Tom Hanks is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood and will forever be known as the good guy in the industry. The actor has won the Academy Award for Best Actor in two consecutive years for Forrest Gump and Philadelphia. Hanks is known for his good-guy persona and has a penchant for playing the everyman who chooses to be the hero.
Hanks has played diverse roles and has starred in a variety of genres. Some of his best films include dramas such as Saving Private Ryan, The Post, and more while he has also gained appreciation for sci-fi and blockbuster films such as Apollo 13 and Cloud Atlas. When asked what was his favorite movies of all time, the Toy Story star chose Stanley Kubrick’s monumental epic space opera 2001: A Space Odyssey.
What Are Tom Hanks’ Favorite Films Of All Time?
Tom Hanks has been in the film industry for over forty years and has worked with many acclaimed directors. He has starred in many modern-day classics such as Saving Private Ryan, The Terminal, Cast Away, The Green Mile, Forrest Gump, and more. He has won the Oscar twice and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to the arts.
The actor was recently seen in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, which also had an ensemble cast with actors such as Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wight, Bryan Cranston, Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie, Steve Carrell, and more as his co-stars. While promoting the film, Hanks was asked by Letterboxd what his favorite films of all time were.
Tom Hanks’ fourth film was the Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight starrer Midnight Cowboy. The actor mentioned that the film was true to its time and was ‘locked into its era’ while also being relevant for the present day. He also cited The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night as a film that he would watch many times a year. He mentioned that the film was a huge influence on him when he watched it at the age of eight.
Tom Hanks cited his second favorite film as the 1946 drama The Best Years of Our Lives. He mentioned that the film was about war while not being set during the war, and that was what appealed to him the most. The film was the highest-grossing movie at the time until the release of Gone With The Wind. It also won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Tom Hanks Loves 2001: A Space Odyssey
While Tom Hanks was wary about choosing one film as his favorite, saying that he was sixty-six years old and had watched many films over the years, he finally chose Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Bridge of Spies star mentioned that the legendary space opera was without a doubt his favorite film of all time.
He said to Letterboxd that he still watched the film every year a couple of times.
“I also go to it and just hit the main specific points. But I could walk you through 2001: A Space Odyssey and not stop talking once throughout the entire film. So I don’t know if you wanna have that experience.”
The iconic Stanley Kubrick directorial was a revolutionary film upon release, known for its special effects and realistic portrayal of space and sci-fi. The film has been cited as an inspiration to many contemporary filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott, and George Lucas. Martin Scorsese also mentioned that it was one of his favorite films of all time.
Stanley Kubrick won his only Oscar for the film, though he won the award for Best Visual Effects. The film initially received mixed responses and was not a huge commercial success upon release. However, it turned profitable after re-releases and re-issues and was regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
