Larry Crowne

Hard Working Nice Guy Moves on With Life
Larry Crowne, PG-13, **1/2, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts,Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Cedric the Entertainer. Universal film. Director Tom Hanks. 99 minutes.

As the movie begins the song Hold on Tight to Your Dreams by Electric Light Orchestra begins to play. If things go wrong, just hold on tight to dreams, and of course, look for a way to improve the situation.
Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) parks his vehicle in the parking lot of E-Mart where he works and walks toward the store to begin his workday. He picks up trash that has been carelessly thrown away on his brisk walk through the parking lot. This sets the stage to show that Crowne is a nice person who cares about his job and the world. I have never understood why people discard their unwanted items on the ground, in the water, or in someone’s yard.
Anyway, Crowne tries to keep everything in the company where he is employed in tip top shape. When he clocks in, he is always working to be sure everything on the hangers and shelves are in order. This is a sign of a dedicated individual. Crowne goes above and beyond the call of duty.
On this life changing day, he is called to the office. He thinks he is going to get the employee of the month award. He has won it numerous times. Unfortunately, the company executives are firing him. It seems he cannot advance any further, because he does not have a college education. Instead of college, he opted to join the Navy and see the world.
The movie shows the hardships of what happens to individuals when they lose their means of making a living. Without a steady income, he has to cut back. This means losing his gas guzzler vehicle and his home. He buys a motor scooter in order to save gas.
Larry decides to enroll in college. He is advised to begin with Speech and Economics. The speech teacher is Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts), and his Economics teacher is Dr. Matsutani (George Takei).
As he begins a new life of education and friends, he meets Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). She is a free spirit. He joins Talia and her group of scooter riders. His clothing and attitude begin to change with a little help from his new friends.
It seems he has a knack for higher education. He is dedicated and wants to learn. Unlike some of the younger classmates, his maturity gives him the wisdom to seek knowledge.
Sadly, the story is a little boring. Mercedes has a creep for a husband. The confrontations between Mercedes and her husband are monotonous.
Crowne adjusts to college life very well. Sparks begin to emerge between Larry and Mercedes. However, it is handled with kid gloves, because Mercedes is married and she is his teacher.
I have to admit I was bored on a few occasions during this movie. The message kept me engaged enough to see the high points of the movie. When one part of life ends, another chapter opens. When life makes a detour, we must adjust to the journey.
It is always refreshing to show that some people still care about doing the right thing in their work, their social life, keeping the world clean, and helping others. In Crowne’s final exam which consists of a speech, he quotes George Bernard Shaw, “A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence a University education.” This seemed to be appropriate for Crowne’s final assignment in Speech class.