TOM HANKS: A FILM LECTURE SERIES

Thursdays, April 21-May 26, 2011, at 7:00 PM

Remember the rather goofy young actor who first made a name for himself in the TV sitcom Bosom Buddies back in the early eighties? As one of the two guys who disguised themselves as women in order to live at an affordable, girls-only apartment house? If you're reading this post, you already know that he has become one of the most talented, acclaimed actors in film today. Over a six-week span, we'll celebrate the breadth and depth of Tom Hank's talent.  Whether we're watching him play a boy who suddenly finds himself in a grown man's body in Big, or an attorney fighting for his dignity in Philadelphia, or a once time-harried man counting the days on a deserted island in Cast Away, we'll hopefully get to discover all over again what has made him one of the most sought-after actors in movies. The proof, after all, is in the tasting.

Here's the complete lineup:

April 21st

Big (1988)

April 28th

Philadelphia (1993)

May 5th

Forrest Gump (1994)

May 12th

The Green Mile (1999)

May 19th

Cast Away (2000)

May 26th

Road to Perdition (2002)

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Doug Swiszcz

Librarian and Cinema Enthusiast

Barrington Public Library

Unlikely Heroes Film Series

Thursdays, March 17 – April 14, 2011 at 7:00 PM

Guys like the guys in our Unlikely Heroes film series have always been in the movies as sidekicks or comic relief, but when did they become the stars? These are men who aren’t really men. They’re more like man-boys or—as we get to the end of our series—boy-men.

We’re no longer in an era of grown-up leads. Assured, self-possessed fellows like Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant aren’t our idols anymore. Instead, the new male archetype is ordinary like us and lost in the world like we are, too.

Our unlikely heroes are in varying degrees iconoclastic, sweet, vulnerable, ambitious and obtuse, but they’re all fascinating, each in their own way. Here’s a list of the films and what they’re about.

Unlikely Heroes

March 17
Harold and Maude (1971)

Twenty-something Harold rebels against adulthood by staging fake suicides and driving a hearse. But when he bumps into Maude, an eighty-year-old free spirit, he finds new possibilities for living.

March 24
Raising Arizona (1987)

H. I. McDonnough is an unsuccessful stick-up man who promises his gal Ed he’ll go straight. But when Ed finds out she can’t have children, she puts Hi up to kidnapping one of the Arizona quintuplets.

March 31
Dead Man (1995)

William Blake is a bookish Easterner out of place in the brutal West. After he’s shot and becomes an outlaw, an unconventional Blackfoot named Nobody helps him make the harsh and poetic journey to the end of his life. This movie contains the strong language that would be expected from real 19th century Westerners.

April 7
Rushmore (1998)

15-year-old Max Fisher is a smart and ambitious kid who wants to be admired. But his outlandish plans to impress his peers and win the heart of a teacher can’t keep him from having to grow up.

April 14
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Napoleon Dynamite is a mouth-breathing high schooler who’s bothered by bullies, cheerleaders, a brother and his uncle. He makes friends, too, and even saves the day. But he doesn’t change a bit.