Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he’s worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves… often moving around town in a herd of scooters.
In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband. The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live.
Larry Crowne is an American romantic comedy film starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. The film was produced and directed by Hanks, who co-wrote its screenplay with Nia Vardalos. The film tells the story of Larry Crowne, a middle aged man who unexpectedly loses his job and returns to education. It was released on July 1, 2011 in the United States and Canada.
About the Story
Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks), a middle-aged Navy veteran, is fired from his job at a big-box store due to a lack of college education, despite his seniority and satisfactory work. Larry, who is divorced and lives alone, cannot find a job and could lose his house. Larry’s neighbor, Lamar (Cedric the Entertainer), advises him to enroll in the local community college and get an education.
Subsisting on unemployment benefits and unable to afford to drive his SUV, Larry buys a scooter from Lamar. At the college, he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves. Two of the classes he takes are speech, taught by Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts) and economics, taught by Dr. Ed Matsutani (George Takei). While he initially struggles in speech class, he does very well in economics.
Mercedes drinks at home after school because she is unhappily married to Dean (Bryan Cranston), a former professor turned writer turned blogger. In reality, Dean spends his days looking at internet porn.
Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) invites Larry to join a club of scooter riders led by her boyfriend Dell Gordo (Wilmer Valderrama). Larry’s friend Frank (Ian Gomez), who runs the diner, offers him a job to help make ends meet.
After a night with Dean goes horribly wrong, Mercedes is left alone at a bus stop, where Larry and his scooter gang notice her. Larry offers her a ride home, which Mercedes reluctantly accepts. On their way home they witness Dean getting arrested for drunk driving. At her front door, they kiss. She wants to have sex as well, but Larry declines, not wanting to take advantage of her inebriated state. When Dean arrives home the following morning he finds all of his possessions on the front lawn. Realizing there is no way he will not lose his house, Larry uses the knowledge he gained in his Economics class to begin a strategic foreclosure.
Mercedes runs into Talia, who is telling Frances, her English teacher (Pam Grier), that she will be dropping out of college to start a thrift store. Mercedes finds out that Talia and Larry are just friends. Later, Frances comes over to Mercedes’ apartment to provide emotional support due to her divorcing Dean, and helps her clean out Dean’s office. Both Larry and Mercedes go about trying to rebuild their lives separately.
Finals now come, and Larry is scheduled last. His speech is about his travels around the world while in the Navy. Larry is given a big round of applause by his classmates and Mercedes, who is now happier in her life, and has rediscovered her passion for teaching.
Larry Crowne
Directed by: Richard Ayoade
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Roxanna Ortega, Sarah Mahoney, Randall Park, Brady Rubin, Julie Wagner
Screenplay by: Tom Hanks, Nia Vardalos
Production Design by: Victor Kempster
Cinematography by; Philippe Rousselot
Film Editing by: Alan Cody
Costume Design by: Albert Wolsky
Set Decoration by: Cheryl Carasik
Art Direction by: Carlos Men
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