Tag Archives: Tom Hanks

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Polar Express

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Welcome to the second movie in the Christmas At The Movies series. It’s a fun look at Christmas movies and the leadership lessons they can teach. We’ve partnered with our church, The Gateway Church, to provide supplemental content as they share the faith-based lessons these movies can teach.

Red movie theater curtains

Today, we’re diving into the leadership lessons in The Polar Express. Fun fact for those of you who haven’t been following Reel Leadership and the blog for an extended period of time, I welcomed my friend, James W. Schreier, to share his thoughts on it. He’s a lover of leadership and trains. It was a perfect fit for him. Now, we’re bringing you our take on this family-friendly movie.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Asteroid City

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

I’m not very familiar with director Wes Anderson’s films. The only film of his other than Asteroid City that I have viewed is the 2009 Fantastic Mr. Fox. That was an enjoyable and unique movie.

Having recently watched Asteroid City, I’ve been left confused and scratching my head. I’m not sure what I watched. From what I gathered, the film is about a famous author and a fictional play he wrote about a grieving father.

The tale weaves in and out of the play, a few intermissions, and an epilogue. 

There are some laughs, an interesting story filled with A-List stars, including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, and others, along with a lot of confusion. There are also plenty of leadership lessons in the confusion. We will look at those leadership lessons from Asteroid City in today’s Reel Leadership article.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Finch

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Finch is a film starring Tom Hanks and showing exclusively on Apple TV+. The film is a survival film set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

While I wasn’t expecting an emotional joyride, Director Miguel Sapochnik and writers Craig Luck and Ivor Powell pulled off an emotional ride. The story hinges on Finch’s (Hanks) journey to find someone to care for his dog, Goodyear, when he passes.

Tom Hanks as Finch in Finch the movie. Jeff the robot behind him

Finch is ill. He knows he doesn’t have long to live. So, he does what he can do and builds a robot companion, Jeff (Caleb Landry Jones), to care for the dog when Finch passes. The connection formed between the threesome is heartwarming and touching. As a dog lover, I completely understood Finch’s desire to see his beloved pet cared for after his death.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

A Reel Leadership Article

As I typed out the title for the latest Reel Leadership article, I couldn’t help but want to sing the song It’s a Beautiful Day in This Neighborhood. The title of A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood brings back all sorts of memories.

Yet, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood won’t tell you the story you were expecting. At least it didn’t for me.

Mr. Rogers tossing his loafer from one hand to another

Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers

I was expecting this movie to be about Mr. Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks), his life, and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. In A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, you get to see people from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. These include Mr. McFeely (Daniel Krell), president and CEO of The Fred Rogers Company Bill Isler (Enrico Colantoni), and producer Margy (Carmen Cusack). But these people aren’t the main focus.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Toy Story 4

A Reel Leadership Article

Toy Story has been a favorite movie of mine for as long as I can remember. Watching the story of toys come to life reminds me of childhood and how I used to play with toys. I’m sure I imagine I used to think my toys could come to life when I wasn’t around. I mean, what kid didn’t?

Toys from Toy Story 4. Includes Buzz, Woody, Bo Peep, Gabby Gabby, and others

This is part of the charm of the Toy Story movies. The story is relatable to every child and child-at-heart. But that’s not the only thing that makes Toy Story great.

The Toy Story cast is amazing. The cast of Toy Story 4 includes the returning voice actors:

Michigan native Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear

Tom Hanks as the cowboy Woody

Annie Potts as Bo Peep

Joan Cusack as Jessie

Wallace Shawn as Rex

John Ratzenberger as Hamm

Blake Clark as Slinky Dog  Read more...