Entertainment

Tom Hanks' Adventures in the Drama

by Alanna Bennett

Gravity won the box office battle again this week, raking in $26.5 million for a total of $150 million. That's nice for them but also a surprise to almost no one considering all the "ohmygoddidyouseeGravity" word-of-mouth that movie's been getting. So we're gonna sidestep another post full of space puns and instead focus on Tom Hanks, the greatest Earth man in all the land. Because Hanks' Captain Phillips is also doing pretty well so far, and we figure that's as good an excuse as any to look through his box office history and reminisce over the highs and lows of Hanks.

Captain Phillips brought in an impressive $26 million with its opening this weekend, easily surpassing its projected $19.5 million projection. In terms of box office context, it'll probably be added to the list of Hanks-starring dramas that have pulled in major bank in the past.

Animated comedy sequel Toy Story 3 is still one of Hanks' biggest box office haul ($425 million adjusted gross earnings)it also happens to be the Toy Story movie most likely to make you sob like a baby and wish for your youth back. Audiences have long accepted it: Tom Hanks is a funny guy, but there's nothing like letting him make you cry. This is probably why his top-earning movies have been — with the exception of the Toy Stories — dramatic turns.

Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and Castaway are still at the top of Hanks' box office history — Big and Sleepless in Seattle are still up there, too, but notably not nearly as high up as drama!Hanks.

Captain Phillips is definitely trying to make a run of the awards season, and this box office success will help them with that. It will also help us when it comes to much more screen-time of Tom Hanks being Hanksy on our TV screens in the months to come.