Top 10 Tom Hanks movies

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, then Jimmy Stewart has surely come back in the form of Tom Hanks. In terms of quality, diversity of roles, and box office success, Tom Hanks has been the epitome of a leading man for our generation just as Jimmy Stewart was for his.

A look back through his filmography is a tour through the best films of the last 20 years.

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10. The Da Vinci Code



With the number of collaborations that Tom Hanks and Ron Howard have had, one might almost think that Hanks did this film as a favor to him, because it’s not the role we’re used to seeing him in. But, if Robert Langdon is one of the most popular characters of the last decade, then it’s fitting that one of America’s most popular actors should play him.

9. Sleepless in Seattle



Hanks is at his best in feel good movies and this romance classic, with Hanks as a widower whose son attempts to play matchmaker, is ultimately a joyous romantic weeper.

8. Splash



Splash helped Hanks break through as a leading man in his own right and popularized the name Madison. Not a bad combination.

7. A League of Their Own



Probably the only time you’ll see Madonna and Hanks together outside of fever dreams, it’s always good to have the reminder that there’s no crying in baseball.

6. Big



There were three other movies with body/age swapping plots in the late 80s. Only one had its leading man nominated for an Oscar.

5. Apollo 13



Another Ron Howard collaboration, this film takes one of the more anxious moments in the history of the space program and turns it into one of the most triumphant.

4. Cast Away



While people might say that they’d watch Tom Hanks even if the only other thing on screen was a volleyball, not many films would actually go to the trouble of making it so. But, Cast Away takes this conceit and turns it into a classic.

3. Philadelphia



A landmark for the recognition of AIDS by Hollywood and the film that won Hanks his first Oscar, Philadelphia shows him as a man of dignity who manages to persevere against the odds. He makes the streets of Philadelphia worth the walking

2. Saving Private Ryan



A milestone for the war film genre, Saving Private Ryan was also an opportunity for Hanks to portray a patriot who wants to do his duty and go home. There’s little more powerful than that.

1. Forest Gump



With all the parodies, satires, and send-ups Forest Gump has spawned, Tom Hanks will never live this movie down. Fortunately, his Oscar-winning performance as a man ever in the background of history means he won’t mind it.

In the films of Tom Hanks, we can see the story of America, through war and through space, in romance and in perseverance. If Hanks’ story parallels our own, then let’s hope that his career continues to move to infinity and beyond.

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