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Larry Crowne

Larry Crowne (2011)

tomatometer

34

Average Rating: 5/10
Reviews Counted: 184
Fresh: 63 | Rotten: 121

Despite the relaxed, easy chemistry of stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, Larry Crowne is surprisingly bland and conventional.

21

Average Rating: 5/10
Critic Reviews: 38
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 30

Despite the relaxed, easy chemistry of stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, Larry Crowne is surprisingly bland and conventional.

audience

44

liked it
Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 28,291

My Rating

Movie Info

Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he's worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves...often moving around town in a herd of scooters. In his

PG-13, 1 hr. 39 min.

Drama, Comedy

Tom Hanks, Nia Vardalos

Nov 15, 2011

$35.6M

Universal Pictures

Larry Crowne Trailer & Photos

More Photos (47)
More Trailers and Videos (16)

Cast

Critic Reviews for Larry Crowne

All Critics (185) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (121) | DVD (3)

To pluck romantic comedy from the jaws of a social crisis is a laudable project, worthy of Preston Sturges, and it's a pity that this featherlight drama-written by Tom Hanks and Nia Vardalos, and directed by Hanks himself-should falter in its task.

July 18, 2011 Full Review Source: New Yorker | Comment (1)
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Larry Crowne is more than a missed opportunity. It's alarmingly, depressingly out of touch.

July 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | Comments (3)
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Even if you wander into this congealed mess with nothing more demanding in mind than to spend a little time with two charming favorites, do not expect Forrest Gump or Pretty Woman.

July 6, 2011 Full Review Source: New York Observer | Comment
Rex Reed
New York Observer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Neither fish nor fowl, Larry Crowne skitters between pathos and shtick, wasting abundant acting talent as it goes.

July 5, 2011 Full Review Source: NPR | Comment
Ella Taylor
NPR
Top Critic IconTop Critic

When it comes to unemployment-themed cinema, I'll take the greater realism of last year's The Company Men or this year's Everything Must Go over Hanks's too rosy vision of life after the pink slip.

July 5, 2011 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comment
Mary F. Pols
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The film is sometimes gentle to the point of blandness, but it's never flimsy.

July 4, 2011 Full Review Source: New York Magazine | Comment
David Edelstein
New York Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Could have been a solid, straightforward rom com coasting on likable leads; half-hearted additions trying to link the movie to economic crisis just detract.

December 5, 2011 Comment
Martin Scribbs
Low IQ Canadian Source: Low IQ Canadian

... lacks any sense of gravity. Hanks has too much moxie to let little things like unemployment and an underwater mortgage get him down...

November 16, 2011 Full Review Source: MSN.com | Comment
Sean Axmaker
MSN.com

Only hints at the comedy and poignancy that its two powerhouse leads could deliver if given better material.

October 20, 2011 Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | Comment
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

An exceedingly minor entry on already impressive resumés.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: The Wrap | Comment
Leah Rozen
The Wrap

Even Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts can't sell this lightweight rom-com fantasy.

September 8, 2011 Full Review Source: American Profile | Comment
Neil Pond
American Profile Source: American Profile

Tasty around the edges but disappointing in the center, Larry Crowne will meet the summer rom-com needs of many, but will not serve as a memorable addition to Hanks' legacy.

September 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Christianity Today | Comment
Frederica Mathewes-Green
Christianity Today Source: Christianity Today

Low-key charmer saved by star power

August 7, 2011 Full Review Source: MovieFIX | Comment
Adam Bub
MovieFIX Source: MovieFIX

It felt like I was being smothered with "feel good" moments. Everything about the story and its characters is too far detached from reality.

July 25, 2011 Full Review Source: ABC Radio Brisbane | Comment
Matthew Toomey
ABC Radio Brisbane

full of a counter-intuitive sunny optimism that is at odds with the tale itself

July 19, 2011 Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | Comment
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

Larry Crowne, Hanks' second effort behind the camera, makes It's a Wonderful Life look like Enter the Void. It's a cute movie that never meant to hurt no one, and that's the best thing I can say about it.

July 18, 2011 Full Review Source: Quickflix | Comment
Simon Miraudo
Quickflix Source: Quickflix

I can't begin to tell you how bland this movie is.

July 18, 2011 Full Review Source: KWQC-TV (Iowa) | Comment (1)
Linda Cook
KWQC-TV (Iowa)

There are some endearing scenes and some fun moments, but the screenplay doesn't feel developed; we are never really engaged

July 15, 2011 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | Comment
Andrew L. Urban
Urban Cinefile

An immensely likeable film, this uplifting rom com about turning life around has a whole lot of things going for it

July 15, 2011 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | Comment
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile

As well-meaning as it is, (it) is a two-dimensional bit of fluff, an untidy string of cutesy scenes and cutesy characters -- few of them as cute as they are intended to be.

July 14, 2011 Full Review Source: Times-Picayune | Comment
Mike Scott
Times-Picayune

With little to distract us from its half-hearted plotting and flimsy characterizations, Larry Crowne quickly turns into an abject failure, propped up only by its fading stars' fading charisma.

July 12, 2011 Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | Comment
Jeremy Heilman
MovieMartyr.com
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Larry Crowne

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It's a funny movie, Tom Hanks did a good job with it. He directed it, starred in it, co-wrote the script, that's a good job,for me I enjoyed it a lot, thanks for the person who's watched it with me

July 7, 2011
Crashinkov
Crash Ek

Super Reviewer

i thoroughly enjoyed this underrated film. it was a bit more charming and unique than most standard rom coms these days, the cast was solid, and i laughed a lot. goerge tekai was especially hilarious. the film was trashed by critics who felt that the social commentary on the economy was a bit wasted, but i wonder

January 9, 2012
sanjurosamurai
danny d

Super Reviewer

Larry Crowne Quotes

View All

    1. Dr. Matsutani: They call them smart phones, but only dummies use them in my class.
    – Submitted by Jonathan L (7 months ago)
    1. Talia: A man with a scooter can accomplish anything.
    – Submitted by Drew F (7 months ago)
    1. Larry Crowne: It's got power!
    – Submitted by Chris P (8 months ago)
    1. Larry Crowne: I was downsized. I'm here to make sure that never happens again.
    – Submitted by Chris P (8 months ago)

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Foreign Titles

  • Il n'est jamais trop tard (FR)
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