I so look forward to the day when Tom Hanks no longer picks roles where he is a symbol, a myth, a metaphor, a representation of something else, a stand-in for an idea or a concept, a comment-on-the-American-personality, a comment-on-humanity, an expansion on the theme of man-vs.-himself, a role-model, or an archetype.<\/p>\n
I look forward to the day when he plays a regular old guy again. Just your regular Joe who has some shit happen to him. Who reacts like a regular guy. Who has bad days, but without it meaning some big thing for the human race. Who gets cranky, who has sex, who plays with his kids, who has a normal life. Who is not burdened with having to be an archetype or a symbol of the effervescent human spirit.<\/p>\n
Tom Hanks is way too far into the stratosphere of his own celebrity status right now. This is not a criticism – it happens to people. Actors who become that huge have to fight against it. Cary Grant went through it. Marlon Brando consciously rejected being archetypal. He eventually rejected having a career! But Tom Hanks’ career now seems to be commenting solely on the fact that he is a massive star. Which is a bit inevitable. You see it happen all the time with people (talented people, I mean) who reach that level of stardom.<\/p>\n
But I am now tired of Hanks playing archetypes and symbols and Steven Spielberg’s alter ego. Don’t get me wrong. He’s always good.<\/p>\n
I just miss seeing him play an actual human being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I so look forward to the day when Tom Hanks no longer picks roles where he is a symbol, a myth, a metaphor, a representation of something else, a stand-in for an idea or a concept, a comment-on-the-American-personality, a comment-on-humanity, … Continue reading