Debapriya Bhattacharya
American cultural icon Thomas Jeffrey Hanks is an actor and filmmaker who achieved stardom for his comedic and dramatic roles. He first gained popularity as a lead in comedy films such as ‘Splash’ and ‘The Money Pit’ in the 1980s, before tackling more dramatic roles in movies like ‘Philadelphia,’ ‘Forrest Gump,’ ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ and ‘The Green Mile.’ With the turn of the century, Tom starred in multiple biographical dramas, including ‘Saving Mr Banks,’ ‘Sully,’ and ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.’ He has led multiple franchises, like the ‘Robert Langdon’ series based on the literary works of Dan Brown, and the wildly popular animated franchise, ‘Toy Story.’
Under the banner of his production company Playtone, Tom has been involved in various limited series and television movies, such as ‘Band of Brothers,’ ‘John Adams,’ ‘The Pacific,’ and ‘Olive Kitteridge.’ Hanks has received numerous accolades, including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Primetime Emmys. He has been honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2002, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2014, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2020. As such, Netflix lists many of his works on its platform. If you’re wondering where to begin, the following list caters to your need.
4. Here (2024)
Adapted from Richard McGuire’s graphic novel of the same name, ‘Here‘ by Robert Zemeckis chronicles the events taking place on one plot of land from prehistoric times to the 21st century. The narrative moves in a non-linear fashion and is seen through a static shot. As time passes, a house comes up on the land, where many families live through the ages. Tom Hanks and Robin Wright star as Richard and Margaret Young, who fall in love and build their lives around the place. Watch the moving romantic drama on Netflix.
3. A League of Their Own (1992)
In Penny Marshall’s ‘A League of Their Own,’ Hanks plays the role of Jimmy Dugan, the manager of a women’s baseball team, the Rockford Peaches, as part of a new women’s league bankrolled right before World War II. The movie presents a fictional portrayal of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). It depicts how Dugan trains a group of young women, each of whom is struggling with her own personal issues. How the team moves forward in the league while navigating personal and professional demands is what we find out. The cast also includes Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, Anne Ramsay, Megan Cavanagh, and Ann Cusack. A thoroughly entertaining and heartwarming movie, ‘A League of Their Own’ has earned a spot among Hollywood’s best sports dramas ever. You can stream it here.
2. Cast Away (2000)
Tom Hanks won a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as Chuck Noland, a guy who gets stranded on an uninhabited island after the plane he was in crash-lands in the South Pacific. As he tries to survive using stuff from the cargo while awaiting some kind of rescue, he realizes that help isn’t coming. So, he starts to make a living without hope, turning the island into his new home and learning survival skills. All he has for a friend is a volleyball, and for emotional support, he has his girlfriend’s watch. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, ‘Cast Away’ is considered among the best Hollywood films ever. It can be streamed here.
1. Forrest Gump (1994)
Also directed by Robert Zemeckis, ‘Forrest Gump’ is on the same platform as ‘Cast Away,’ a movie that is considered a masterpiece. The story follows Forrest Gump (Hanks), a slow-witted, pure-hearted man, whose childlike enthusiasm and love for his childhood friend Jenny Curran see him travel and witness some of the most momentous occasions in 20th-century America. From meeting John F. Kennedy to the 1967 Anti-War March on the Pentagon to the Watergate scandal to Hurricane Carmen, Gump witnesses it all while awaiting to be with Jenny, who has adopted a hippie lifestyle. ‘Forrest Gump’ won 6 Oscars, including the Best Actor Oscar that went to Hanks, and is a must-watch. It can be streamed here.
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