Most Iconic Tom Hanks Movies for the Fam to Watch

These Tom Hanks movies are not only some of his best, but they’re also some of the most unforgettable and iconic movies of all time.

Most Iconic Tom Hanks Movies for the Fam to Watch

Ask someone what their favorite Tom Hanks movie is, and there’s a strong possibility they’ll answer with one of the greatest blockbusters in modern movie history. Tom Hanks has an impressive acting career that has not only spanned decades but has, in many ways, defined the movies within them. He’s that rare mix of an everyman and a leading man who can make you believe that he’s simultaneously simple and deeply complicated.

It’s hard to pick the best Tom Hanks movies — after all, he's acted in more than 90 to date. But these 30 were chosen based on a mix of critic and audience reviews, box office returns, the characters portrayed, their place in film history and a little bit of that certain je ne sais quoi that Hanks himself possesses. They’re great films that remind you of what a great human he is — or at least can portray onscreen.

30. Angels and Demons

Release date: May 15, 2009

Director: Ron Howard

Box office earnings: $485.9 million

Bottom Line: Angels and Demons

This prequel to "The Da Vinci Code" wasn’t loved by critics, but audiences across the globe sure loved it. Also based on the popular novel by Dan Brown in the same popular series, Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon who has to warn the Vatican about the resurgence of the secretive Illuminati.

Even though this book came out after "The Da Vinci Code," it’s technically a prequel. Hanks carefully balances the drama and, even with the help of other amazing actors like Ewan McGregor, carries the complicated plot of the movie on his charismatic shoulders.

29. Saving Mr. Banks

Release date: Dec. 13, 2013

Director: John Lee Hancock

Box office earnings: $117.9 million

Bottom Line: Saving Mr. Banks

It takes a pretty legendary man to play a legend. But Tom Hanks nails his portrayal of Walt Disney in this movie. He carefully navigates both Disney’s humanity and the ambition that made him a game-changing visionary.

This movie follows Disney’s quest to obtain the rights for the character of Mary Poppins from a reluctant and stubborn P.L.Travers, played perfectly by another living legend, Emma Thompson. It’s a delightful film that does the based-on-true-events story proud.

28. Turner and Hooch

Release date: July 28, 1989

Director: Roger Spottiswoode

Box office earnings: $71.1 million

Bottom Line: Turner and Hooch

There’s no way you can have a list of the best Tom Hanks films without including "Turner and Hooch." While it may not have the same gravitas as some of his later work, his trademark charisma and charm stand out in this comedic murder mystery.

It’s also one of the first times Hanks proved that he can make anyone (or anything) alongside him shine, even when his co-star doesn’t have any lines.

27. You’ve Got Mail

Release date: Dec. 18, 1998

Director: Nora Ephron

Box office earnings: $250.8 million

Bottom Line: You’ve Got Mail

Even though this movie was the third time Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fell in love on the big screen, there were still enough sparks to make audiences and critics alike swoon over their love story. What makes this movie even more special, other than the delightful push and pull of the leads, was the fact that it came out right at the height of AOL mail.

So, everybody knew that “You’ve Got Mail” sound for which the movie is named. And even though many of the technological elements of the movie are dated, the love story is timeless.

26. Charlie Wilson’s War

Release date: Dec. 10, 2007

Director: Mike Nichols

Box office earnings: $119.5 million

Bottom Line: Charlie Wilson’s War

Aside from just the sheer number of blockbusters Tom Hanks has been a part of, one of the most impressive elements of his career are the people he has worked with. This movie is certainly no exception, with Hanks starring alongside Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.

In "Charlie Wilson’s War" he plays, of course, Charlie Wilson, a congressman who engages in some shady alliances in order to help freedom fighters in Afghanistan, not realizing some of the long-lasting effects of his choices.

25. The Da Vinci Code

Release date: May 19, 2006

Director: Ron Howard

Box office earnings: $760 million

Bottom Line: The Da Vinci Code

When "The Da Vinci Code" became a book sensation, people pretty quickly began discussing movie adaptations. And when it comes to an actor who can take on such a popular and dynamic role, there was one man Hollywood clearly knew was up for the job.

Hanks first takes on the role of Robert Langdon in this movie, which critics and audiences also seemed to disagree on. Many critics railed it, with an abysmal 26 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. But most audience members loved it, and the gargantuan box office numbers speak for themselves.

24. The Polar Express

Release date: Nov. 10, 2004

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Box office earnings: $314.1 million

Bottom Line: The Polar Express

It was only a matter of time before Tom Hanks found his way into a Christmas-themed story. In this movie that brings to life the popular book series, he teams up with one of his favorite directors, Robert Zemeckis, to lend his voice to multiple characters, including the Hero Boy adult, his father, the conductor, a Hobo, a Scrooge puppet and Santa Claus himself.

For anyone who didn’t already believe that Hanks can literally do it all, this movie shows just how true that is.

23. Road to Perdition

Release date: July 12, 2002

Director: Sam Mendes

Box office earnings: $183.4 million

Bottom Line: Road to Perdition

It doesn’t matter if it’s an animated fantasy, a deep-seated murder mystery, a war or a gangster-themed period crime drama, Tom Hanks will shine on screen. In this movie, he plays an enforcer for a powerful mobster, who is played by another screen legend, Paul Newman.

When the mobster’s son, played by Daniel Craig, becomes jealous and finds a reason to come after Hanks’ character and his family, he has to escape with his oldest son and figure out how to get the proper revenge. It’s gory, intense and awesome.

22. News of the World

Release date: Dec. 25, 2020

Director: Paul Greengrass

Box office earnings: $12.7 million

Bottom Line: News of the World

When the world was told to stay at home during the global pandemic of 2020, Tom Hanks rose to the challenge to provide quality entertainment for those getting stir crazy. This movie, which follows a civil war veteran who helps a young girl find her family, premiered at the end of 2020 and became available for streaming in early 2021.

Like much of Hanks’ work, it’s intensely heartfelt but manages to find moments of necessary levity.

21. The Post

Release date: Dec. 22, 2017

Director: Steven Spielberg

Box office earnings: $179.8 million

Bottom Line: The Post

Tom Hanks seems to love true stories. And in this movie, he plays out the true story of "The Washington Post" editor who helped a brave reporter uncover a decades-long conspiracy among some of the most powerful people in the world.

He’s in good company, yet again, with a cast consisting of Meryl Streep, Sarah Paulson and Bob Odenkirk. Among other impressive nominations, the movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

20. Splash

Release date: March 9, 1984

Director: Ron Howard

Box office earnings: $68.9 million

Bottom Line: Splash

A playful mid-1980s fantastical romantic comedy outranking a number of powerful true stories? You betcha. In many ways, "Splash" is more than a movie. It’s a time capsule of some of the funniest and freshest performances from some of the funniest and freshest comedic minds of a generation. It’s also one of the first movies Ron Howard and Tom Hanks made together.

It follows a man who reunites with a mermaid who saved his life as a child, only to choose between life on land or love in the sea. A young Hanks shimmers alongside Daryl Hannah, John Candy and Eugene Levy.

19. Bridge of Spies

Release date: Oct. 16, 2015

Director: Steven Spielberg

Box office earnings: $165.5 million

Bottom Line: Bridge of Spies

If you ever find yourself in a pickle, Tom Hanks (or a character he loves to play) may be the best answer. In this movie, Hanks plays a lawyer who must negotiate the release of Francis Gary Powers from the Soviet Union.

It’s based on intense true events and real-life heroes making brave choices for the larger good. Even though the story is fascinating on its own, it’s also shot beautifully and told in true Hanks fashion, with a surprising amount of warmth.

18. Greyhound

Release date: July 10, 2020

Director: Aaron Schneider

Box office earnings: $50.3 million

Bottom Line: Greyhound

This movie is another example of how Tom Hanks isn’t your average leading man. He’s also an accomplished writer, having crafted this screenplay based on a 1955 novel, "The Good Shepherd." It follows events on a submarine in the Battle of the Atlantic in the early days of America’s involvement in WWII.

Even though the movie would have been amazing to experience on the big screen, it never premiered traditionally thanks to the pandemic. Instead, the distribution rights were purchased by AppleTV+ who premiered it in the summer of 2020 to generally positive critic and audience reviews.

17. That Thing You Do

Release date: Oct. 4, 1996

Director: Tom Hanks

Box office earnings: $34.6 million

Bottom Line: That Thing You Do

Did you know that writing and directing a film is a thing Tom Hanks could do? Because he does both those things in "That Thing You Do." And, of course, he plays a supporting role in the movie as the manager of an up-and-coming band of dreamers who finally have a big hit on the radio.

It’s a movie that will make you believe that dreams can come true. And a movie that will have you up and dancing.

16. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Release date: Nov. 22, 2019

Director: Marielle Heller

Box office earnings: $68.4 million

Bottom Line: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

For many children who grew up on the steady, easy-going, educational storytelling of Fred Rogers in "Mister Rogers Neighborhood," it feels like an impossible task for someone to fill his shoes. Yet Tom Hanks did so perfectly — both physically and metaphorically.

"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" is a loving ode to a man who wanted to bring light and love to a young generation. And the natural ease Hanks has for playing larger-than-life characters with total honesty and vulnerability makes him one of the only people who could do this story justice. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for the role.

15. Captain Phillips

Release date: Oct. 11, 2013

Director: Paul Greengrass

Box office earnings: $220.6 million

Bottom Line: Captain Phillips

This is yet another example of how Tom Hanks is the go-to actor for true stories brought to life on the big screen. Following the real events of Somali pirates taking over a U.S. containership, it focuses on how the ship’s captain (played by, you guessed it, Hanks) carefully and creatively navigates a volatile and dangerous situation in order to best protect his crew.

Hanks was nominated for a BAFTA Best Actor award for this role.

14. Sleepless in Seattle

Release date: July 25, 1993

Director: Nora Ephron

Box office earnings: $227.8 million

Bottom Line: Sleepless in Seattle

This is easily one of the most loved and classic romantic comedies of a generation. It features the second time Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks fall in love on screen, though they do so slowly and mostly apart from each other in the process.

It also features Rita Wilson, Hanks’ real-life long-standing wife, as one of his character’s friends who is helping him pick the right woman for him. Even though they’re both accomplished in their own right, the pair are rarely on screen together. Combine that with quippy dialogue and explosive leading character chemistry, and you get a movie that basically defined the 1990s romcom genre.

13. A League of Their Own

Release date: July 1, 1992

Director: Penny Marshall

Box office earnings: $132.4 million

Bottom Line: A League of Their Own

Even though Geena Davis is the star of this movie, she meets her match with Tom Hanks. Traveling to one of his favorite time periods to tell stories in, this WWII-era movie follows a group of women in an all-female baseball league in the Midwest who is coached by the grumpy-yet-lovable has-been, Jimmy Dugan (Hanks).

The actor has delivered a surprising number of famous movie lines in his impressive career. But the line “There’s no crying in baseball!” is one of the most memorable, and he owns it in this classic, inspiring film.

12. The Terminal

Release date: June 18, 2004

Director: Steven Spielberg

Box office earnings: $219.4 million

Bottom Line: The Terminal

If you were to pitch a movie that’s basically two hours of a guy stuck at an airport, you’d probably have a hard time finding people who would be willing to make it, let alone watch it. But if you have it star Tom Hanks and have it be, of course, inspired by true events, you almost instantly have a classic movie on your hands.

Even though critics had mixed reviews of the film, audiences everywhere loved Hanks in the role of Viktro Navorski, an everyman who, thanks to a war in his home country, finds himself at the heart of a major international political battle that leaves him indefinitely trapped in the no man’s land of JFK airport. Hanks leads yet another all-star cast in this movie that also features Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci and Zoe Saldana.

11. Sully

Release date: Sept. 6, 2016

Director: Clint Eastwood

Box office earnings: $240.8 million

Bottom Line: Sully

This movie is yet more proof that if humanity is ever in a crisis, the only man we can trust is Tom Hanks. Or, at least, we can trust him to take the leading role of the hero who steps up.

The film's based on the harrowing true story of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger who used his skills and quick thinking to make a near-impossible emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River. In doing so, he saved everyone on board and a lot of lives on the ground in the nearby heavily populated areas.

10. The Green Mile

Release date: Dec. 6, 1999

Director: Frank Darabont

Box office earnings: $286.8 million

Bottom Line: The Green Mile

This Steven King supernatural novel is brought to life (all puns intended for those who have seen it) by Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. When a physically empowering but gentle and healing man is condemned to death for a crime he doesn’t seem capable of, one of his guards (Hanks) begins to not only witness his amazing abilities, but also realize he’s innocent.

Filled with heartbreak, hope and plenty of tear-jerking moments wrapped up in a fantastical storyline, this is a movie you can watch again and again (assuming you can handle the emotional roller coaster).

9. Saving Private Ryan

Release date: July 24, 1998

Director: Steven Spielberg

Box office earnings: $482.3 million

Bottom Line: Saving Private Ryan

Inspired by true events (but still a fictional story), this film is easily one of the greatest war movies of all time. Set in WWII, Tom Hanks plays a character who takes his troops into dangerous territory behind enemy lines in order to find and safely bring home private James Ryan.

Featuring some of the most intense and realistic action and battle scenes that are grounded in just as intense and realistic acts of bravery. It also features performances from Bryan Cranston, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Matt Damon and pre-"Fast and Furious" Vin Diesel.

8. Philadelphia

Release date: Dec. 22,1993

Director: Jonathan Demme

Box office earnings: $206.7 million

Bottom Line: Philadelphia

"Philadelphia"is not only one of the best, but it’s also arguably one of the most important movies in modern history. It marks the first time Hollywood or any mainstream storytelling media was willing to address the AIDS crisis. And it not only addresses it but also brings humanity to those who were dying from it.

By doing so, it made more people aware of what was happening so they could create more resources for both education and healthcare. And, most importantly, the film helped get rid of the ostracization and stigma encountered by those with the disease. Hanks played a closeted homosexual man who was fired from a major law firm for having AIDS and vows to sue the firm for discrimination. He is able to do so with the help of none other than the legendary Denzel Washington. Hanks won an Academy Award for Best Actor for this role.

7. Apollo 13

Release date: June 20, 1995

Director: Ron Howard

Box office earnings: $355.2 million

Bottom Line: Apollo 13

Houston, we have a blockbuster. This is the amazing true story of the seemingly doomed-turned-heroic mission of the Apollo 13 astronauts whose otherwise normal mission quickly turned deadly.

In order to do such a beloved and well-known true story justice, you have to make sure you have the right team. And that usually means having Tom Hanks as a lead. Bonus points if he delivers iconic lines, like the unforgettable, “Houston, we have a problem.”

6. Toy Story 4

Release date: Josh Cooley

Director: June 21, 2019

Box office earnings: $1.1 billion

Bottom Line: Toy Story 4

To be fair, pretty much all of the “Toy Story” movies could be on this list. But "Toy Story 4" deserves extra-special recognition for all the extra emotions it incites in audience members who watch it — not to mention the insane box office returns.

With a 97 percent critics review on Rotten Tomatoes and what has to be a secret partnership with Kleenex, this is one of the most heartfelt movies in an already heartfelt series. Though some franchises lose steam when characters are revisited, this one clearly didn’t. And a large part of that is thanks to the beloved Woody, voiced by Hanks.

5. Cast Away

Release date: Dec. 7, 2000

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Box office earnings: $429.6 million

Bottom Line: Cast Away

Only Tom Hanks could make people tear up at the sight of a volleyball being washed out to sea. "Cast Away" is pretty much a movie that features a few hours of Hanks attempting to survive being stranded on a desert island.

And, even though it may sound boring, it’s anything but. With his only real co-star being an inanimate object, Hanks brings everything he’s got to the role, which snagged him an Academy Award nomination.

4. Catch Me If You Can

Release date: Dec. 25, 2002

Director: Steven Spielberg

Box office earnings: $352.1 million

Bottom Line: Catch Me If You Can

In yet another film based on an unbelievable-but-true story, Tom Hanks is on the hunt for Leonardo DiCaprio in this instant classic. A con artist extraordinaire, Frank Abagnale, Jr. (DiCaprio) gets on the radar of a relentless FBI Agent (Hanks), who makes it his mission to catch him.

Only he vastly underestimates just how good the young man is at what he does, resulting in a delightful cat and mouse game. It has everything you could want in a movie — laughs, drama, action and an all-star cast that includes Christopher Walken, Amy Adams and Jennifer Garner.

3. Big

Release date: July 3, 1988

Director: Penny Marshall

Box office earnings: $151.7 million

Bottom Line: Big

Sure, it may surprise you to see a movie like "Big" so high on the list of a man who seems to only make legendary movies. But this film is legendary in its own right. Young Tom Hanks is in peak form in this late 1980s fantasy about a boy who wants to grow up too quickly, only to realize that being an adult doesn’t solve all of your problems.

He’s funny. He’s genuine. He’s vulnerable. He’s … perfect. He even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, which is particularly difficult to do in anything that isn’t an intense drama. This movie showed the world just what a superstar the man is, not to mention birthed a new generation of standing piano players.

2. Toy Story

Release date: Nov. 22, 1995

Director: John Lasseter

Box office earnings: $373 million

Bottom Line: Toy Story

This movie has an impressive 100 percent critics review rating on Rotten Tomatoes. There would be no multimillion-dollar "Toy Story" franchise without the original. And there would be no "Toy Story" without the beloved Woody, whose sincere love for Andy is so unconditional and universal, it struck a chord with people across the globe.

And Woody may not have been quite so universally loved or naturally iconic were it not for the universally loved natural icon who voiced him, Tom Hanks.

1. Forrest Gump

Release date: July 6, 1994

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Box office earnings: $678.2 million

Bottom Line: Forrest Gump

Even with handfuls of major movie blockbusters under his belt, Tom Hanks will always and forever be associated with one of the greatest characters in cinema history, Forrest Gump.In many ways, Forrest is an incredibly simple character. But he’s also incredibly complicated in his own way.

In Hanks’ hands, Forrest was brought to life with charm, playfulness and personality. And the world of boxed chocolates was never the same. He won a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.