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Once upon a time, Buck Howard (John Malkovich) spent his days in the limelight. His mind-boggling feats as a mentalist extraordinaire – not to be confused with those of a mere magician - earned him a marquee act in Vegas and 61 appearances on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. In his own humble opinion, his talents go far beyond simple sleight of hand – he can read minds and hypnotize not just a single soul but an entire room of people! But nowadays, it’s clear to everyone but Buck that his act has lost its luster; he performs in faded community centers and hasn’t sold out a theater in years.
Yet, with a hearty handshake and a trademark “I love this town!,” Buck Howard perseveres, confident in his own celebrity, convinced his comeback is imminent. He just needs a new road manager and personal assistant. As it turns out, recent law school drop-out and unemployed, would-be writer Troy Gable (Colin Hanks) needs a job and a purpose. Working for the pompous, has-been mentalist fills the former requirement, but how it satisfies the latter is questionable, especially to his father (Tom Hanks), who still assumes Troy is in law school. Nonetheless, with the aid of a fiery publicist (Emily Blunt) and a bold stroke of fate, Buck surprisingly lands back into the American consciousness, taking Troy along for the ride of his life.
As the coveted spotlight again shines on the great Buck Howard, Buck becomes the unlikeliest of teachers as Troy learns a few tricks he couldn’t possibly have picked up in law school.
 
SEAN MCGINLY - Writer/Director
TOM HANKS - Producer
GARY GOETZMAN - Producer
STEVEN SHARESHIAN - Executive Producer
MARVIN ACUNA - Executive Producer
TAK FUJIMOTO - Director of Photography
MYRON KERSTEIN - Editor
JOHN MALKOVICH - Buck Howard
COLIN HANKS - Troy Gable
EMILY BLUNT - Valerie Brennan
STEVE ZAHN - Kenny
TOM HANKS - Mr. Gable
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“IT LEFT ME ENCHANTED. It gives John Malkovich the showcase he deserves. Grade A-” – Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
“***1/2. I LOVE THIS GUY! Funny And perceptive. No one could have played Buck better than Malkovich.” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times
“WHEN AN ACTOR FINDS A PERFECT ROLE, A RARE SORT OF MAGIC HAPPENS. AND YOU CAN FIND IT ONSCREEN RIGHT NOW IN ‘THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD’.” – Elizabeth Weitzman, NY Daily News
“An agreeable, warm-hearted showbiz satire.” – Stephen Holden, NY Times
“***1/2. Malkovich leaves an indelible impression. A bit of a throwback comedy that should appeal to youthful and older audiences.” – Claudia Puig, USA Today
“WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT ‘THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD’. It’s a charmer.” – Lou Lumenick, NY Post
“SEE IT! Emily Blunt is delightful in this sweet, tender slice of showbiz life.” – Ben Lyons, At The Movies
“I REALLY ENJOYED THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD.” – Ben Mankiewicz, At The Movies
“**** Malkovich gives a wonderfully sly performance.” – Rob Lowman, LA Daily News
“A SWEET AND FUNNY FILM. John Malkovich’s performance is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.” – Sara Vilkomerson, NY Observer
“JOHN MALKOVICH IS A TOTAL GAS.” – Ella Taylor, Village Voice/LA Weekly
“THE FIRST GREAT FILM OF 2009. John Malkovich is mesmerizing. Colin Hanks is tomorrow’s star here today. “The Great Buck Howard” has a lot of heart: it’s sweet without being too sentimental.” - Sandy Kenyon, WABC-TV
“BUCK HOWARD WILL MAKE YOU CHEER! A scathingly funny, though not mean spirited, look at the cheesy side of show business.” – Marshall Fine, Star Magazine
“’THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD’ IS PRETTY GREAT. It’s glorious watching John Malkovich.” – Lee Grant, San Diego Union Tribune
“A SATISFYING FILM WITH LAUGHS, HEART AND A SENSE OF MYSTERY.” – Robert W. Butler, KC Star
“MALKOVICH IS SIMPLY A JOY TO WATCH IN A BIG JUICY PORTERHOUSE OF A ROLE.” – Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
“MALKOVICH MAKES IT HARD TO PASS UP THIS BUCK.” – Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
“**** A rare PG adult comedy sweet enough to merit the rating and smart enough not to insult the intelligence of its target audience.” –Geoff Berkshire, Metromix
“I predict a big-time career for Colin Hanks. John Malkovich’s career gets a welcome boost here.” – Rex Reed, NY Observer
"It might be the most affectionate look back at old-school entertainment since Peter O'Toole boozed his way through My Favorite Year. A smooth, strongly appealing comedy. A feel-good movie that doesn’t make you feel stupid for feeling good." - Scott Weinberg, Cinematical
“**** A SWEET AND SATISFYING FILM.” –Erin DeJesus, Metrosource
“A WONDERFULLY REFRESHING AND ORIGINAL FILM. This may be the best role and performance of John Malkovich’s career.” – Ed Douglas, Coming Soon.net
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