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.
3. Captain Phillips (2013)
Directed by Paul Greengrass, ‘Captain Phillips’ is a dramatized retelling of the April 2009 hijacking of the US containership Maersk Alabama. While sailing from Oman to Kenya, the vessel under the command of Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is pursued and captured by Somali pirates. Everyone on board is taken hostage, as the pirates under the leadership of Abduwali Muse (Barkhad Abdi) seek millions in ransom. In the end, Richard is left to his wits to ensure everyone survives the danger and safely returns home. The narrative is based on the memoir, ‘A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea,’ written by the real Phillips and Stephan Talty. You can stream the movie here.
2. 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.
1. Apollo 13 (1995)
Adapted from the non-fiction book ‘ Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13’ by astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger, ‘Apollo 13’ presents a dramatized retelling of the Apollo 13 lunar mission undertaken by NASA in 1970. The trio that participates in the mission is astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon). While the launch goes smoothly and the vessel reaches orbit without a fault, it is the explosion of the oxygen tank thereafter that forces the moon landing to be called off, and leaves both the astronauts and mission control racing against time to ensure safe re-entry to Earth. View the Ron Howard directorial here.
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