Every Tom Hanks War Movie, Ranked By How Much They Deserve The Highest Honor (2024)

Saving Private Ryan

Historical Context: The film is set during some of the most important days of World War II, and in fact it begins with the invasion of Normandy. Much of the film is set during 1944, though the opening and ending are set in the present day.

Premise: Tom Hanks portrays Captain John H. Miller. After playing a key role in the Normandy invasion, he is subsequently tasked with finding Matt Damon’s James Francis Ryan, a young man missing in action whose brothers have all died in the war. It’s one of those performances which encapsulates so much of Hanks’s appeal - his everyman is a decent and caring person. At the same time, there is also a deep well of hurt and obvious trauma lurking beneath the surface. Through it all, though, Hanks ably portrays a man who has grown weary of war, but is nevertheless determined to see his duty through to the end.

Critical Reception: The film has been widely praised both by critics and audiences alike. Critics both at the time and since have praised its ability to capture the ugliness and brutality of war, as well as the glimmers of humanity which can emerge in even the most fraught and terrible of circ*mstances. The triumph of this film resulted in five Oscars wins, including best director for Steven Spielberg. It was also a success at the box office,earning close to $500 million.

Behind-The-Scenes Detail: Director Steven Spielberg cast Hanks precisely because he wasn’t the sort of man audiences might have been used to seeing in war films of this type.He wanted more of an everyman than a John Wayne. Spielberg described his casting choice in 1998:

I was trying very hard to imagine what actor would not immediately want to use his teeth to pull out a pin from a hand grenade. And Tom Hanks just sprung to mind.

• Dig Deeper...This Virginia Town’s Massive Single-Day Loss During WWII Inspired 'Saving Private Ryan'
• #8 of 50 onThe Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• #1 of 264 onThe 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time

Forrest Gump

Historical Context: Forrest Gumptakes place in several different time periods, ranging from the 1950s (when the title character is born) and extending throughout the 1960s and 1970s (including the Vietnam War and the antiwar movement), all the way into the 1980s. As a result, he becomes a key witness, and sometimes a participant, in the unrest which characterized the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Premise: Tom Hanks portrays Forrest Gump. When the film begins he is proclaimed to have a lower-than-average IQ, but he never lets this stand in his way. Instead, he becomes in some ways the epitome of Hanks’s everyman character - someone who has a great deal of character and love and loyalty, particularly to his mother and to his beloved Jenny.

While Forrest is involved in many pivotal historical events, arguably the most harrowing is his deployment in the Vietnam War. During this sequence, he meets Lieutenant Dan, who will become a lifelong friend, and also experiences profound loss from the death of his platoon mate Bubba. While the Vietnam War is only a portion of Forrest Gump, the emotional impact it has is almost a whole war film in itself.

Critical Reception: It received quite a lot of critical love when it was first released, and many were particularly impressed with Hanks’s performance. However, there were also those who felt that it was a bit of trite sentimentality dressed up as a film, and they were likewise critical of some of its more melodramaticturns.

Behind-The-Scenes Detail: Hanks earned the best actor Oscar for his performance in this film,one year after winning the same award for his performance inPhiladelphia.He was the second actor to win consecutive Oscars, with Spencer Tracy being the first.

• Dig Deeper...20 Crazy Behind-the-Scenes Facts About Forrest Gump
• #5 of 50 onThe Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• #104 of 264 onThe 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time

Greyhound

Historical Context: Greyhoundtakes place during the Battle of the Atlantic, which raged from 1939 to 1945 and, though it sometimes receives less cinematic attention than some of the other campaigns of World War II, it was actually the longest in duration. It was fought between the Allies and the Axis for control of the Atlantic Ocean.

Premise: Hanks playsCommander Ernie Krause, who is charged with protecting an Allied convoy. Unsurprisingly, his character spends a great deal of time just going about the business of being a commander, issuing orders and making sure the job gets done. While this might sound boring to some, this is precisely what makes it such a perfect fit for Hanks. He demonstrates once again a unique skill at showing the unremarkable yet vital heroism demonstrated by the men in uniform who did their part to keep the world from falling to totalitarianism. The fact that Krause’s actions unfold in the frigid and unforgiving waters of the Atlantic makes his actions all the more extraordinary and laudable.

Critical Reception: The critical reception for the film was mostly positive, though some did fault it for being a rather streamlined and remarkably short movie (particularly for a genre known for long run times). They generally found it to be a serviceable war film, certain to appeal to audiences who want their war films to be relatively uncomplicated and their heroes similarly simple.

Behind-The-Scenes Detail: Originally the film was going to be released into theaters, in order to take full advantage of the spectacle of the big screen. However, this was scuttled with the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, and it ended up being pushed back andultimately released on Apple TV+.

• #12 of 52 onThe 50+ Best Submarine Movies
• #13 of 44 onThe Greatest World War II Dramas
• #35 of 55 onThe Best Memorial Day Movies

A League of Their Own

Historical Context: Even though the film focuses on the formation of theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1940s, World War II is always lurking in the background. In fact, it was the threat of the MLB shutting down due to the war which leads to the formation of the all-female league.

Premise: Much of the film is about the extraordinary women who formed the backbone of theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League. However, Hanks also has an important part to play as Jimmy Dugan, the man who signs on to be the manager of the team. There’s a harder edge to Dugan than one usually sees with Hanks’s characters, particularly since this is a man who managed to ruin his own baseball career thanks to his alcoholism. However, beneath his gruff exterior, he comes to truly care about the young women on his team, and he wants them to win as badly as they do.

Critical Reception: The critics seemed to really enjoyA League of Their Own,particularly for the way that it brought attention to a new aspect of America’s favorite pastime. Though baseball films had been made by Hollywood many times before, this one was refreshing in that it focused on the experiences of women during wartime and on their contributions to baseball.

Behind-The-Scenes Detail: Jimmy Dugan was originally envisioned as being an older man, but Hanks managed to convince director Penny Marshall to give him the part. However, this came with a caveat:he ended up having to put on thirty pounds in order to capture the kind of character Marshall wanted.

• Dig Deeper...Behind-The-Scenes Stories From ‘A League of Their Own,’ The Most Rewatchable Sports Movie
• And Deeper...The Real-Life Historical Inspirations For 'A League of Their Own'
• #99 of 772 onThe Most Rewatchable Movies

Charlie Wilson's War

Historical Context: The film takes place during the 1980s, largely during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. It focuses in particular on the United States’ changing approach to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, ultimately providing more money and support to the mujahideen as they try to fight back against the invaders.

Premise: Tom Hanks portrays Charlie Wilson, a congressman from Texas. He begins the film as an unserious partier but, as he becomes convinced of the plight of the Afghans and the utility that American aid can have, he plays an ever more prominent role in arming them. Though from the point of view of today it can seem a bit odd to see Hanks as a party-boy as opposed to an everyman, this actually adds an extra layer of complexity to his performance. He’s a man yearning for a mission, and Hanks adds much-needed human detail to a minor historical figure who would go on to play a very major part in one of the most important conflicts of the latter 20th century.

Critical Reception: The film was warmly received by critics, not just for Hanks’s performance - Roger Ebert was particularly fond of it - but also for Mike Nichols’s direction and the injection of humor into the story.

Behind-The-Scenes Detail: Charlie Wilson’s Warwould be thelast film directed by Mike Nichols, who had established a reputation as one of the most highly-regarded directors of his generation (thanks in no small part to his directing ofThe Graduate).

• #6 of 14 onThe Best Movies and TV Shows Written By Aaron Sorkin
• #20 of 61 onThe Funniest Movies About Politics
• #163 of 190 onThe Best Movies For Men

Bridge of Spies

Historical Context: The film takes place during the 1950s and the 1960s, during some of the most pivotal and dangerous years of the Cold War. It focuses in particular on the real-life story of James B. Donovan, who would go on to play a crucial role in a prisoner exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Premise: Tom Hanks portrays Donovan, and the film focuses on both his defense of a Soviet spy (Rudolf Abel) early in the film and, later, his key role in negotiating for the release of two Americans in exchange for Abel. There’s something almost old-fashioned about Hanks’s performance in this film. He’s an everyman, to be sure, but there’s also something so morally upright about him that the audience can’t help but cheer. It’s almost as if he stepped out of one of the spirited and patriotic movies of the past, and he seems to combine in his person all that is good about America. He’s a man of principle, but he doesn’t make a show of it.

Critical Reception: The film was greeted with a warm reception by critics. Much of the praise centered on Hanks’s performance, of course, but many were also impressed by Spielberg’s ability to take the well-established conventions of classic cinema and make a film which nevertheless felt fresh. In addition, Spielberg received praise for his ability to capture a moment from the Cold War which hadn’t received as much attention from the general public.

Behind-The-Scenes Detail: It took the production team quite a bit ofnegotiating with several parties to use the Glienicke Bridge in the movie. It is still in use, and so it took significant work to not only ensure it could be used for filming, but also to make sure it looked as if would have looked during the Cold War.

• #18 of 35 onEvery Steven Spielberg Movie, Ranked By Fans
• #77 of 165 onThe Best Political Films Of All Time
• #45 of 73 on