The premis of Steven Spielberg's "The Terminal" might seem far-fetched, (a non-English speaking Eastern European tourist is stranded in limbo in JFK airport after a military coup in his own country has left him citizen-less, unable to enter US soil or return home), and since he's played by the very non-Eastern European Tom Hanks, the whole thing should fall flat on its very Spielbergian face and, of course, it's sentimental in the extreme. However, "The Terminal" is based on an actual incident that occurred in France, even if the director has taken considerable liberties with it.
In the hands of anyone else, it would probably have just been plain silly but Spielberg knows exactly what he's doing and in Hanks he's got a sublime actor who can actually carry this potential nonsense off. The critics mostly hated it and the Academy ignored it but it's actually very funny and superbly acted, especially by Hanks and Stanley Tucci as the less than likeable Head of Security. I've seen it described as Capraesque but fundamentally it's 100% Spielbergian and this gem isn't just one of his most underrated films, it's also one of his best.
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