I thoroughly enjoyed Larry Crowne which starred a pair of veterans in the leads. Julia Roberts, a little older since she played in Pretty Woman, is still one thank you very much and she comes into the life of Tom Hanks who is in her speech class. Double, no triple dose of kudos go to Hanks who wrote, directed, and played the lead the title role of Larry Crowne.

In America in 2011 Tom's life is a bit shaky, but he's still got a job he's held for years at a chain store called U-Mart. Gee, I wonder whom we are talking about here. He's already broken up with his wife and he gets a call into the common break area and thinks he's once again to be employee of the month. Instead in one of those corporate downsizing he gets the pink slip and it also looks like he's about to lose his dream house because between alimony and mortgage he can't do it on just unemployment.

What Hanks can do and presumably under the GI Bill of Rights is that he can go to college. He never went before serving in Uncle Sam's Navy. And one of his classes to teach articulation for interviews is a speech class with Julia Roberts who is also pretty burned out on life. The one that's doing the burning for Roberts is her husband Bryan Cranston who is also an academic and pretty bored himself with the marriage. But Cranston has an ego that won't let him see it's time to call it a day with Roberts.

Larry Crowne is a feel good film with a bit of social commentary mixed in with the entertainment. Hanks is going back to his comedy roots and Roberts is enjoying a great role for herself that she looks like she's having fun doing.

Also to watch out for are Cedric the Entertainer as Hanks's neighbor, Maria Canals-Barrera as one of Julia's colleagues in a 21st century updating of the Eve Arden part and Rami Melek as one of the kids in Roberts's class with Hanks who is great as a partially brain dead skater dude.

In these opening days of summer you'll do well to get out of the heat and go see two of the very best in contemporary Hollywood in Larry Crowne.

The movie is unbelievable and I don't mean that in a good way. Hanks has worked 20 years at the U-Mart (Movie version of Walmart). He has been employee of the month 8 times and is a hard worker. Now he is being let go because he has no degree and won't be able to advance. Now in some professions I could see that happening, but for a guy who stocks shelves and pushes shopping carts? He also lives in a half million dollar home which is now worth less than the $392,000 he owes on it. (Where are those Walmart applications!) I understand they needed to get him into the school environment, but they could have written a real scenario and one that was funny and tied into the rest of the movie.

Tom Hanks downsizes his life and goes back to school. His Speech 217 teacher is a slightly unkempt, bored with life, Julia Roberts. She is equally bored in her marriage to a writer who spends most of his time watching porn on the Internet. (I can't believe there is porn on the Internet!) They split over an unlikely fight.

His economics class is taught by a narcissistic Mr. Sulu. His class mates consists of a number of colorful and quirky characters that make the movie more interesting than Mr. Hanks walking around with his polo shirt tucked in. He joins a bike/scooter gang whose initiation requirement is to able to snap your fingers in unison. Larry (known as Lance Corona to his female lead biker group) takes a job as a cook (a job he did in the Navy) at a diner. All the women seem to dig Larry, a middle aged man with a pouch. Some more of Hanks fantasy writing.

It is an easy to watch, feel good movie for bad economic times. Not much action or comedy. Drama is a bit weak too. A movie your kids could watch except for Julia Roberts dropping the F-bomb.

Tom Hanks needs to stay in front of the camera and not behind it.

F-bomb, no sex, no nudity. Awkward drunken screen kiss.

Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) is an amiable team leader in a box store but he gets fired because he didn't attend college. His time in the Navy accounted for nothing and he needs to start all over again. Worst yet he's underwater on his mortgage. He goes to his local college and takes a course on speaking taught by a tired Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts).

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts may be the most likable actors working right now. But these characters just don't fit very well. Larry Crowne feels like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump. I'm not sure I like him as much as Tom Hanks wants me to. Julia Roberts is just straight up a mess. And every side character in the movie is a 2D cartoon. They are desperately fishing for laughs by trying to be quirky.

Ultimately I like the characters just enough. It has its fun moments, but there's also a lot of awkward moments. It's a very uneven movie.