‘I’m really a nice guy. If I had friends you could ask them…’
It’s a given by now that Tom Hanks is one of the best actors of his generation and so the films that have made him the superstar that he is are etched into the public consciousness. Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Castaway… I could go on. It is also true that Hanks’ career has developed in stages, from the comedies that made his name like Big and The ‘Burbs, through to his time as a romantic lead in all those Meg Ryan movies, on to summer blockbusters and then more considered avuncular roles in recent years. Splash arrived in 1983 when Hanks was best known as a TV actor, and it provided the launchpad for starring roles in Bachelor Party, The Money Pit and Big. In short, no Splash, no Tom Hanks. The whole cinematic community should be grateful…
Allen Bauer (Hanks) is restless. Despite owning a successful business alongside his wildcard brother Freddie (John Candy), there is something missing for Allen. It turns out that that something is an actual mermaid named Madison (Daryl Hannah). But first, Bauer must keep Madison out of the clutches of the evil, if clumsy, scientist Walter Kornbluth (Eugene Levy).
Plenty of comedic talent on show then, and all under the watchful eye of master director Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Rush). The result is a film that is laugh-out-loud funny. The (literal) fish out of water stuff becomes tiresome eventually, but the scenes that see Hanks sparring with the singular talent that is John Candy are a joy to behold. On the more dramatic side of things, Hannah brings an ethereal other-worldliness to Madison, and Hanks does well to ground the magic realism elements of the film in some kind of reality.
Sure, the film grinds to a halt a little in the third act when Madison’s big secret is revealed, and the film as a whole is too long, but ultimately Splash is a movie with plenty of heart and serves as an indicator of Hanks’ limitless leading man potential. The only surprise is how long it has taken me to see this movie. The fact that Hanks’ filmography continues to hold new (to me) treasures is incredibly exciting. And to think, I’ve still got Turner & Hooch to discover… what a world.