanation given whatsoever to what makes Mercedes tick. I mentioned that Crowne conquers everything in his path quite easily, and his meshing with all of his fellow students, while certainly plausible shows no effort. I guess what I mean to say is ultimately I am disappointed because this film, had it been taken a little more seriously could have been great and powerful. And maybe they weren't going for that, so maybe I'm off base. Still, the film is enjoyable, really fun at times and Julia looks good as always. I'd watch it again I'm just not sure it'll be one I watch repeatedly.