Tom Hanks is one of the world’s most successful and beloved actors, but 2022 was far from his best year in terms of critical reception. While Austin Butler’s portrayal of Elvis Presley in Elvis received critical acclaim, and the movie itself was a runaway success, Hanks’ latex-laden performance as his exploitative manager Colonel Tom Parker was far more divisive, even earning him two Razzie nominations. To add insult to injury, he was also nominated for his role as Geppetto in the critically panned Disney live action remake of Pinocchio. It’s worth noting that both roles featured Hanks delivering his lines in accents very different to his own. While this worked well in Forrest Gump nearly 30 years ago, perhaps now accents are not Hanks’ strong point?
In December 2022, Hanks’ third movie A Man Called Otto began a limited theatrical release, before a wider release in the United States on January 13, 2023. Whilst by no means reaching the highs of some of his finest work, his performance was generally well received and managed to avoid the critical lambasting of Elvis and Pinocchio. In the dramedy, he plays the eponymous grumpy widower whose life is turned upside when a young and vibrant family move next door, and he begins to develop an unlikely friendship with his pregnant neighbor and gradually begins to come out of his curmudgeon shell.
Hanks plays perfectly into the “grumpy old man” trope that has become a staple of so many great movies over the years: the old guy who likes to complain about how the kids of today have no respect these days or how life was so much better when they were younger. Rarely the main antagonist, these characters are often unexpected sources of wisdom or can be the perfect comic relief in an otherwise serious situation. Below, we take a look back at the 10 greatest grumpy old men in movie history and rank them.
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10 Otto Anderson — A Man Called Otto
Sony Pictures Releasing
Following the poorly received turns from Tom Hanks in Elvis and Pinocchio, it was refreshing to see him truly bring a character to life in a performance that reminds us as to why he is one of Hollywood’s stars. His near-constant scowling and utter disdain for life in A Man Called Otto make the rare moments of happiness all the more special as he slowly begins to find a reason to live after the death of his wife. A moving and touching performance that perfectly demonstrate how the “grumpy old man” trope can be used to evoke emotion, as well as humor.
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9 Ted “Old Man” Clemens — Billy Madison
Universal Pictures
Ted “Old Man” Clemens plays a very small part in Adam Sandler’s 1995 classic comedy Billy Madison, but it was certainly memorable. The victim of a prank involving a flaming bag of feces, he steps out onto the porch in his underwear, cursing the kids responsible and ticking off every “grump old man” stereotype whilst doing it. One of the funniest scenes in the movie, clips of the prank on YouTube have garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
8 Mr. Nebbercracker — Monster House
Columbia Pictures
Monster House is an underrated computer animated horror/comedy film released in 2006. In this instance, Mr. Nebbercracker is an example of how a grump old man is so easily misunderstood. His standoffish and hostile personality combined with his “creepy” appearance lead the children to believe he is, in fact, the main villain and a genuine danger. In turns out, however, he is in fact trying to protect them from a far more sinister evil lurking in the Monster House.
7 Lt. Mark Rumsfield — The ‘Burbs
Imagine Entertainment
The second movie to feature Hanks on this list, only this time, he was certainly not the grumpy old man in question. Released in 1989, Hanks was just a whippersnapper in The ‘Burbs by comparison. The grumpy old man in this black comedy case is Vietnam veteran Lt. Mark Rumsfield. Poking fun at suburban environments and their often-eccentric inhabitants, it makes sense that there simply has to be one grumpy old timer. Despite Hanks’ headline billing, its arguably Bruce Dern’s performance as Rumsfield that steals the show with a character whose life experiences have left him cynical and opinionated.
6 Mickey Goldmill — Rocky
United Artists
Rocky Balboa’s no nonsense mentor and trainer, Mickey Goldmill is the perfect example of how the “grumpy old man” character can be used, not merely for comic relief, but as an integral character to the plot, a source of wisdom and inspiration, despite his often confrontational nature. The character was so well-developed in Rocky, in fact, that actor Burgess Meredith was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. The character’s legacy has lived on, with many of his lines still being quoted to this day, nearly 50 years after his first on-screen appearance.
5 Scrooge — A Christmas Carol
Disney/Jim Henson
Probably the most famous grumpy old man in history, and also one of the greatest redemption arcs, too. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has been adapted many times throughout movie history, but what better example than Michael Caine in the hilarious musical adaptation by the lovable Muppets gang. Completely subverting any expectations of Scrooge’s character being played for comic relief, the laughs come thick and thin from the Muppet supporting cast, whilst Caine, in a live action role, plays it completely straight, really bringing Scrooge’s miserly “bah humbug” attitude to life and making the final change in outlook all the more satisfying.
4 Melvin Udall — As Good as It Gets
TriStar Pictures
While all actors involved more than handled their own, As Good As It Gets is well and truly stolen by Jack Nicholson and his portrayal as Melvin, a grumpy, bigoted, OCD-sufferer, In fact, per Variety, Nicholson and Helen Hunt won the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively, making As Good as It Gets the most recent film to win both of the lead acting awards, and the first since 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs. Combining over the top oddball humor with genuine pathos and heart, As Good as It Gets is widely regarded as one of the finest movies of Nicholson’s later career.
3 Statler and Waldorf — The Muppets
Jim Henson Productions
If you’ve seen any Muppets movie or production, you’re bound to have come across the sidesplitting banter between the two resident grumpy old men, who live up to every stereotype we love from the trope, and turn it to 11. Most often seen heckling other members of the cast and, even at times, falling asleep due to a combination of boredom and old age, this couple of moody Muppets are certainly among the most entertaining on this list.
2 Walt Kowalski — Gran Torino
Warner Bros. Pictures
A rare example of a movie in which the grump old man in question is actually the main protagonist, and it couldn’t have been delivered with any more conviction than by the legendary Clint Eastwood in what is one of his finest performances in his vast and extremely impressive portfolio. He plays Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino, a grizzled, stubborn, and bigoted war veteran that despised what his neighborhood has become as he witnesses the youth getting drawn into the gang culture that has become so prevalent. As the story progresses, we begin to get exposed to the man he used to be, and the movie ends with one of the most satisfying and exciting redemption arcs ever committed to film.
1 Carl Fredricksen – Up
Disney/Pixar
The tear-jerking start to Up invoked the empathy of a nation, and as much as the stubborn curmudgeon groaned and grumbled, we never stopped rooting for him. Pixar’s Up is the perfect example of a movie that appeals jut as much to grown folk as it does to the youngsters, a rare mix that many studios have tried and failed at achieving. The magical adventure that is Up is kept grounded with the incredibly human depiction of Carl and his developing relationship. Up is one of the best animated movies of all time and that is largely thanks to this lovable grumpy old man.
