Tom Hanks Admits He Contributed To The Failure Of His Worst Movie

Tom Hanks is one of those actors that fans just can't help but love. He has featured on the big screen countless times, won two Oscars and many other accolades. He is also known worldwide for his nice-guy reputation and nickname as 'America's Dad.'

There are very few films that Hanks acts in that are easily forgettable as he brings a certain talent and excellence to every role he takes on. Despite how talented he is, Hanks still has a few box office flops and some films he later referred to as failures.

Hanks once admitted that he had a hand in making what is referred to as his worst film. Audiences and critics rated this film poorly, despite the efforts of Hanks and the crew. Read more to find out what film it is and Hanks' role in its failure.

Hanks acted in "The Bonfire of the Vanities" in the 1990s and has severally referred to the film as his worst movie to date. The film came shortly after his breakthrough in the films "Big" and "Philadelphia" and shocked viewers with how poor it was.

"The Bonfire of the Vanities" was a black comedy and satire that starred Melanie Griffith and Bruce Willis. According to IMDb, Hanks later said he knew he would "never do a movie as bad" and admitted that he had a part in how poor the movie turned out.

He also said, "When we were making it, that movie was huge. We couldn't make a move anywhere in New York City. Everybody was talking about it. Everybody was miscast, me particularly.

"Brian De Palma deals with iconography more than filmmaking." Hanks continued, "He is the most uncompromising filmmaker — both in a good way and a bad way — that you'll ever come across. This is the guy who made Scarface. So his take on it was just one of those things.

Hanks also said that another reason "The Bonfire of the Vanities" flopped was because it was a poor adaptation of the novel by Tom Wolfe. He said, "You can't take a book like Tom Wolfe's that has changed the way people talk and think and change it into a palatable movie, or alter the thrust of what the source material is talking about. It may not translate in a way that is going to work."

The film had a budget of $47 million, which was relatively high for films of that era, but it failed to earn back its budget. Box Office Moo brought in only $16 million domestically and didn't do much better internationally.

It was also highly criticized by audiences and film critics and was given a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Hanks can be thankful that the film didn't dent his rise to the top and only served to help him learn more about the industry.

With his experience from movies like "The Bonfire of the Vanities," Hanks quickly learned about the film industry and took on more significant roles behind the camera. One of the films he had more creative control over was "That Thing You Do," which he wrote and directed.

In the 2011 film "Larry Crowne," he also did this where he acted alongside Julia Roberts. These are just two out of the many films that Hanks has actively produced over the years. He has produced and starred in his own movies and others and done very well for himself.

Many of these movies were very successful, such as "Charlie Wilson's War," "Cast Away," "Mamma Mia!" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." The most recent of these films is the 2020 war film "Greyhound," which Hanks has a screenplay credit on.

Hanks is still an outstanding actor with many successful roles to his name alongside his talent as a producer. Back in the 1980s, he was one of the leads on the TV show Bosom Buddies and eventually earned his big break on the 1984 film "Splash."

In 1988, he acted in "Big," and these two roles established him as a rising star in comic movies. He demonstrated his talent in the drama genre with the films "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump," and won Oscar awards for both films.

Since then, Hanks has only gone up and gotten better. Today, he is one of the best and all-rounded actors in Hollywood. From touching dramas, historical epics, romantic tales, to hilarious comedies, Hanks has done them all and been excellent.

His armory includes films such as "Captain Phillips," "Saving Private Ryan," "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," "You've Got Mail," and many more have cemented Hanks' status as a legend in the film industry.