One of Hollywood’s most universally beloved and respected faces,Tom Hankshas carved out a niche for himself as a cinematic cultural icon. A prolific performer who can play dramatic roles as well as he does comedy,Hanks' best moviesnumber among the most acclaimed and influential films ever made. The actor is particularly known for his performances in some of thegreatest war movies of all time, turning in memorable bows in the likes ofSaving Private Ryan,Greyhound, andBridge of Spies.
However, while Hanks' work in the war genre accounts for many of his most lauded roles, the multiple-time Academy Award winner has appeared in a number of top-tier movies that do not involve war-related aspects in any shape or form. Indeed, since debuting all the way back in 1980 with the psychological horror slasherHe Knows You’re Alone, many of the actor’s most famous performances have taken place in films that have absolutely nothing to do with war, highlighting his remarkable range and versatility in sharp relief.
Sully
Cast
Sully is a 2016 biographical drama film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. The movie is based on the true story of the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson” emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549, in which Sullenberger successfully landed the plane on the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers and crew members on board.
Casting the actor in the eponymous role of Chesley"Sully"Sullenberger,Clint Eastwood’sSullyserves as one of Hanks' most underappreciated movies. The film centers around the emergency landing of Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after a flock of birds damaged the aircraft’s engines. This real-life event would later become known as the"Miracle on the Hudson"after all 155 crew and passengers remarkably survived their brush with death.
“Listen, Everybody, There Are Some Days…": Tom Hanks Reveals His Warning To Actors About Working With Steven Spielberg
Tom Hanks reveals his warning to actors working with director Steven Spielberg, saying, “Listen, everybody, there are some days when…”
Taking a deep dive into the publicity and litigation minefields that followed the crash,Sullyreceived glowing reviews from critics, who lauded Hanks' assured screen presence in the leading role and Eastwood’s polished style of direction. Earning an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes,Sullyremains a first-rate exhibition of the everyman dramatic style that has helped turn Hanks into a film icon.
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 biographical crime film directed by Steven Spielberg. It’s based on the true story of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., who successfully impersonated an airline pilot, doctor, and lawyer. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the lead role and Tom Hanks co-stars as FBI Agent Carl Hanratty.
An adaptation of prolific con man Frank Abagnale Junior’s semi-autobiographical book of the same name, 2002’sCatch Me If You Canfeatures Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio at the top of their respective games. Hanks produces a top-tier bow in the role of Carl Hanratty,the FBI agent tasked with catching DiCaprio’s Abagnaleafter his outrageous schemes build in scope and complexity to such an extent that they draw the attention of the authorities.
…this slick crime-comedy drama is a timeless classic that holds up to this day.
An endlessly watchable showcase of Steven Spielberg’s inimitable style of direction,Catch Me If You Canis contentiously one of the most criminally underrated movies of the 2000s. Arguably the finestmovie collaboration between Spielberg and Hanksoutside ofSaving Private Ryan, this slick crime-comedy drama is an ageless classic that holds up to this day.
You’ve Got Mail
Directed by Nora Ephron, You’ve Got Mail follows Joe and Kathleen, two strangers who meet in an AOL chatroom and begin a relationship over email, unaware that they are actually a lot more connected to one another than they think. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star as Joe and Kathleen, with a further cast that includes Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chappelle, and Greg Kinnear.
One of the most universally beloved romantic comedies ever made,You’ve Got Mailis an indispensable entry in Tom Hanks' filmography. Nora Ephron’s 1998 offering saw the actor step into the shoes of Joe Fox, a bookstore owner who becomes entangled in an online relationship with Meg Ryan’s Kathleen Kelly, blissfully unaware that his new beau is actually one of his business rivals.
You’ve Got Mail(1998)
Ithaca(2015)
A timeless and warm-hearted cinematic experience that lands with audiences from every walk of life,You’ve Got Mailis still widely regarded as one of thebest romantic comedies of all time, nearly thirty years after the movie originally debuted. The first-rate chemistry between frequent collaborators Hanks and Ryan is the bedrock upon which the movie’s success is built, withthe two performers breathing life into an iconic onscreen romance that has stood the test of time.
Big
The 1980s classic Big follows the story of Josh Baskin, a 12-year-old boy whose wish to grow up is granted after being turned away from a carnival ride for his short height. The movie is directed by Penny Marshall, with Tom Hanks in the lead role.
Earning Tom Hanks his first Academy Award for Best Actor nomination, Penny Marshall’sBigis one of the actor’s most unashamedly feel-good films. The fantasy comedy drama cast the American as Josh Baskin,a twelve-year-old boy who is mysteriously transformed into a fully grown man overnight.The inexplicable change comes about after Baskin wishes that he was"big"following his rejection from a fairground ride on the basis of his height.
Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, and Matthew Modine are just some of the big-name stars alleged to have turned down the role of Baskin.
Renowned for its iconic Walking Piano scenes,Big’sstatus as one of Hanks' most beloved and well received bodies of work is underlined by a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 98%. Critics were effusive in their praise for the actor’s infectiously wide-eyed performance, labeling Hanks as the linchpin of an endlessly charming and upbeat movie that still manages to invoke instances of poignant introspection despite its lighthearted premise.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, originally titled You Are My Friend, is a biopic on Fred Rogers, the iconic host of the beloved TV series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The movie focuses specifically on Mr. Rogers and Lloyd Vogel. Tom Hanks stars as Fred Rogers alongside Matthew Rhys as Lloyd Vogel.
One of the actor’s more modern pieces of acclaimed work,A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhoodis rarely brought up when it comes to discussing Tom Hanks' greatest movies. It’s a crying shame, given that the 2019 biographical drama focusing on thetrue story of legendary television presenter Fred Rogersis one of the actor’s most heartwarming and cheering films in a long and storied career.
Carried by a powerhouse performance from Hanks that earned him his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination,A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhoodreceived widespread critical acclaim, garnering a sterling Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 95%.An uplifting tale of acceptance, empathy, and inherent good,Marielle Heller’s polished direction complements Hanks' show-stealing bow to produce one of the most underappreciated biographical entries in recent memory.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia (1994) is a legal drama directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Tom Hanks plays Andrew Beckett, a lawyer who is fired due to his HIV-positive status, while Denzel Washington portrays Joe Miller, a personal injury attorney who takes on Beckett’s wrongful dismissal case. The film addresses themes of discrimination, prejudice, and social justice in the context of the early AIDS epidemic.
Marking a shift towards more dramatic roles, 1993’sPhiladelphiais unquestionably one of the foremost entries when it comes to discussing themovies that have defined Tom Hanks' career. TheCaptain Phillipsstar plays Andrew Beckett, an attorney who seeks to sue his former employer after being dismissed due to his homosexuality and an AIDS diagnosis.
Tom Hanks' Academy Award Nominations And Wins
Best Supporting Actor
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A heartbreaking examination of weighty themes that is just as relevant today as it was back in 1993,Philadelphiawas one of the first movies to explicitly address its controversial subject matter on the silver screen. Jonathan Demme’s legal drama was highly praised, with Hanks taking home his first Academy Award for Best Actor. Denzel Washington also produces an exemplary performance as personal injury lawyer, Joe Miller, with the two Hollywood titans playing off each other in expert fashion to produce one of the 1990s' most seminal cinematic offerings.
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 animated feature from Pixar Animation Studios. It follows Woody, a cowboy doll, as he faces rivalry with new toy Buzz Lightyear. The film explores the dynamics between the toys as Woody and Buzz are inadvertently separated from their owner, embarking on a journey to return home.
While the argument is there to be made that every single entry in the belovedToy Storymovie franchiseconstitutes an incredible Tom Hanks film that doesn’t involve war, 1995’s original installment,Toy Story, remains the golden standard for the long-running animated series. Depicting a world where toys come to life, John Lasseter’s uplifting picture features Hanks in one of his most celebrated roles,providing the voice for the pull-string cowboy, Woody.
A groundbreaking triumph for Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures carried by a glorious score from Randy Newman,Toy Storyis universally regarded as a timeless classic and one of the greatest animated films in the history of cinema. A purported kids' movie that is capable of reducing grown adults to tears,Toy Storybears the lofty distinction of owning a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, underlining its status as one of Hanks' finest films.
Cast Away
Directed by Robert Zemeckis in his second collaboration with Tom Hanks, Cast Away tells the story of FedEx executive Chuck Noland, who strives to survive in a deserted island after a plane crash. The film, which mostly takes place in the uninhabited island, earned Hanks a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Depicting a FedEx employee’s desperate fight for survival and rescue after he is stranded on a desert island following a plane crash,Cast Awaygarnered Hanks his most recent Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The second collaboration between Hanks and Robert Zemeckis in a long and fruitful creative partnership,Cast Awayretains status as one of cinema’sgreatest movies about lonelinessmore than two decades after it was originally released.
An authentic “Wilson the Volleyball” prop was allegedly auctioned in 2024 for the eye-watering price of $162,500.
Cast Awayis contentiously Hanks' most impressive body of dramatic work, in the sense that his visceral bow carries the movie solo for around two-thirds of its runtime, unless one happens to count Wilson the Volleyball. Boasting an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes,Cast Awaylands with just as much emotional heft in 2025 as it did when it debuted all the way back in 2000, a state of affairs due in no small part to Hanks' stirring lead performance.
Apollo 13
Ron Howard directed this iconic Science Fiction film released in 1995. Starring a powerhouse cast of Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, and Bill Paxton, the story sees a band of Astronauts attempting to make it back home from a Moon-bound mission when their equipment fails.
A white-knuckle ride through outer space based on thetrue story of the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, Ron Howard’sApollo 13stars Hanks as the real-life mission commander, Jim Lovell. Chronicling the remarkable improvisations made to get the crew home after various vital systems suffer critical failure en route to the moon, Howard’s picture is widely regarded as one of cinema’s finest movies based on a true story.
Notable praise was directed towards the movie’s technical effects and Howard’s efforts to cultivate outer-space authenticity, as well as the gripping performances of the cast.
Winning two out of the nine Academy Awards that it received nominations for,Apollo 13was showered with positive reviews by critics. Notable praise was directed towards the movie’s technical effects and Howard’s efforts to cultivate outer-space authenticity, as well as the gripping performances of the cast. In particular, Hanks' gripping turn as Lovell was lauded as the highlight of an array of excellent work from a star-studded ensemble cast.
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a drama film released in 1994, starring Tom Hanks as the titular character. The film explores the life of a man with a low IQ who inadvertently shapes several historical events, while his personal journey remains centered on his unrequited love for childhood friend Jenny.
Based on Winston Groom’s novel of the same name,Forrest Gumpis a front-runner for the finestmovie collaboration between Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis. The 1994 comedy-drama is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential movies ever made, chronicling the unlikely adventures of Hanks' titular character against the backdrop of various social flashpoints in 20th century U.S. history.
Forrest Gump Review: Robert Zemeckis Changed The Way Dramas Are Made With This Crowd-Pleasing Classic
Flaws and all, the movie unfolds like a book of short stories and that choice ushered in a confidence the script is able to pull off.
Earning the actor his second successive Best Actor statuette in addition to five other Oscar wins at the 67th Academy Awards,Forrest Gumparguably remains the role that Hanks will forever find his name linked to. Producing an inimitably earnest and warm-hearted take on his charge, the actor’s bow as Gump constitutes one of the most iconic performances in movie history. Deftly walking the line between laugh-out-loud hilarious and heartbreaking from start to finish, Zemeckis' 1994 crowd-pleasing entry is hard to deny when it comes to picking the bestTom Hanksmovie that isn’t about war.
