Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Abe Vigoda, Amanda Plummer, Barry McGovern, Dan Hedaya, Lloyd Bridges ... (see more) , Meg Ryan , Robert Stack , Tom Hanks
Joe Versus the Volcano is a true early-1990s cult film. This fantasy-comedy was the first pairing of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, yet it polarizes viewers like a Blue Velvet or Happiness. As the only directorial effort from John Patrick Shanley (the Oscar-winning writer of Moonstruck), it is something sp... (read more) Joe Versus the Volcano is a true early-1990s cult film. This fantasy-comedy was the first pairing of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, yet it polarizes viewers like a Blue Velvet or Happiness. As the only directorial effort from John Patrick Shanley (the Oscar-winning writer of Moonstruck), it is something special, and it's hard to resist the film's feather-light heart tugging. Joe Banks is having the life sucked out of him at a dead-end job. Miserable in his gray surroundings with stark fluorescent lighting, Joe dreams of being brave again. A visit to the doctor reveals that he has a "brain cloud." It's fatal, but he'll be fine for a few more months. An eccentric millionaire, Samuel Harvey Graynamore (Lloyd Bridges), hears of Joe's predicament and comes to him with a proposal: The people of the Pacific island of Waponi Woo need a human sacrifice to appease their gods. Why not live like a king for a few weeks, then throw yourself into a volcano? (Graynamore needs a sacrificial victim to offer in exchange for permission to mine the island for a rare mineral.) Joe accepts Graynamore's lavish proposal and on his journey meets three romantic possibilities (all played by Ryan). Joe embraces life; so does the movie. It's packed with smile-inducing supporting performances by Bridges, Ossie Davis, Robert Stack, and Dan Hedaya; playful songs ("Sixteen Tons," "Ol' Man River," Presley's version of "Blue Moon"); and amusing scenes (such as Joe buying luggage). Add the daring, imaginative production design of Bo Welch (Edward Scissorhands), Hanks and Ryan's chemistry, and Georges Delerue's romantic music and you have a film to fall for. --Doug Thomas
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PG, 102 min.
Directed by:
John Patrick Shanley
Release Date: Mar 09, 1990
DVD Release Date: Apr 02, 2002
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The florencent lights in Joe's boss' office still makes me cringe, whenever I am in any room with them! Kurt
Charmingly and uniqely original. I find this film to be smart and sophisticated yet filled with a most young fantastical element. Great cameos from Bridges, Stack, McGovern, and Vigoda support Hanks in a well played role of a man finally living life... (read more) Charmingly and uniqely original. I find this film to be smart and sophisticated yet filled with a most young fantastical element. Great cameos from Bridges, Stack, McGovern, and Vigoda support Hanks in a well played role of a man finally living life for once. Meg Ryan plays three roles as three different yet strangely familiar women Joe meets along the way pretty well. On the surface, it's a movie about a man who is told he has a terminal illness and decides to travel to a small tropical island to jump into the volcano appease the god that lives inside, which sounds whacky enough. But the real charm comes from the film's sly satire, wise and wishfull dialouge, great song choice and score from Georges Delerue. Perhaps a bit too out there for the average veiwer, but Writer / Director John Patrick Shanley (Moonstruck) achieves in making a film that, like Joe and Patricia talk about, travells away,"away from the things of man".
If you don't know a thing about existentialism you probably won't understand this movie at all and enjoy it even less.
Just revisited this movie, its 20th birthday is coming up! How could I forget this gem, one of my favorites? It's nothing but fun, charming, and oddly philosophical. A must-see for anyone alive.
"There are certain doors we're supposed to walk throug... (read more) Just revisited this movie, its 20th birthday is coming up! How could I forget this gem, one of my favorites? It's nothing but fun, charming, and oddly philosophical. A must-see for anyone alive.
"There are certain doors we're supposed to walk through alone."
its far too hard to narrow down to the best tom hanks film but this is definatly at the top some where excellent classic hanks liked it since seeing as a kid to this day
"Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are taking this luggage with us!"
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