LARRY CROWNE

Skip this movie. Skippable is the essence of this supercilious, trite, minimally amusing story of a man in his early fifties, fired from a position he excelled in, loved, creating profits for a company that decided because he did not have a college degree, he must go. What a ridiculous assault to “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” , “cutting off your nose to spite your face” mantra.

Tom Hanks as Larry, the fired employee enrolls in a community college taking a communication course taught by Mercy, Julia Roberts. The movie sinks, drowns in a series of clichés: the gushy, saccharine co-ed who becomes his fashion designer,decorator (feng shui);  enlisting him in her motorcycle gang, wonderful, sweet, tattooed boys and girls, making the neighborhood a better place; one dimensional characters with sophomoric lines; predictable platitudes, bereft of pathos or believability. Shameful waste of talent.

The worst travesty, one of the most embarrassing scenes in recent films is “Mercy” ( Roberts) a bitter, morose, frustrated teacher,  border- line alcoholic, married to a porn-addicted bum, tries seducing her student, Larry. I have heard of ‘liquid courage” but a complete metamorphosis into idiocy;  Jekyll/Hyde lunacy ranks shamefully, wretchedly, deservedly at the pinnacle of horrific, cringingly bad taste. Screaming for an intervention, morphine drip, quick exit.

Tom Hanks who co-wrote “Larry Crowne” is a good actor, even a great actor, but this depthless script, was not worthy of his skills and possibly, but doubtfully might have fared better if made for television; commercials providing a respite from the tedium.

ONE & 1/2 STARS!!

Better Entertainment: “Bride Flight”, “Submarine”

For Now………..Peneflix