The Great Buck Howard Movie Cast, Plot and Everything to Know

Plot

What's the story about?

Plot

Once upon a time, Buck Howard 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 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, who still assumes Troy is in law school. Nonetheless, with the aid of a fiery publicist 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.

Comedy Drama

Top Cast

The lead cast starring in The Great Buck Howard.

• C
  Colin Hanks

  Nobody 2, Nuremberg

• 
  Tom Hanks

  The Phoenician Scheme, Here

• 
  Kevin Kline

  Beauty and the Beast, Disclaimer (mini series)

• 
  John Malkovich

  Fantastic Four: The First Steps, Opus

• 
  Emily Blunt

  IF, Steven Spielberg 2026 Project

Crew Behind the Film

The The Great Buck Howard behind-the-scenes crew and production team.

The film's writer Sean McGinly last wrote The Old Man and the Gun.

Director

Sean McGinly

Screenwriter

Sean McGinly

Producers

Gary Goetzman
Tom Hanks
Sidney Kimmel

Production Details

What we know about the The Great Buck Howard movie production.

Key Facts

• Tom Hanks will also make a special appearance in the film playing his son Colin's on-screen father.

Production Updates for The Great Buck Howard

Jan 2009

Completed

Changed The Great Buck Howard movie production status. The movie is ready for release.

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Additional Information

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Questions

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