![]() The film focuses on Sam (Hanks), a widower grappling with the recent loss of his wife, and Annie (Ryan), who begins feeling unsatisfied with her relationship after hearing Sam on a call-in radio show (thanks to his precocious son, Jonah, being concerned about his dad's well-being). Sleepless in Seattle, written and directed by Nora Ephron, is regarded as one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time. Though that potential Hanks and Ryan team-up didn't pan out, it's good that Hanks said yes to this project. Interestingly, Tom Hanks turned down the movie role that ultimately went to Billy Crystal. Sleepless in Seattle reunited Meg Ryan with Nora Ephron, who wrote When Harry Met Sally's screenplay. And in that case, I probably wouldn't have done Joe Versus the Volcano." if you start trying to predict what the audience will or will not believe or buy, well, then you just start playing it incredibly safe. Despite flopping just as Hanks was becoming a big star, he liked the risk of the movie ( via Bobbie Wygant Archive): It's definitely not the most exciting or funny movie, but Joe Versus the Volcano still manages to be enjoyable. The film also has some thought-provoking reflections on what it means to really live life, though there is also an undercurrent of mental health issues that could've been more deeply explored. Ryan brings her signature charm to all three roles and has chemistry with Tom Hanks every time. Meg Ryan plays three different characters in the film: DeDe, Joe's co-worker at the medical company, Angelica, a self-described "flibbertigibbet" socialite with a passion for art, and Patricia, Angelica's hardened half-sister who accompanies Joe to Waponi Woo despite being angry that he's working for her father. ![]() However, Joe Versus the Volcano has a lot of charm to it, especially from the two leads. The movie has a very whimsical tone that doesn't always work, and the final act of the film, which takes place on Waponi Woo, hasn't aged well, especially since white men Nathan Lane and Abe Vigoda play two of the islanders. After Joe (Tom Hanks) is told by a doctor that he suffers from a terminal disease called "brain cloud," he decides to quit his advertising librarian job for a medical company and takes up an offer from an eccentric wealthy man to travel to the island of Waponi Woo and jump into a volcano so the island residents can appease the volcano's fire god. The bizarre plot is likely a big reason for audiences being apprehensive. Joe Versus the Volcano was a flop, despite Meg Ryan's recent success with When Harry Met Sally and Tom Hanks' hit film Turner & Hooch. We're just really there to have fun, this is supposed to be a creative experience " In an interview with Gary Foster, the producer of Sleepless in Seattle, Ryan explained what she enjoyed about working with Hanks (via TODAY): Despite Joe Versus the Volcano's failure, the partnership continued and with much greater success. Joe Versus the Volcano was a box office flop and got mixed reviews from critics, though the film now has a cult following. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks first worked together in Joe Versus the Volcano, directed by John Patrick Shanley. Meanwhile, Tom Hanks started out in horror with the 1980 slasher film He Knows You're Alone with his breakthrough moment also coming in '80s romantic comedy in 1984's Splash. The film was a massive hit, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Ryan and cementing her as a star. However, Ryan didn't truly break out into the mainstream until 1989's rom-com When Harry Met Sally, where she co-starred with Billy Crystal. When Meg Ryan first got her start in the '80s, she had a few minor roles, including a stint on the soap opera As the World Turns and a role as Carole Bradshaw, the wife of pilot Goose in Top Gun. However, the two actors were clearly drawn to working together with the Hanks and Ryan collaborations spanning nearly a decade and three standout movies. Tom Hanks' best movies represent some of the greatest movies of all time with the likes of Big, Forrest Gump, Toy Story, and Saving Private Ryan while Meg Ryan cemented herself as one of the most recognizable names in the rom-com genre with When Harry Met Sally and Kate & Leopold. Individually, the two stars enjoyed a high level of popularity in the '90s, but their collaborations represent some of the most acclaimed and beloved entries in their respective filmographies, ranging from cult classics to rom-com classics. The actors have made three romantic comedies together combining their winning chemistry with some unique love stories and a good sense of humor. Certain on-screen pairings make for an ideal cinematic team and each of the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movies has added to their reputation as one of these iconic duos.
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