Tom Hanks Heartwarming Comedy On Paramount+ Reaching New Audience On Social Media
These days, Tom Hanks is widely regarded as one of the most revered and wholesome performers in Hollywood, with numerous feel-good films that are enjoyable for the whole family. For my money, the best heartwarming Tom Hanks film is easily 2004’s The Terminal, which is currently available to stream through Paramount+. The film is one of many that have been getting major reactions across social media in recent weeks, as clips have been posted numerous times across platforms such as YouTube Shorts and TikTok.
Cast And Crew
Tom Hanks leads the cast of The Terminal alongside a star-studded ensemble of talented performers, including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride, Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Barry Shabaka Henley, and Stanley Tucci.
The film was written by Andrew Niccol, Sacha Gervasi, and Jeff Nathanson, and loosely follows the true story of a man named Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who lived in the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for over 18 years. The Terminal was directed by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, in his third of many collaborations with Tom Hanks.
Trapped
Tom Hanks’ character in The Terminal is Viktor Navorski, a citizen of the fictitious Eastern European country of Krakozhia. At the start of the film, Hanks arrives at the JFK airport in New York City, only to learn that a military coup has occurred while his flight was in the air, effectively re-drawing the lines of his nation, and rendering his passport and other documentation fully invalid.
Due to bureaucratic red tape, Viktor is denied the ability to leave the airport and touch U.S. soil, while also losing the opportunity to return home, trapping him in the airport indefinitely.
Viktor Builds A Life In The Terminal
JFK’s Acting Field Commissioner Frank Dixon assumes that the foreign national will simply violate the law and become someone else’s problem, though he advises Tom Hanks’ character to make himself at home in the transit lounge of the airport terminal.
Much to Dixon’s chagrin, Viktor does exactly that, and begins befriending airport employees and fellow stranded travelers awaiting layovers. Viktor even manages to start making money under the table by assisting an airport contractor with basic renovations.
A Warm Reception
As the film carries on, Viktor engages in increasingly creative endeavors to make money, craft meals, and meet all the basic goals of living in an airport for nearly a full calendar year. Along the way, he locks horns with Dixon while strengthening his bond with his new friends. Tom Hanks’ performance was a stand-out highlight of The Terminal, though the film has received generally favorable reviews all around.
Stream It Now
If you’re a TikTok user, you’ve likely already seen bits and pieces of this family-friendly film, as a few key moments have been clipped and turned viral on the popular mobile app. Tom Hanks and company truly knocked it out of the park when they made The Terminal, and I’d consider the film to be a strong 4 out of 5 stars. If you’d like to see Tom Hanks’ The Terminal, the film is available to stream on Paramount+ today.
