After breaking out in the 1980s, Tom Hanks quickly became a household name with a rich selection of movies. He ended up teaming up with meaty directors like Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and Robert Zemeckis to bring some of the biggest movies in cinema history, including classics such as ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ ‘Forrest Gump,’ and ‘Philadelphia.‘
But long before he became everyone’s favorite, Hanks took a gamble on a weird high-concept comedy that completely tanked at the box office. Decades later, he still doesn’t hold back about it. In fact, his brutally honest take on the whole disaster is simple and hilarious.
Tom Hanks Remains Humble About His Filmography
Two-time Oscar winner Hanks is regarded as one of the best actors in contemporary Hollywood, even though he generally refrains from praising himself. He once said, “I’ve made a ton of movies and four of them are pretty good, I think.”
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“Movie-making is very hard work over a very long period of time that consists of so many moments of joy slapped up against an equal number of feelings of self-loathing…It is the greatest job in the world and the most confounding of labors that I know of,” he added.
It is tough to determine exactly which film Hanks was referring to when mentioning four “pretty good” films. However, the actor’s all-time highest-rated releases are ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ ‘Philadelphia,’ and ‘The Green Mile.’
For an actor whose résumé includes so many acclaimed films, such self-criticism really shows how humble and sincere he is. Unlike many other actors, who usually romanticize their filmography, Hanks admits that making films is an imperfect process.
Hw believes the producer’s hopes may remain unfulfilled even if the project becomes successful. Such stances hold his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most grounded stars. But it also means that Hanks never hesitates to criticize films he thinks are absolute failures.
Hanks Didn’t Mince Words About The 1985 Comedy
Although many stars prefer to remain silent about commercial or critical failures, Hanks has openly discussed films that did not please audiences, even when he was the lead star. One movie that definitely cannot be included in this list of successes is ‘The Man with One Red Shoe.’
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In a 1989 interview with Playboy, Hanks revealed that the movie was a complete failure. Being asked to give a short movie review, the actor didn’t hold back. “Not a very good movie. It doesn’t have any real, clear focus to it,” he said.
He added, “It isn’t about anything particularly that you can honestly understand. It made no money at all.” Directed by Stan Dragoti, the film follows a guy who becomes the victim of the CIA surveillance program. As an absolutely forgettable movie, ‘The Man with One Red Shoe’ remains memorable only for its cast.
It included Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Dabney Coleman, Lori Singer, and Jim Belushi. Just as Hanks mentioned, the movie turned out to be a commercial disappointment. Released by 20th Century Fox in July 1985, it opened seventh at the box office on its opening weekend.
It earned only $8.6 million throughout its theatrical run against a $16 million budget. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a 47% approval rate based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7/10.
While Hanks didn’t severely attack the comedy drama in his review, his ability to roast his own failure is what makes him such a trusted cultural icon. Not hiding behind the mask of his public-relations facade, he proves that even actors with legendary status don’t shy away from acknowledging their own failures.
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