Sleepless in Seattle is remembered as a classic rom-com that redefined the genre, but almost 30 years later, it mostly feels like the first time Tom Hanks made it work without really trying.

While Meg Ryan acts like a crazy person and Ross Malinger plays the most insufferable child in cinematic history, Hanks is largely a blank slate: 90% grieving widower plus 10% charming dad. Yet people loved it anyway, as Nora Ephron’s second feature made $227 million worldwide. On our latest stop through the career of Tom Hanks, we attempt to figure out why.

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