Larry Crowne

With Hollywood's nicest guy and America's sweetheart starring in the same movie, you are likely to get cavities from how sweet and sugary the problems of the world can be when they are this cute. Watching this movie will make you walk out of the theater feeling like you have spent an hour and a half watching puppy dogs and rainbows.

Tom Hanks is Larry Crowne - Navy vet, model employee and all around decent guy who loses his job because he has never been to college. So, he decides to matriculate and takes a public speaking course taught by the bitter, boozing teacher played by Julia Roberts. Of course, underneath all of that anger is a woman who just wants to believe and love again.

Will Larry Crowne melt her heart?

Does he have what it takes to do well?

No matter how you look at it, analyze it and try to critique it, Larry Crowne is one of those movies that can be summed up in one word, "Nice."

That's not an insult or to be taken in derogatory terms. It's just the general tone and feeling you come away with after watching the film. Larry Crowne is a movie full of sweetness and kindness even if it does deal with the recession, people losing their jobs, marriages breaking up and battling with an evil bank.

The comedy is lighthearted, nonthreatening and a little goofy (in this case, goofy is defined as seeing Hanks in his tighty whities, which is about as goofy as goofy gets). Even the most dramatic and stunning moments are presented with a soft touch by Hanks, who also directed and helped write the movie (the other co-writer, Nia Vardalos knows something about writing a pleasant movie as the creator of My Big Fat Greek Wedding).

Then, Roberts and Hanks deliver pretty much exactly what you expect and want, not just with the inevitable love story, but all of the other adventures their characters face as Larry Crowne goes through a life changing evolution and rebirth after the heartbreaking tragedies he has faced. It's time for new friends, new ambitions and a new home.

Hanks turns on the lovable dorkiness that will make you like Larry Crowne no matter how hard you might be fighting to condemn it for being too simplistic, and Roberts has that charm that shines through as she makes the teacher, Mercy Tainot, more burned out and hurt than angry. Because of this, the audience is willing to believe Larry Crowne would become hot for teacher (and, she looks like Julia Roberts, that doesn't hurt.)

Plus, you have to give some credit to Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Talia - that super cute, always smiling young lady who should be the most annoying character in the movie and the face of the planet with her constantly cheery disposition. However, she's makes it feel so genuine, you can't help but wish she would jump off the screen and be the first person you see when you walk into work the next day.

Larry Crowne is the type of movie you don't see in theaters all that often anymore, so maybe you should see it to encourage more of them.

Larry Crowne is rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual content.