Joe Banks (Tom Hanks) is dying, or at least he thinks he is. He’s a hypochondriac convinced that there is something terminally wrong with him, probably due to all the fluorescent lights at his job. He’s miserable in his work, is alone and doesn’t really feel that life has anything to offer him. So when he goes to a new doctor, he gets the diagnosis he’s been waiting for–a “brain cloud”, a terminal disease that will kill him within five months. Joe is actually kind of happy. Feeling strangely liberated, he even asks out the office secretary (Meg Ryan) that he likes .
And then he gets an intriguing offer from a business man. Joe can quit his job and go to a tropical island, home to the Wuponi Woo (an indigenous tribe that loves orange soda), and there will live like a king for a short time. The catch- when the time comes he will have to sacrifice himself to a volcano. It seems the Wuponi need a sacrifice because they believe their island will sink otherwise. Joe takes the offer and is given money to buy new clothes, luggage (which is virtually indestructible and comes in very handy) and then will complete his journey over a couple of stages with help from the business man’s two daughters. Angelica (also Meg Ryan) is to get him to New York City where her sister Patricia (Ryan’s third role) will sail Joe to the Wuponi’s island. Patricia can’t quite understand why Joe would want to jump, but she’s determined to take him to his destiny, despite the fact that they fall in love with each other.
“Joe Versus the Volcano” is one of those movies that either speaks to you, or you hate it. And if you get it, you love it. It is the first pairing of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks and perhaps one of my favorite all time movies. While it is a funny movie (Abe Vigoda does a great job as the Wuponi’s chief), it really has a message that makes you think. It is really about a man who is so despondent that he’s given up on life. But through the perils he faces on the way to the island, he learns about the joys of life again. As it is somewhat of a romantic comedy (though not entirely so) is does have a happy ending. If you’ve never seen “Joe Versus the Volcano“, I highly recommend it. Just go into it with no expectations and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It is rated PG and is suitable for most audiences.
Some interesting facts about the movie: if you watch closely, you’ll see foreshadowing all throughout the movie (especially in the beginning) that clue you in to the journey Joe will take.
Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Abe Vigoda, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges
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