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When Apollo 13 does take off and things do start to go wrong, Hanks is superb, showing Lovell’s command instincts taking over. First, when all hell breaks loose and the rocket is spinning out of control, his wide eyes portray a measured balance between the knowledge his life is at risk and relying on his training to make decisions. In perhaps one of the best acted scenes in the movie, the crew of Apollo 13 realizes part of their craft is effectively useless, and they must transfer everything to another section. As air and power seep away, and his crew reports on how long the process to move will take, Hanks’ utters the memorable line, “We may not have that much time.” In his precise delivery of those words, Hanks wasn’t making an observation, he was giving an order.

One of the other memorial things about Apollo 13 is the quality of the overall cast involved. Ed Harris plays Gene Kranz, in command of mission control. Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton are along for the ride as other members of the Apollo 13 crew. Kathleen Quinlan gives a very strong performance as Jim Lovell’s wife.

Several different film organizations gave the pic the respect it deserves by nominating it and the cast members involved for numerous awards. The most notable nominations by the Academy awards were for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. The Screen Actors Guild gave the film the award for Outstanding Cast.

The only problem with Apollo 13 is that doing a sequel was impossible.

4) Philadelphia (1993)

There are few roles in the lifetime of an actor that transform careers. Prior to this Hanks had delivered his staple cute comedies. Big and Sleepless in Seattle were great for him, but he also was in the phase of Joe Versus the Volcano and The Burbs. When Philadelphia came out in 1993 it transformed his career. Much of what Tom Hanks will be remembered for will be because of Philadelphia.

It was as unlikely a transformation for him as Philadelphia was to be a widely successful picture. His work, and the heartfelt tale of a man who grapples with discrimination because of his homosexuality and exposure to the AIDS virus, come together for one of the actor’s very best performances. Audiences fell in love it despite being about a topic most people didn’t want to acknowledge in a time when homosexuality was viewed much differently. In a surprising display of viewer approval, Philadelphia cost $24 million to make, but brought in three times its budget just in within the United States. When worldwide grosses were tabulated, it had collected well over $200 million.

Hanks plays Andrew Beckett, a competent and successful lawyer with very good career at a Philadelphia law firm. As the film progresses, we see him as a normal employee, driven and good at his job. The director gives close-ups of Beckett’s face, and we see the AIDS related legions on his skin. He has made the decision to keep his situation private, not making his law firm aware of his lifestyle or disease. When they find out, he is terminated in a very backhanded way.

From this point on, Beckett relies on a rival lawyer, Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) to bring his case to court. His partner, Miguel Alvarez, (Antonio Banderas) comes across as loving, devoted, and no different than any family member or partner. The deterioration of Beckett during the case is real and sad, and Washington’s character is a great prism by which viewers must question their own prejudices. His associations with Beckett, which challenge his preconceived notions about homosexuality and AIDS, are very pleasant to watch. Of particular note is a scene at Beckett’s house, where he reveals his love of opera, and Miller realizes the humanity of the man.

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