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Dec
19
Written by:
Bill Bonfanti
12/19/2008 4:49 PM
 With the December 25 th release of his new film, Valkyrie, and a Golden Globe nomination for his hilarious turn in Tropic Thunder, Tom Cruise is on the comeback trail. Too be fair, it was never Mr. Cruise’s films, but his public persona, that led his career into a downward spiral the last few years. Being honest, I think Tom has been raked over the coals for no real reason at all. Shouldn’t actors, directors and all artists alike be judged on their body of work and not who they are in real life? Tom Cruise has entertained audiences with great movie after great movie for 25 years! He deserves respect and admiration for that alone. Really, did Tom deserve to be ridiculed for the things he has done and said in the last few years? Let’s examine. Let’s start with the Oprah incident. Tom jumps up and down on a couch to proclaim his love for Katie Holmes. A man who is one of the most popular actors ever, has more money than God and a perfect life is jumping up and down because he’s in love!? Call me crazy, but if I were Tom Cruise, I would jump up and down on a couch 24 hours a day. What about the rumors about Tom and Katie? She doesn’t really love him, he is a control freak husband, Suri is L. Ron Hubbard reincarnated. Give me a break. Could it be possible that Tom and Katie are madly in love and are thrilled to be building a family together? I know… it is a hard theory to swallow. Then there is his speaking publicly about Scientology, sharing his beliefs with the world. What if Tom were Catholic or Jewish? Would anyone deride him if he spoke passionately about those religions or any religion other than Scientology? Probably not. Not to mention that the last time I checked, the good old U.S of A was the land of religious freedom. I could defend him forever, but with this recent resurgence of goodwill toward former media punching bag Tom Cruise, I thought it was a good time to take a look at his remarkable career. Since 1983 when Tom hit it big with Risky Business, he has gone on to star in 26 more movies (not including cameos like Austin Powers in Goldmember), 15 of which, grossed over $100M. Although Risky Business put him on the map, it wasn’t until 1986, when Top Gun was released that his career truly took off. For the rest of the 80’s, Cruise worked with some of the more talented directors around (Martin Scorsese in The Color of Money, Barry Levinson in Rain Man and Oliver Stone in Born on the Fourth of July) to hone his craft as an actor to stunning results. He gave Oscar worthy performances in each of those films and cemented his status as a bankable leading man.
By the times the 90’s rolled around, Tom Cruise was unstoppable, starring in nine movies (5 of which grossed more than $100M) and he continued to work with some of the best directors in Hollywood (Ron Howard in Far and Away, Rob Reiner in A Few Good Men and the legendary Stanley Kubrick in Eyes Wide Shut). He also continued to hone his craft, co-starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ensemble, Magnolia, which won him a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2000 Academy Awards (his third nomination behind Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire). He also starred in the updated version of Mission: Impossible, launching an action franchise for himself. In fact, Mission Impossible II was his first film to make more than $200M domestically (even though it could be in fact his worst movie). In the current decade, Tom has released 10 films, 8 of which grossed $100M or more. That number may jump to 9 though, as Valkyrie comes out next week.
All in all, over 25 years, Tom Cruise has successfully navigated almost every genre of film, from action to sci-fi to comedy to drama to romance and everything in between. He is truly one of the best actors of his generation and deserves all the kudos, appreciation and respect stowed upon other actors such as Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando and Paul Newman. He may be 25 years into his career, but you can bet that Tom Cruise will continue to entertain us for many years to come. I’d now like to list my 10 favorite Tom Cruise movies (in no particular order) and would love to know what some of your favorites and least liked are.
1- Tropic Thunder – This is perhaps the funniest movie I have ever seen. I don’t need to tell you how brilliant Cruise is in this, the Golden Globe nod speaks for itself. Just watching him dance over the closing credits makes me fall off the couch with laughter.
2- Mission : Impossible III – The first was really good, the second not so much, but with writer/director J.J. Abrams at the helm, MI 3 is one kick ass thrill ride and the best of the series.
3- Collateral – Tom Cruise is perfectly paired with Jamie Foxx as a ruthless hitman on a killing one dark night in L.A. Cruise sheds his good guy persona with ease, giving a chilling performance as Vincent the contract killer.
4- The Last Samurai - Director Edward Zwick is known for his epic films (Glory, Legends of the Fall and Blood Diamond) and this one is no different. Cruise gives a tour-de-force performance as an American military advisor who embraces the Samurai culture after he is captured in battle.
5- Minority Report – Spielberg + Cruise = Sci-Fi masterpiece. Enough said.
6- Jerry Maguire – One of the best romantic drama/comedies ever. Tom Cruise gives an endearing performance as the agent who recently discovered his heart.
7- A Few Good Men – Incredible writing, acting and directing in this military court room drama makes it one of my favorite movies of all time.
8- Rain Man – Cruise is excellent in this film, overshadowed only by Dustin Hoffman’s incredible performance as Raymond, the autistic savant.
9- Magnolia – I have to be honest. I don’t really like this movie, but Cruise’s performance as oily, sex guru Frank ‘T.J.’ Mackey is amazing and he received a well deserved Oscar nom for his performance.
10- Top Gun – What’s there to say about Top Gun? Cruise turns on the charm big time as the pilot with the need for speed. The fact that this action blockbuster still entertains over 20 years later says it all.
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3 comment(s) so far...
Re: Cruisin' for a Comeback
I deeply admire your blogs, Bill, because they're so conversational and well thought out. However, while you're absolutely right that Cruise has been vilified for his off-screen personna recently and not for his body of work, there are good reasons for it. Religious beliefs are personal, and if he chooses to espouse them, he is definitely protected by the First Amendment. However, whenever he does speak about those beliefs on a national or international forum like a televised interview, the public has a right and duty to voice their opposition if they have it. And I submit that if a priest or a rabbi said anything like what Cruise said (except, of course, espousing their own beliefs - like the "sin of abortion" or views on Palestine, for example), they too would be denegrated for it, if they were able to capture the same-sized audience.
The fact that Cruise is an entertainer does not absolve him from the negative attention inherent in the great dialog that is American democracy. If he chooses to speak about what most people consider fringe beliefs, then he also chooses to risk his popularity with those same people. I think much of Hollywood suffers from a disconnect with the rest of the country; actors like Crusie who have achieved an incredible level of success lose touch with those of us paying $10 or more a ticket to help them achieve that stardom, and forget that what they believe is not gospel, but often the incoherent ramblings of spoiled millionaires.
I happen to be a fan of his work, however, and loved every one of those films you listed - with the major exception of Magnolia. Let me say this first - Cruise was awesome in that, and if he was the only part of the movie, it would have been brilliant. But he was only a fraction of a film that went on for many, many interminable hours. The first nine hours weren't that bad, but I started to get fed up with it about half-way through. By the time the film concluded with a Biblical rain of frogs, I felt I had spent an epoch in an Old Testament Hell. While it may have showcased one of Cruise's best performances, it is one of the worst films I've ever endured (right behind The Cook The Thief The Wife and His Lover). Uggh. L. Ron Hubbard talked about "missing time", and after watching Magnolia, I want mine back.
By Ange66 on
12/27/2008 7:05 PM
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Re: Cruisin' for a Comeback
I understand what you are seeing and I do agree with you. My point is that whether you agree with his beliefs or not, it shouldn't keep you from seeing his movies. Mission Impossible III being the perfect example. It's a great movie and deserved to make a ton of money, but failed to because of the public perception of Mr. Cruise. This just isn't right. I think Axl Rose is one of the biggest idiots who ever lived but it's not going to stop me from listening to Guns and Roses. I guess what I'm really trying to say is, why as a country do we care what celebrities are thinking? It really is the fault of the media for giving celebrities a platform to air their beliefs and opinions. In truth, the only thing a celebrity should be allowed to talk about in a public forum, is their body of work.
By Bill's Blog on
12/30/2008 6:01 PM
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Re: Cruisin' for a Comeback
One more thought. I do agree with you about Magnolia. I said as much that I really don't like the movie. It only made the list because of Cruise's performance. I too felt like it was an exercise in torture to watch the whole movie and when frogs started to rain from the sky I wanted to claw my eyes out.
By Bill's Blog on
12/30/2008 6:04 PM
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