Entertainment news and discussion on TalkFuse.
The 1960s movie that changed everything for Tom Hanks: “It really altered my life”
Tom Hanks has said that seeing Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ as a teenager profoundly changed his view of cinema. The film showed him that movies could be more than straightforward entertainment, broadening his artistic ambitions and appreciation of what the medium could achieve.
Before watching it in eighth or ninth grade, Hanks largely associated films with James Bond, John Wayne and the 1966 science-fiction adventure ‘Fantastic Voyage’. He was struck by ‘2001’’s extended near-silent opening and its reliance on imagery, atmosphere and ambiguity rather than conventional exposition. The article places his reaction in the context of the film’s enduring reputation as a highly influential, though sometimes divisive, work.
In short
- ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ reshaped Tom Hanks’s artistic outlook.
- He saw it as a teenager in 1968.
- Its visual, ambiguous style broadened his idea of cinema.
Explained simply
Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's most acclaimed actors, known for numerous successful films spanning several decades. He has recently reflected on how a 1968 science-fiction film affected his understanding of cinema when he was a teenager.
The film in question is Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey', a science-fiction work that has been widely discussed for its impact on filmmaking, though some viewers find it challenging. Hanks has explained that the film changed how he thought about what movies could achieve, moving beyond the straightforward entertainment he had previously enjoyed through popular films and action adventures.
The actor's comments illustrate how particular films can significantly influence creative artists during their formative years. It also demonstrates that '2001: A Space Odyssey' remains relevant to discussions about cinema's possibilities.