Combined, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have made some of the most moving stories ever put to film. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Forrest Gump, two films that come to mind that stretch the bounds of believability but do not break while tugging the heart strings.

In The Terminal, the two re-form an alliance to bring the story of a man trapped in an airport terminal, for months on end, to life. Hanks plays Victor Navorski, a traveler from the fictional Eastern European country of
Krakozhia. During the flight from Krakozhia, a war break out, rendering Navorski's passport invalid. The man gets stuck in the International Terminal, unable to enter New York City or return to Krakozhia.

Here, the two master filmmakers again stretch the bounds of believability.  And again, thanks to their extreme talents, the bounds do not break. Slowly, Navorski learns the language, find ways to earn money for food,
makes friends and finds a love interest, Amelia Warren, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Through all of this, Navorski is hounded by the Homeland Security officer in charge of the airport, Frank Dixon, played by Stanley Tucci. Dixon is so immersed in bureaucracy's red tape, he is unable to see or care about the human toll his actions take. It is the use of this bureaucracy that keeps the story believable. Relating to the frustrating
battle between human reality and red tape confines is an experience most  viewers have encountered.

Reaching for the heartstrings is where this movie falls apart. There are scenes so overly saturated in Hollywood drivel, the entire movie is ruined by the attempted sentimentality. Those scenes ruin what is another quirky, enjoyable performance by Hanks. Zeta-Jones and Tucci likewise play their parts to perfection. If only The Terminal had concentrated on the story and performances rather than swinging for the fences and missing badly.