Larry Crowne
Larry Crowne is a 2011 comedy starring, co-written, produced and directed by Tom Hanks and co-starring Julia Roberts. Hanks plays a Navy veteran who gets fired from his job at a Target-esque big box store after it is revealed that he never went to college. He decides to enroll at a local community college and in the process finds a new world previously unknown to him. The film documents his first semester and the people around him.
Tropes used in Larry Crowne include:
- Author Appeal: Tom Hanks and Star Trek.
- Back to School: Larry.
- Bland-Name Product: Larry's job in the beginning of the film is at a store called U-Mart (an obvious reference to K-Mart) and looks like your average Target.
- Buxom Is Better as far as Mercedes' husband is concerned.
- Carrying a Cake: Mercedes' husband is trying to get a cheesecake home.
- Directed by Cast Member: Tom Hanks.
- Foot Focus: Some introduction shots of Julia Roberts's character begin with her (shoes and then) feet.
- Late for School: Larry and others.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: A subversion. Talia initially seems to be set up for this role, but she never becomes Larry's love interest. In fact, she turns out to be a pretty astute entrepreneur, who respects Larry's grasp of economics. Lampshaded by Mercedes and Dell, who keep expecting this trope to manifest.
- Teacher-Student Romance: Subverted, because they wait until Larry graduates.
- Well they wait until he leaves her class and he dosen't enroll in her next one next fall to purposfully avert this.