Heartland Hanks: “Man Called Otto” Scores With Red States

Tom Hanks is no longer a box-office draw in the traditional sense.

Hanks’ recent work either debuted on streaming platforms (“Greyhound,” “Finch”), drew withering reviews (“Pinocchio”) or failed to draw a crowd in theaters (“News of the World”).

That’s no slight against the two-time Oscar winner. Most stars today can’t guarantee box office success.

Hanks’ latest film, “A Man Called Otto,” It is reversing that trend. Although the film was initially released in only a few theaters at the end of last year, it has slowly increased its screen count. The results are impressive.

It grossed $15.3 million in its third–weekend wide expansion over the four-day MLK weekend, well surpassing its $8M projection.

That’s stunning given the recent failures of more highly regarded dramas like “The Fabelmans,” “Tar” and “Till.”

“Otto” Hanks plays Otto Anderson, a retired man who contemplates suicide after the death of his wife. His mood lightens after meeting his new neighbors, a Mexican family who need Otto’s particular set of life skills.

Otto can drive a stick-shift car, fix things around the house and perform tasks today’s Millennials can only dream of tackling.

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Critics haven’t saved “Otto” Box office devastation. A fine, but not spectacular, 69 percent is achieved by the film. “fresh” Rating, with many reviewersthis one included() Pan the film. The film is loved by the general public, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 97 percent.

Several left-leaning news outlets are crediting the film’s connection with Heartland audiences as the movie’s “It” factor.

“There’s 3,000 miles between Los Angeles and New York City, and Hollywood should start making movies for them!” one veteran producer screamed to me at a recent awards-season event…

True, we’ve had movies like Top Gun: Maverick and American Sniper that have played to the heartland, but there’s the belief more movies catering to Middle America are needed to help the box office surge back to pre-Covid levels, particularly with a greater proportion of mid-grossing titles.

Variety, no ally of Heartland values, shared a similar sentiment regarding the film’s box office haul. The site reports that the film’s studio sensed its red-state potential and leaned into it.

Sony focused on the heartland cinemas for its second weekend. 637 locations were screened the film, as the company believed the story would resonate across the country and not just along the coasts. It was Sunday by that Sunday. “Otto” The film, which was shown in far fewer theaters than competitors, earned $3.76million and placed fourth on the domestic box-office charts.

Hanks’ character is a throwback in more ways than one. Yet the film doesn’t discard or diminish him. “Otto” This is a story about a man who overcomes his crusty exterior to make a comeback. And it’s his knack for fixing what needs to be fixed which opens the door to his salvation.

That’s proving to be catnip for audiences. And Hanks, often called this generation’s Jimmy Stewart, is the right man for the job.