Saving Private Ryan opens with a 24-minute D-Day sequence. German machine gun fire kills soldiers as soon as they step off the boat at Normandy. Tom Hanks (as Captain John H. Miller) watches hundreds of his compatriots die on that French beach and witnesses the cruelty of the survivors when they finally reach their German enemies. All in all, there's not one laugh line.
But Tom Hanks has made plenty of funnier movies. In fact, he's one of the most underrated comedic actors in Hollywood. There are hilarious films featuring the actor that showcase his incredible talent to make audiences laugh (rather than cry).
'A League of Their Own' (1992)
One of Hanks' all-time funniest roles comes in support. A League of Their Own is a classic irrespective of Hanks, but his performance as the has-been manager of an all-female baseball team elevates the movie even further.
Of course, there are moments like "There's no crying in baseball?!" or the time he calls the umpire a penis in a little hat. But Hanks' hilarity comes primarily from his physicality, staggering around the dugout on his bad leg and devolving into vibrations of frustration when attempting not to scream at his right fielder.
'Big' (1988)
Big was the perfect vehicle for a young Hanks. It gave him a chance to show off his natural bright-eyed exuberance while playing with his physical gifts that would've been just as well suited to the silent era.
Obviously, there's the floor piano scene, his playpen apartment, and the scene where he proposes a toy that's a robot that turns into a bug ("Well done, Josh. WELL done."). And, of course, there's Hanks' childhood friend and their inevitable falling out: "I'm three months older than you, asshole."
'You've Got Mail' (1998)
Nora Ephron's "modern" adaptation of Ernst Lubitsch's Shop Around the Corner makes a lot of people cry. It's a rom-com that has some hard-hitting moments, especially once viewers become invested in its wonderfully complex characters.
But like any Ephron movie, it's also hilarious, especially once Hanks knows that he's Meg Ryan's pen pal, and he begins to turn the screw. Yes, it gets us misty-eyed. And yes, it's also a quintessential Hanks romantic comedy.
'Charlie Wilson's War' (2007)
Is Charlie Wilson's War good? Maybe not. It's not Mike Nichols' or Aaron Sorkin's best work. But it can be a riot, for its intentional and unintentional comedy.
There's nothing accidental about Hanks' or Philip Seymour Hoffman's performances, however, especially not in the best scene in the movie. Hoffman reveals that he knows everything Hanks has been saying on the phone and Hanks, outraged, shouts, "Were you standing at the goddamn door listening to me? How could you even --? That's a THICK DOOR!"
'Bachelor Party' (1984)
Though it might not have aged particularly well, Bachelor Party was one of Hanks' breakout roles. Though just his 4th feature film, it gave him a chance to play a lovable goofball rebel who just wants to have fun.
From the jump, there are clearly aspects of Hanks' well-known on-screen persona bleeding through here: the glimmer in his eyes, his sarcasm, his general sense of skepticism, and, ultimately, his good-heartedness. Also, he runs into a bunch of stuff. So that's nice too.
'Elvis' (2022)
Okay, maybe this isn't a deliberate comedy, but it's still funny. Hanks plays Elvis Presley's long time manager Colonel Tom Parker and puts on one of the most unbelievable who's-your-dialect-coach Dutch accents ever attempted.
Mileage may vary for audiences on Hanks' performance and the movie in general, but he's undeniably funny. Think about that first view of him in the trailer with the makeup and the prosthetics and the hairline. And think about the first time he ever uttered the line, "We are two oddly lonely children reaching for eternity." Hilarious.
'Toy Story' (1995)
Toy Story is remembered for many things: its breakthrough digital animation, the launching of Pixar, and the first installment in a franchise still going strong today. As far as Hanks' comedies go though, it's right up there.
A cherished toy cowboy becomes jealous when his child devotes more attention to his new toy space ranger. Sounds basic enough, but the Pixar crew ratchet it up with an existential crisis on the level of Kafka. "You. Are. A. Toy!" Kafka is, at least to some literature professors, darkly funny.
'The Terminal' (2004)
There are a lot of movies that could go here. The Burbs, Turner and Hooch, Angels and Demons. Hanks even makes an appearance in the second Borat. But this slot belongs to his third collaboration with director Stephen Spielberg, and the only one of them that could truly be considered a comedy (Remember Saving Private Ryan?)
Hanks plays Viktor Navorski, a man trapped at the airport because nobody recognizes his passport. Over months, he builds a life and a community for himself in the titular terminal. Some people have compared this film to Jacques Tati, who is sort of funny in a not-laugh-out-loud way. Others have said it's Spielberg schmaltz. Either way, it's a ton of fun and one of Hanks' most out-of-the-box performances.