Review # 1 Larry Crowne

I was out sick from work yesterday (stupid stomach bug) and like many people I spent the day relaxing and subjecting myself to day time television.  While flipping through the channels I came across a movie called Larry Crowne, I remembered a bit from the previews and I love Tom Hanks so I figured, "What the hell?"  Tom Hanks plays the title character who is a middle aged veteran of the Navy who gets laid off from his job because of his lack of a college education.  After an unsuccessful job hunt, Larry, who lives alone and is divorced, faces the possibility of losing his home.  His neighbor (played by Cedric the Entertainer) encourages Larry to enroll in the local community college to increase his job opportunities.  College life has a profound impact on Larry and we as the viewer get to experience all of the changes that Larry makes to his life.  From purchasing an old scooter to avoid high gas prices and joining a scooter "gang" to the drastic changes in his wardrobe and room decor brought on by a young friend he meets in one of his classes.  Julia Roberts plays a somewhat disenchanted college professor who teaches Larry's speech course and his clear love interest.  The film does a great job of showing the attraction between the two without making it the dominating force of the movie.  George Takei also makes an appearance as Larry's economics teacher and there are many humorous moments between the two involving cell phone use in class (which if you have ever attended a college course you know is a big no no).  All in all I found the movie very entertaining and heart warming.  While on the surface the movie is about a middle aged man going to college for the first time in his life the underlying theme is one of rebirth and starting over.  I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves Tom Hanks or is just looking for something that will entertain them.