A lot of movie viewers claim this movie is just a mixture of Forrest Gump and Castaway - it's easy to think that considering the star of all three films is Tom Hanks, but it's so much more! The Terminal was Spielberg's jaunt into a "date night" movie, but with his classic themes of father-son bond and, of course, biopic (the story is loosely based on a real story).
This film has so much charm and heart that it's easily one of my favorite Spielberg films. The casting of Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski is what makes this movie work. He is the perfect sympathetic character. Stanley Tucci as the stories villain is also fantastic in his role (I love him, he can play so many different characters so well). The merry band of misfits that Navorski encounters in his 9 months in the terminal round out the film in a humorous and touching way.
I remember seeing this movie twice in one day - first with my best friend Erin, and then later that night with my dad as a father-daughter date. It charmed me both times.
It doesn't talk down to the audience, and a lot of the humor is subtle in a look or gesture of the actor. It's a classic Spielberg flick. Not sure it's the "smartest" I've ever seen, but it's definitely the one that's stuck with me most.
"Do you have an appointment?"