Aimee Walker
Tom Hanks says ‘no one’ talks about one of his most ‘important’ films.
The 66-year-old actor has starred in many critically acclaimed movies, including Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away and The Green Mile.
He’s also won two Oscars – for Forrest Gump and Philadelphia – and is widely regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation.
Yet for all the recognition he and his movies have received, Hanks believes one picture in particular is massively underrated.
Watch Tom Hanks say he’s only made four ‘pretty good’ films in the clip below…
Clearly proud, he describes the film as a ‘crackerjack’ and thinks the film’s popularity might enjoy a resurgence in years to come.
On the ReelBlend podcast, the Toy Story star tells the hosts that his 2002 gangster movie Road to Perdition is his most underrated.
The Sam Mendes-directed movie follows Michael Sullivan, Sr. (Tom Hanks) and his son Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) as they go on the run from an assassin named Maguire (Jude Law).
The film is set in 1931 and revolves around Prohibition-era crime.
At the box office, it grossed an estimated $183.4 million on a budget of $80 million, so it was certainly a success.
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But it’s fair to say that when thinking about Hanks’ vast array of films, it’s not one of the first to spring to mind.
On this, Hanks says: “For one reason or another, no one references Road to Perdition, and that was an incredibly important movie for me to go through.
“It was shot by Conrad Hall, and you have me in it, ‘Don Moustache’ with a hat on it, but you also have two guys who turned out to be two of the biggest motion picture presences in the history of the industry with Jude Law and [Daniel] Craig.
“And I killed both of them…”
Hanks continues: “People always say, ‘What movies will they be talking about years from now?’.
“As a guy who watches Turner Classic Movies a lot, the more obscure and unknown a movie from [the] 1940s or 1950s the better, because I have no preconceived notions about it; I don’t know anything about it.
“When you watch those movies and it’s crackerjack and it’s incredibly moving, all I can think of is, ‘I’m so glad this movie lasts forever, so I got a chance to revisit it now’. That might be the case with Road to Perdition.”
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Following Hanks’ interview, people who have watched Road to Perdition have taken to Twitter and shared their thoughts.
One person tweets: “It’s good, but not exceptionally so, and it hardly broke any new ground.”
Another agrees: “The material is pretty dark but the film plays it a bit soft and melodramatic.
“It’s still a good film and Tom Hanks is very good in it, but because it was a major studio film they went for a broader appeal.
“It would’ve benefitted from a grittier, indie aesthetic.”
Others disagree, with one fan writing: “I showed it to a few friends who had never seen it… and they were amazed by the film!
“I always have had a soft spot for it.”
While another says: “Probably my favourite Tom Hanks movie, a bold statement.”
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