Splash Revisited: Tom Hanks’ Breakthrough Role In The Romantic Fantasy

Tom Hanks starred in the oddball little movie Splash before going on to win two Oscars and become one of Hollywood’s most adored names. Although this romantic fantasy-comedy, which came out in 1984, may not have the same stature as Forrest Gump, it was the film that first showed audiences Hanks’ indisputable charm and demonstrated his obvious destiny. Funny, warm, and unexpectedly moving, Splash wasn’t just his breakout; it was the film that let the world fall in love with him as he rose to prominence.

What Is The Plot Of Splash?

Directed by Ron Howard and screenplay by Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, and Bruce Jay Friedman, Splash tells the whimsical story of Allen Bauer (Tom Hanks), a fruit-and-vegetable businessman from New York who unexpectedly finds himself falling for a mysterious woman named Madison (played by Daryl Hannah). What he doesn’t know initially is that Madison is a mermaid.

Their romance, which combines fantasy with just the right amount of realistic emotion, takes place on the sandy beaches of Cape Cod. At the core of it all is a loving relationship based on acceptance and affection, but Madison’s curiosity and observation about the human world created some fantastic comedic moments. With the comical assistance of Eugene Levy as a clumsy scientist on a quest to reveal Madison’s secret and John Candy as Allen’s mischievous brother, the movie transcends the genre of romantic comedies, receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.