The Movies of Tom Hanks Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dragnet

"Dragnet" starred Dan Aykroyd as Sgt. Joe Friday and Tom Hanks as Det. Pep Streebek. This movie is about a thief who leaves a calling-card with the word Pagan at the crime scenes, and it's up to Detectives Friday and Streebek to solve the crimes.

In the TV series starring Jack Webb as Joe Friday, Harry Morgan played the part of Detective Bill Gannon, a role he reprises in this movie, as now Captain Bill Gannon. Also, in one scene a photograph of Captain Gannon's wife is visible; it is the same photograph used in the TV series "M*A*S*H" as the wife of Colonel Potter, a role also played by Harry Morgan.

Answer: Big

"Big" was nominated for many awards including two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, one of which was won by Tom Hanks for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture. This movie also tied with "Twins" for the 1989 Favourite Comedy Motion Picture in the People's Choice Awards, USA.

A twelve-year-old boy makes a wish to be big, when he isn't tall enough to ride the roller coaster at a fairground. When he wakes up the next day his body has grown to man-size; however, inside he still remains twelve years old. Now he has to learn how to cope with the adult world of getting a job and of course, romance.

On the American Film Institute's 2000 list "100 Years ... 100 Laughs", "Big" was ranked at number 42. "Big" was named by the AFI in 2008 as the tenth-best film in the fantasy genre. Also in 2008 "Empire Magazine" selected "Big" as one of "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time".

Answer: A League of Their Own

"A League of Their Own" is a fictionalised story of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that was created during World War II. The movie was made on a budget of $40 million and grossed over $140 million world-wide.

On the American Film Institute's list of "The 10 Greatest Film Quotes of All Time", Jimmy Dugan's (Tom Hanks') line "There's no crying in baseball!" ranks 54th.

Brook Shields was offered the lead female role that was eventually written out. Debra Winger was to be in the movie but, due to a back injury, she was replaced by Geena Davis.

All of the actresses in the movie did their own baseball stunts, and had to prove at their initial audition that they could play baseball.

The movie's theme song "This Used to Be My Playground", was co-written and sung by Madonna, for which she received a Golden Globe Nomination.

Answer: Philadelphia

"Philadelphia" was nominated and won many awards, including being nominated for five Academy Awards and winning two: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Tom Hanks) and Best Music, Original Song (Bruce Springsteen for "Streets of Philadelphia"). The movie was nominated for three Golden Globes and won two, again Tom Hanks for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, and Bruce Springsteen for Best Original Song. Bruce Springsteen also won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture, "Streets of Philadelphia".

The Tom Hanks' role of Andrew Beckett was first offered to Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia and Daniel Day-Lewis. For the role ultimately taken by Denzel Washington, Robin Williams and Bill Murray were both considered. For his role as Andrew Beckett, Tom Hanks had to lose over 25 lbs to appear gaunt in the later scenes of the movie.

Sixteen cast member of this movie and some of the crew were also in "Silence of the Lambs" and "The Manchurian Candidate" both of which were also directed by Jonathan Demme.

The world-wide gross for "Philadelphia" was over $206 million.

On the American Film Institute's 2003 list of "100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains", the character of Andrew Beckett is number 49, and the film itself is rated number 22 on the AFT's "100 Years...100 Cheers" list in 2008.

Answer: Saving Private Ryan

"Saving Private Ryan" was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won five: Best Cinematography; Best Director; Best Effects (Sound); Best Editing and Best Sound. The movie was nominated for ten BAFTAs and won two; it was nominated for five Golden Globes and won two for Best Director - Motion Picture, and Best Motion Picture - Drama.

Nearly all of the principal actors in this movie had several days of demanding army training for their roles. The role of Private Ryan (Matt Damon) was initially offered to Edward Norton, who turned it down. Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson were earlier considered for the role that went to Tom Hanks.

On the 2006 American Film Institute list of "100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time", "Saving Private Ryan" ranks at number 10.

On the AFI 2008 list of the "10 Greatest Epic Films", this movie ranks at number eight.

On the AFI 2007 list of the "Greatest Movies of All Time", this movie ranks at number 71.

Tom Hanks was inducted into the US Army's Hall of Fame in 2006 as an honorary member because of his portrayal of a company commander in "Saving Private Ryan".

World-wide, the film grossed over $481 million and was the highest grossing film in 1993.

Answer: The Green Mile

"The Green Mile" was directed by Frank Darabont and starred Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, Bonnie Hunt, David Morse, and James Cromwell. The story revolves around John Coffey (Duncan), a large, black, gentle giant, who has been (wrongly) convicted of raping and killing two young white girls, and the extraordinary powers of healing he has.

"The Green Mile" refers to the corridor of lime-green linoleum which death row prisoners have to walk along to the room containing the electric chair.

The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, among many others. It had an estimated budget of $60 million and grossed over $136 million in the USA alone.

The author, Stephen King, was happy when Tom Hanks was cast in the role of Paul Edgecomb, as he had envisioned Hanks in this role.

Answer: Cast Away

"Cast Away" was nominated for two Academy Awards, one BAFTA and one Golden Globe. It was also nominated for, and won, many other Awards. The movie had a budget of $90 million and grossed over $181 million world-wide.

For his role as Chuck Noland, Tom Hanks allowed himself to grow pudgy and out of shape for filming the earlier scenes in this movie. Then production was halted for approximately twelve months so Hanks could lose weight and grow his hair longer and grow a beard. He lost approximately 50 pounds to look the part of a castaway.

Apart from the opening of the movie, during the following one hour and forty-three minutes there is absolutely no musical score. Once the Hanks character leaves the island, the only music heard is provided by an oboe, a piano, and strings. Tom Hanks' voice provides the only dialogue for that same period of time.

Wilson is a volleyball used by the character Chuck Noland as his friend and only companion for the four years he was on the deserted island. Three volleyballs were used for Wilson, one of which sold at auction for over $18,000.

Answer: Road to Perdition

"Road to Perdition" starred Tyler Hoechlin, Paul Newman, Liam Aiken, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, and Tom Hanks. It was nominated for six Academy Awards and won one for Best Cinematography. It was nominated for three BAFTAs and won two and Paul Newman was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

The estimated budget for this movie was $80 million and it grossed $161 million worldwide. This movie was Paul Newman's final on-screen feature film. The director, Sam Mendes has a small cameo role as a bodyguard near the end of the movie.

Answer: The Terminal

"The Terminal" starred, among others, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, and Tom Hanks. Victor Navorski (Tom Hanks) cannot be deported as he is a man without a country and is told that he has to stay at the airport until matters can be resolved. So he sets up residence in the airport terminal where he makes friends with the people who work there.

This movie is inspired by an actual event. An Iranian refugee landed at Charles de Gaulle airport in France in 1998 on his way to England, and was detained at the airport because his passport and United Nations Refugee certificate had been stolen. He lived in the terminal until 2006 when he was hospitalised as he was ill.

Steven Spielberg could not find an airport anywhere in the world that would allow him to make this film, so he had one constructed in a very large hangar at the Los Angeles/Palmdale Regional Airport that had been used by the USAF to build the Rockwell International B-1B bomber. The set was true-to-life with real food, coffee, etc. which were sponsored by real companies. There were actual working escalators. The film grossed over $219 million worldwide.

Answer: The Da Vinci Code

"The Da Vinci Code", based on the book of the same name by Dan Brown, starred Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina and Tom Hanks as Professor Robert Langdon. It was nominated for many awards, including a Golden Globe. It had an estimated budget of $125 million and grossed $758 million worldwide. Bill Paxton, Russell Crowe, George Clooney, Hugh Jackman and Ralph Fiennes were all considered for the role of Robert Langton.

Some scenes in the movie were actually filmed at night in the Louvre. Since the actual painting of the Mona Lisa was too precious to be exposed to the harsh light necessary for filming, a replica was used in its place. In total, five replicas of that artwork were used. Similarly, no blood or writing was allowed on the floor of the Louvre so those scenes were shot elsewhere.

No filming was permitted in Westminster Abbey, so another cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, was used. Whilst filming in Lincoln Cathedral, the bell Great Tom, which strikes every hour, was silenced for the first time since World War II.