My Hanks and Roberts-meter goes from Meh to Huh, That Was Surprisingly Palatable With A Couple of Genuinely Good Moments. And I've read so many of Molly Ivins's stories about Charlie Wilson (sadly, the only thing I can find online is this, but the Texas chapters of Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She? are full of glorious Wilson tales) that the subject matter is nigh irresistible to me.

Replace Hanks and Roberts with, say, Robin Williams and, well, anyone up to and including Kate Winslet, and I would resist, resist, resist, such is Williams' kryptonite factor for me. Tom Hanks, though, I can manage.

It's possible that the mere existence of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey are setting my acceptable-movie-star bar too low; practically anything with a white male lead between 30 and 60 could have been cast with either one of them, and all the ones that aren't feel like perilous narrow escapes.

I like Hanks in quite a few things-- Splash, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Bosom Buddies, and That Thing You Do, which he also did a fine job directing.

Just watched Big for the umpteenth time the other night and in spite of the BF Elephant in the middle of the plot I still love it.

I saw P.S. I Love You this afternoon. It was pretty good, although the ending was too Hollywood pat/cutesy for me and Jeffey Dean Morgan apparently rode into the movie on the back of the Contrivance Fairy. I did like Hilary Swank's character, and sympathized immensely with her when she was trying to grieve and her friends and family were all over her telling her to get over it already and that mourning is so 5 minutes ago. Did these people not see that her dead husband was played by Gerard Butler?!? They should be grateful she didn't fling herself on his casket at the crematorium as it was rolled into the furnace !

I am Matt. Walk Hard looks excruciatingly stupid and Charlie Wilson stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, two of my most hated.

Wow, you really are me, because that sums up exactly why I wouldn't see either movie.

I still like Tom Hanks, but am depressed that he seems to have bought his own hype so completely.

So, Matt, Gerard Butler gay? Whattaya think?

I can't like Big because of the sex. It totally creeps me out.

I like Hanks in quite a few things-- Splash, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Bosom Buddies, and That Thing You Do, which he also did a fine job directing.

LOVED him in Apollo 13 (though my love for Ed Harris eclipses Hanks, really), but the ultimate Tom Hanks movie? One word: Dragnet.

LOVED him in Apollo 13 (though my love for Ed Harris eclipses Hanks, really)

Favorite Apollo 13 actors in ascending order: (4) Tom Hanks, (3) Gary Sinise, (2) Loren Dean (as the oh-so-hot EECOM guy who works with Mattingly to get the power-up routine in order), and (1) Ed Harris.

So, Matt, Gerard Butler gay? Whattaya think?

Depends on how many falling stars I get to wish on in the next year.

Seriously, I can't tell... I've wondered, but that may just be due to wishful thinking rather than any real vibe I've picked up. The combo of him being from the U.K. and very much my type makes it too difficult for me to get a good read on him without actually meeting in person.