Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks had a fantastic yet brief reunion in the big screen for the former's directorial debut in “Ithaca.” Hanks and Ryan starred almost two decades ago in the hit romantic comedy movie, “You've Got Mail” and some other movies that made Ryan’s face a common sight in romantic comedy films.
Sources from E! Online revealed that Ryan and Hanks both play as parents of the 14-year-old Homer (Alex Neustaedter). The short scenes between the two are heartwarming, intense, and still full of chemistry. The plot of “Ithaca” is very dramatic, and is set on the second World War about a family that has been immensely affected when a family member has to fight for the United States abroad.
Ryan said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that she never thought Hanks would agree to do a cameo appearance because he usually gets much better roles. “Tom was such a sweetheart, he really did not have to do that. At the end of his shooting, Tom told the crew that he is thankful for the effort and dedication my crew put in for my first movie as an actress and director.”
“Ithaca” was adapted from a 1943 novel by William Saroyan, “The Human Comedy," wherein the main protagonist is Homer, a teenage boy who works as a telegraph messenger to financially assist his widowed mother after his brother had to be sent overseas to fight for World War II.
Since “Ithaca” was a low budget film, it was featured in smaller film festivals. It garnered good reviews at the Virginia Middleburg Film Festival on October 2015. It will have a limited release on different states this Sept. 9. However, no nationwide release date is scheduled for "Ithaca.”
