The Terminal is a good film that is funny, entertaining and deals with some good ol' fashioned drama situations. It felt very much like a documentary at times, maybe due to the fact it's based on a true story from the 1980's, but that didn't retract from the enjoyment factor. To say it's a story all about the trials and tribulations of just one man is perhaps a little too shallower way to sum it up but at certain times, you do wonder if the film's going anywhere. Such it is that the film DOES contain a few laughable moments adding to its comedy tag.
These come at certain intervals and everything in-between is just 'filla'. So there are some good, comic moments but in my opinion, there aren't as many 'funny' parts to make you laugh all the way through. The film deals with 'slapstick' humour in parts such as slipping over a wet floor or walking into a window. It's those sort of moments that do sort of distract from the film slightly.
Some of the stories within the film also feel generally annoying in the sense of the point of them being there. The film was supposed to be about one man (Hanks) I thought, NOT solely about anyone else and so I was rather surprised to see the little story about the food/cafeteria delivery worker attempting to get one of the other airport workers to fall in love with him. Things like that were flawed and distracted from the actual film. As I said before, that particular story line acted as a 'filla'; a way of upping the film length and it was disappointing.
Hanks' acting is good and although his accent was terribly annoying early on, I managed to adjust accordingly and with stand it all the way through. The character 'Gupta' is also rather amusing; using the simple concept of forcing people to slip up on his own polished floor merely for his amusement was rather odd- odd but funny none-the-less. Zeta-Jones' character and performance was also 'tolerable'. She wasn't in the film much I didn't notice but it's a good feeling when you realize Hanks has someone to really relate to as you stat to feel as if your feeling sorry for Hanks if you get into it too much and the acting from Zeta- Jones is some relief at least.
All in all I think you'll enjoy 'The Terminal' if you're the patient type. It's got a bit of humour, a bit of tragedy, a hint of romance and some moments where you'll really feel good for the characters as they finally get what they want after the last half an hour or so was probably built up to 'will it/they or won't it/they' not to mention the film itself on Hanks' struggle with staying in the airport.
生活中的等待永远不是停止，而是在不断地向着终点站前进。
幸福终点站
如果你身在异乡，突然听闻故土硝烟弥漫，而你本人种种身份也无人承认，语言不通，身无分文，被扣在机场进出不得……你该怎么办?
大导演斯皮尔伯格就勾勒了这样一个背景，讲述了一个这样的故事，描绘了一个这样的人物。名叫维克多·纳沃斯基的卡科尼亚旅客来到底特律机场，却被告之卡科尼亚国内发生政变，他所持的护照等身份证明已无法获得入境批准;而国内战争仍在持续，回国的所有航班都已停飞。维克多·纳沃斯基成了一个“不被承认的人”。他既不能回国，也不可踏入美利坚国土半步，除了候机大厅他无处可去，机场负责人狄克逊让他耐心等候。心急如焚的维克多待在大厅里，不懂英文的他找不到可以帮助他的好心人，仅有的几张食品券还被扫进了垃圾桶。他身无分文，无家可归，彻底成为了一个陷入绝境的人。
维克多开始在候机大厅里寻找安身立命之所。尚未使用的69号登机门成了他的家，他每天在洗手间洗漱，并且努力学习英文。很快维克多效仿别人为机场整理小推车赚到了钱买了吃的。但机场负责人狄克逊却将他视为麻烦并处处与他作对。狄克逊安排专人整理小推车，维克多失业了。好在天无绝人之路，他和机场开食品车的年轻人、清洁老人古普塔等交上了朋友，吃喝住都有了着落。维克多在机场邂逅了美丽的空姐爱西莉娅，为了和她共进晚餐他努力在机场中寻找工作。碰巧，他随手装修的墙壁被一个包工头发现，维克多被正式雇佣了——维克多的生活居然步入了正轨。一日，机场扣留了一个神色癫狂的俄国男人，狄克逊无法与他沟通;情急之下他想到了维克多.维克多稳住了狄克逊和那男人。他凭着自己在机场的这段时间学到的东西帮助那男人摆脱了困境。狄克逊因此大为光火，但维克多却成了整个底特律机场的英雄。每家商店都贴上了他的手印。每名工作人员都对他笑脸相迎。爱西莉娅与他再一次相遇。在爱西莉娅的追问下，维克多说出了自己坚持去纽约的原因：为了完成父亲的遗愿，他要前往纽约向一名爵士乐手索要签名。不达目的誓不罢休。爱西莉娅被维克多的真诚深深的打动了。
阳光灿烂的早上，卡科尼亚的内战结束了，此时的维克多已困居机场9个月。当每个人都期待他达成誓言时，狄克逊却要求他立即回国。并以遣返印度老人古普塔回国蹲监狱作为条件来威胁维克多.为了朋友维克多只有选择回国。当他候机的时候，古普塔老人毅然选择被逮捕以此换回朋友的梦想。每个人都落泪了。狄克逊也不再阻挡，美国向维克多打开了，纽约向维克多打开了。他终于实现了承诺，可以安心回家了。
当美国向维克多打开的那一刻，应照了那句贯穿了全片的话：“同情心是最重要的。”。机场就像是浓缩的美国社会一样，形形色色的人、语言、国籍、文化……维克多憨厚的笑脸和随机应变的灵活脑瓜，以及与朋友相处忠实不二的性格打动了热情的美国朋友，尤其是在他救下俄国男人后，更获得了各种族各国籍朋友的认可。严格不苟的冰冷法律可在热忱的同情心中融化。维克多实际上是获得了美利坚文化的认可。两种文化在个小小机场中交融碰撞，最后闪现的，是一颗颗赤诚之心。
短短120分钟的故事脉络清晰，斯皮尔伯格通过一个虚构的故事阐明了他心中的美利坚价值观。什么可以打动美国，什么是最重要的品行?影片告诉我们，那就是自强不息的坚持，以及热忱的同情心。
《幸福终点站》观后感：等待
《幸福终点站》是一部我很喜欢的一部电影，这是一部值得回味的好电影。
男主角Victor因自己国家的政变而只能滞留在偌大的机场，直到国家的问题解决，由于当时僵硬的法律规定，Victor一方面无法进入美国去完成自己父亲的遗愿，另一方面担心自己家乡的安危却又无法返程。
“I wait.”
在一个机场过日子似乎是难以想象，那里每天熙熙攘攘数千上万人来来往往，每个人都有自己的目的地，而Victor，他何时才能到达近在眼前的终点站呢?
塞翁失马焉知非福，乐观的人似乎总会得到上帝的庇佑，Victor在本该枯燥痛苦的等待中，以才华得到了一份好工作，以友善认识了各种在机场工作的朋友，还以自己的魅力结识了一位同样处于无尽等待中的“红颜知己”——空姐Amelia。美丽坦率的Amelia也一直在等待，“同病相怜”的两人相见恨晚，而Amelia也慢慢爱上了细腻憨厚的Victor。
在几个月的等待后，Victor在朋友的帮助下最终告别了机场，在纷纷的大雪中继续前进，完成父亲的遗愿，他等到了这一刻，到达了他的幸福终点站。影片也在这结束。
