Now Reading
Tom Hanks Say Four of His Movies Are ‘Pretty Good.’ But Which Four?

Tom Hanks Say Four of His Movies Are ‘Pretty Good.’ But Which Four?

Tom Hanks. Actor. Writer. Nice guy. Over a career that has now spanned four decades, the man has become one of Hollywood’s most lovable and avuncular talents while also churning out some pretty decent movies. How many decent movies? That’s a matter of personal opinion, and Tom Hanks’ personal opinion is: four.

In a new conversation with People, Hanks was opining on the magic of filmmaking and said “No one knows how a movie is made — though everyone thinks they do. I’ve made a ton of movies (and four of them are pretty good, I think) and I’m still amazed at how films come together. From a flicker of an idea to the flickering image onscreen, the whole process is a miracle.”

Well, miracle or otherwise, it’s hard not to wonder what Hanks meant by “four of them are pretty good, I think.” Obviously, it sounds a lot like the sort of self-deprecating joke a guy like Hanks might just toss out there without really thinking too hard about it. But let’s take the bait anyway. Which four Tom Hanks movies does Tom Hanks think are pretty good?

First of all, a little research: Hanks has opined on his favorite Tom Hanks movies in the past.

In 2021, he told Bill Simmons that he considered A League of Their Own and Cast Away to be two of his favorite moviemaking experiences. So there’s two.

He also mentioned Cloud Atlas, which was divisive with critics when it premiered but has won a large following in recent years. For his part, Hanks called the movie “magical,” saying it was made “on a hope and a dream and nothing but a circle of love.” There’s three.

And then earlier this year, Hanks mentioned his 1994 classic Forrest Gump, telling New York Times Magazine that he believes it ranks among the best movies ever. That would be four.

But if those really are the four, then think about how many movies are excluded from this list! Catch Me If You CanSaving Private RyanRoad to Perdition. Apollo 13. The Burbs. Joe Versus the Volcano. You’ve Got Mail. Philadelphia. Captain Phillips. The Green Mile. Sleepless in Seattle. The Burbs. And we haven’t even gotten to the Toy Story movies!

Ultimately, you probably can’t limit yourself to just four “pretty good” Tom Hanks movies. But you can limit yourself to your four favorite Tom Hanks movies. What are your picks?

View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

© 2023 RELEVANT Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Scroll To Top

You’re reading our ad-supported experience

For our premium ad-free experience, including exclusive podcasts, issues and more, subscribe to

Plans start as low as $2.50/mo