When a director of Steven Spielberg’s stature collaborates with a brilliant actor like Tom Hanks, they always end up producing some cinematic gems. The duo began their collaborative relationship with the award-winning miniseries on HBO, Band of Brothers, followed by the epic war film Saving Private Ryan and the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, also starring a very cheeky Leonardo DiCaprio.
In 2004, the duo came together once again to create a feel-good comedy-drama film titled The Terminal. Although the film was not as much celebrated as its predecessors, it is an underrated gem that is now streaming on Netflix. In the wake of recent events with the rolling pandemic still ravaging our lives, The Terminal is a good way of indulging in some light-hearted laughs and fun to relieve current tension and stress.
The film revolves around Tom Hanks’ character, Viktor Navorski who finds himself in trouble after his passport is declared invalid at the JFK airport due to his homeland being in a military coup. Viktor finds himself stuck in a foreign land without having permission to return to his country or legally enter the United States.
As a result, he settles down at the airport terminal and opens a shop to sustain himself. In this heartwarming tale, the film chronicles the various obstacles in his path as the man struggles to make the best of his pitiful situation given his lack of knowledge of the English language. Living in a cramped space, he soon faces the threat of being evacuated by the field commissioner. Amidst all the adversities, he befriends a flight attendant and adapts to his new life.
With various moments of hilarity peppered throughout the film, Hanks is seen adopting witty measures to alleviate the problems in his path. One feels sorry for the man yet wants to coddle him for how adorable he is. There are certain emotional moments in the film that are accentuated by the brilliant performances of the cast, especially Hanks.
In this inspiring tale of kindness, compassion, spiritedness, hope and the will to survive, Hanks is joined by Stanley Tucci and Catherine Zeta-Jones, among others.
Watch this forgotten comedy film on Netflix now!
