Tom Cruise appreciation thread

sxt

Anyone a fan of his career?

I never realised he only averages about one movie per year? There are alot of really good movies in there!


My favourites are Vanilla sky ,Collateral and Magnolia. Which do you prefer?



2012 Rock of Ages (post-production)
Stacee Jaxx

2011 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Ethan Hunt

2010 Knight and Day
Roy Miller

2008 Valkyrie
Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg

2008 Tropic Thunder
Les Grossman - Grossman's Office

2007 Lions for Lambs
Senator Jasper Irving

2006 Mission: Impossible III
Ethan Hunt

2005 War of the Worlds
Ray Ferrier

2004 Collateral
Vincent

2003 The Last Samurai
Nathan Algren

2002 Minority Report
Chief John Anderton

2001 Vanilla Sky
David Aames

2000 Mission: Impossible II
Ethan Hunt

1999 Magnolia
Frank T.J. Mackey

1999 Eyes Wide Shut
Dr. William 'Bill' Harford

1996 Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire

1996 Mission: Impossible
Ethan Hunt

1994 Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles
Lestat de Lioncourt

1993 The Firm
Mitch McDeere

1992 A Few Good Men
Lt. Daniel Kaffee

1992 Far and Away
Joseph Donnelly

1990 Days of Thunder
Cole Trickle

1989 Born on the Fourth of July
Ron Kovic

1988 Rain Man
Charlie Babbitt

1988 Cocktail
Brian Flanagan

1986 The Color of Money
Vincent Lauria

1986 Top Gun
Maverick

1985 Legend
Jack

1983 All the Right Moves
Stefen Djordjevic

1983 Risky Business
Joel Goodsen

1983 Losin' It
Woody

1983 The Outsiders
Steve Randle

1981 Taps
Cadet Captain David Shawn

1981 Endless Love
Billy

Killer Pigeon

In before Scientology.

Hank_Jones

I actually think Tom Cruise is underrated, but his career is laden with far too much trash for me to ever consider appreciating him.

Always get the feeling that if he hadn't sold his soul, he could have been a good enough actor, instead of a hollywood chump.

Oblig pic :pac: :

Handsome Bob

I don't think there's an actor who has taken on more genres than Cruise has. From Horror to Thriller to Comedy to Action to Drama to Sci Fi, the guy has impressed in all of them and he deserves credit for that.

Giruilla

I've been a fan of everything he's done up until his past two films. I've a feeling he may have taken a turn for the worse.

According to imdb he's due to star in two upcoming science fiction films where he battles with aliens :pac:!

Spudmonkey

Giruilla wrote: »

I've been a fan of everything he's done up until his past two films. I've a feeling he may have taken a turn for the worse.

According to imdb he's due to star in two upcoming science fiction films where he battles with aliens :pac:!

Battlefield earth springs to mind. I wonder will this be another true story?

Mackman

Ive always been a fan of Tom Cruise. Im on my own within my circle of friends, but IMO he is definatly A-list, and if he's in a movie i will definatly give it a go.

Frank Black

Always thought that Dustin Hoffman unfairly got all the plaudits for Rainman, the Tom Cruise character was more difficult to play.

saintsaltynuts

Magnolia,Born On The 4th of July dont say the man cant act.Weird alright but a good actor.

Duggy747

I like Cruise, I don't normally bother with an actor's personal life unless it's something that repulses me like paedo stuff.

All his cooky behaviour a few years ago have really stuck on him unfairly, marking him as a lunatic rather than an entertaining actor.

Sad Professor

I miss when you could talk about Tom Cruise movies without somebody bringing up Scientology or aliens or whatever other nonsense the tabloids are saying about him. There's so much rubbish out there about him that doesn't match up one iota with the man described by those who have actually met him.

I think he's had a great career, worked with some brilliant directors and done a lot of different kinds of films. And he's a helluva good actor too.

JoeA3

Sad Professor wrote: »

I miss when you could talk about Tom Cruise movies without somebody bringing up Scientology or aliens or whatever other nonsense the tabloids are saying about him. There's so much rubbish out there about him that doesn't match up one iota with the man described by those who have actually met him.

I think he's had a great career, worked with some brilliant directors and done a lot of different kinds of films. And he's a helluva good actor too.

+1. I've read / heard on several occasions that he's a really nice guy in person. Other than the Scientology stuff, which I couldn't give rats ass about (sure we all have our hobbies/interests which may seem odd to others!), I've never heard much negative about him... or have I missed something?

I've enjoyed most of his movies, and his name attached to a movie would certainly attract my attention.

Attabear

I think Tom Cruise is usually associated with quality.

His films may not be your cup of tea but you can't deny he works with the best and most talented people and you can never say he sleepwalks through any of his films.

Still not sure of him as Jack Reacher though but if it's good enough for Lee Child....

I've always said judge the art not the artist. Does his religious convictions or his public personna influence my enjoyment of his films? Not an iota and from everything I've read/seen of him he is one of the few who treats his fans with the upmost respect and will happily spend hours signing autographs and meeting his fans. Something that many of his A-List cohorts would never consider.

Cruise is one of the most consistently entertaining actors out there. He's not afraid to take a risk and seems to genuinely enjoy what he does. A quick look through his films and while they may not always be great he's consistently entertaining in all of them.

Simian!

I think Cruise is one of the only genuine superstars left in Hollywood - I'd be drawn to any film he's in. I think the weirdness that surrounds him adds to his credentials as a superstar.

I brought this up with a group of friends a while back and everyone unanimously agreed that he was a great actor. He's had a few cheesey parts but that's fine as far as I'm concerned. His performances in Rain Man, 4th of July, Collateral, Minority Report, Valkyrie, Vanilla Sky, Magnolia, Jerry Maguire etc. compensate for any of the bad press he gets in his personal life and his films are usually box-office successes. The relentless witch-hunt attempting to out him is repulsive.

krudler

I like Cruise, always have. He's one of the few stars whose name alone guarantees box office success and there's a reason hes one of ,if not the most bankable movie star in the world.
He throws himself into roles like few other A listers do, some of the stunts he does for movies are insane, like the Dubai tower sequence in MI4. hell one of the most thrilling scenes in MI3 is simply him hauling ass along a riverbank while the camera car is desperately trying to keep up. Given all the tabloid nonsense you hear about him any time he appears on chat shows (the infamous Oprah segment aside) he comes across as nothing but a gent. The scientology stuff is hokum but really is it much different than people thanking invisible space wizards for helping them win grammys and oscars, which nobody seems to mind?

Its no fluke to be the biggest start in Hollywood for over two decades, and doing challenging roles aside from the popcorn stuff, he played a much more difficult role than Dustin Hoffman did in Rain Man and held his own.

Dempsey

The Les Grossman stuff posted here is class!

What I would like to say has been covered by others.

Couldn't care less about his religious beliefs/jumping on couch antics.
Has done an excellent range of roles and took on every movie genre worth talking about.
Does his own stuntwork where possible.
Always entertaining

JP Liz V1

Bryan Cranston on Tom Cruise

I don’t think there’s any harder working actor in Hollywood than Tom Cruise

Walt says it all

Shryke

He's very good. I enjoy the flamboyant style he brings to things. Valkyrie was very very bad. I couldn't finish it. But then I saw the new MI and it's very good fun. Full of plot holes at every step but who cares. The same with Knight and Day, it shouldn't have been good but it was. No one else could pull these rolls off like he does. He can do very well and very badly but I do like him. At least he embraces the crazy. I can respect someone who stands up for who they are.

lukin

I don't like him for all that Scientology stuff but I admire the dedication he puts into his roles, most notably the Burj Khalifa stunt. To be doing that at 47 is some going, fair play.

krudler

on the lighter side of things:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL-8SL8cFVQ

tunguska

Its gotta be Frank TJ Mackey in Magnolia. I think the cruiser is always solid but in this he goes to another level. That year he lost out in the best supporting oscar category to Michael Caine(cider house rules). That decision still baffles me. Not that Michael Caine was bad, I think he was good in that role, but not even in the same league as Cruise. That scene where Frank is by his fathers dead bed and berrating him for abandoning him and his mother is one of the best pieces of acting I've ever seen.

johnny_ultimate

I'd be of the opinion that an actor is only as good as the director or material they're working with. And when Mr. Cruise has the right role, he is certainly a charismatic presence. He has the intelligence to make out the most out of scripts and characters. I am a strongly anti-Scientology, but I do not see a Scientologist on screen. I see a talented, energetic actor, albeit one who - like pretty much every actor - has made some very poor decisions (Knight & Day, MI2) alongside the great ones (not many have enjoyed the privilege of working with everyone from Spielberg to Anderson to Kubrick).

Jimdagym

Love the cruise. Sick of people putting him down. Pretty much everyone he works with commends his ethic and professionalism.

Him and John cusack are the only actors that I will go see everything they make in the cinema regardless.

Retro Police

I used to actively despise Cruise. I have no idea why, his views etc. meant nothing to me but maybe I was subconconsciously influenced! Then I watched Magnolia and it completely changed my opinion of him. He's incredibly talented and the variety of performances really has to be admired.

Naos

- Always puts in great peformances

- Known for creating the long walk on the red carpet and has missed his own premieres as he's spending time outside with fans

- It's built into his contract that if one of his kids calls then the shooting stops no matter what.

Sounds like a good guy to me. I dislike that a lot of people rave on about the Scientology aspect - Christianity is just as bad and just as fictional.

krudler

Naos wrote: »

- Always puts in great peformances

- Known for creating the long walk on the red carpet and has missed his own premieres as he's spending time outside with fans

- It's built into his contract that if one of his kids calls then the shooting stops no matter what.

Sounds like a good guy to me. I dislike that a lot of people rave on about the Scientology aspect - Christianity is just as bad and just as fictional.

I dont hear people calling celebrities insane because they thank a space wizard for helping them win oscars and grammys. "I'd like to thank Jesus for blessing me with this MTV Movie Award for Best Kissing Scene"

Jimdagym

Speaking of red carpets, remember that bell who sprayed him in the face?

Naos

krudler wrote: »

I dont hear people calling celebrities insane because they thank a space wizard for helping them win oscars and grammys. "I'd like to thank Jesus for blessing me with this MTV Movie Award for Best Kissing Scene"

Exactly my point. Just read this actually:

Christianity: The belief that a Jewish man who was also his own father can make you live forever if you drink his blood, which is magically transformed from wine, but only if you first telepathically tell him you accept him as your master in order for him to remove an evil force from you (which he also created) and which is present in everyone as a de facto because a woman who was made from a rib of Adam ate a magic apple after being tricked by a talking snake who he also created. ......okay

I'm not wanting to get into a religious debate, it's just generally whenever Tom Cruise comes up in conversation people that don't like him will tend to use scientology as one of the reasons.

Thinking about it I really don't think that there is another actor as appreciative to his fans as Cruise. He has time after time spent the duration of his premiers outside signing autographs, getting his picture taken with fans and just interacting with them. Far too many stars has nothing but contempt for people when approached but that Cruise will never say no to signing an autograph or getting his picture taken says a lot. The mans just a decent guy. You often hear about him giving money to charities and visiting hospitals close to where he's filming and unlike the majority of other stars he doest do it for a photo opportunity simply to get his face on TV.

Keanu Reeve's would be another actor who makes the time for his fans. He's also supposed to be a really nice guy who will happily stop and chat with his fans, sign autographs, etc. That he gives away hundreds of millions of dollars without ever making a big deal about it says a lot. From the money he made making the Matrix series he gave most of his salary away to people who worked on the film but earned a fixed wage, such as the CGI artists. Out of the 70 million pounds he earned from the series he gave 50 million away. He's also gave tens of millions to cancer research and other charities yet you rarely hear about it, unlike some celebrities (looking at you Bono) who every time they give 5 euro away will have a press conference to announce just how charitable they are.

dr gonzo

This thread is great. I always get such slaggings for standing by Cruise. I've always liked him as an actor, Ive always thought he was a nice guy and the abuse he gets for his personal life which hurts nobody is appalling. I mean, the mind boggles at the anger and vitriol directed at the guy because of what...? Hes a scientologist? Why do people care?

Anyways yeh, hes a consistently excellent actor who works very hard, never phones it in, always entertains and, on top of that, is a genuinely nice guy. Hes a top class character in every sense.

dr gonzo

dr gonzo wrote: »

This thread is great. I always get such slaggings for standing by Cruise. I've always liked him as an actor, Ive always thought he was a nice guy and the abuse he gets for his personal life which hurts nobody is appalling. I mean, the mind boggles at the anger and vitriol directed at the guy because of what...? Hes a scientologist? Why do people care?

Anyways yeh, hes a consistently excellent actor who works very hard, never phones it in, always entertains and, on top of that, is a genuinely nice guy. Hes a top class character in every sense.

His personal life is just that his. While I don't agree with many of his beliefs and believe that Scientology is a dangerous cult it really has no bearing on my enjoyment of his films. Same goes for Mel Gibson, the man may have a few screws loose but if he continues to make interesting and entertaining films I couldn't care less.

krudler

Jimdagym wrote: »

Speaking of red carpets, remember that bell who sprayed him in the face?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf8UgyYVDEI

this gobsh1te, ok celebrities arent above having the piss taken out of them and they should have a sense of humour about themselves, but this was in front of a lot of people who turned out to the premiere of one of his movies. and Cruise was giving the guy a genuine interview, not talking about his suit or rattling off some random soundbites like most stars do at red carpet things, you can tell he'd been talking to him for a while by his body language and then in the midst of it squirts him in the face, Cruise was right to call him out on it.

JoeA3

krudler wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf8UgyYVDEI

this gobsh1te, ok celebrities arent above having the piss taken out of them and they should have a sense of humour about themselves, but this was in front of a lot of people who turned out to the premiere of one of his movies. and Cruise was giving the guy a genuine interview, not talking about his suit or rattling off some random soundbites like most stars do at red carpet things, you can tell he'd been talking to him for a while by his body language and then in the midst of it squirts him in the face, Cruise was right to call him out on it.

Haha, Cruise handled that really well. The fool with the squirter ended up looking like the idiot after that.

krudler

JoeA3 wrote: »

Haha, Cruise handled that really well. The fool with the squirter ended up looking like the idiot after that.

excatly, if it had been done somewhere else then ha, fair enough, the hollywood star had a little joke pulled on them, no harm done, but the guy was taking time to grant this moron an interview when there was probably dozens of reporters begging for one along the same red carpet.

blue note

For me, some actors have a personality on screen that runs through all of their films and Tom Cruise is the top of this list. I've seen loads of his films including the ones he gets praise for his performances for - Born of the 4th of July, Magnolia, Jerry Maguire, etc. But in all of them, I'm always aware that I'm looking at Tom Cruise (whereas in a daniel day-lewis film for example I hardly think of the actor at all).

That said, for me it stops him being a great actor, he's still very good. Especially in Tropic Thunder, possibly his best performance.

duckworth

I think he's a creep, and watching him on Jonathon Ross the other night, he really came across as a serious egoist.

The main problem with an actor like this is he courts so much public attention, that it is almost impossible to separate the real man from the character he plays.

He does star in one of my favourite films of all time, Eyes Wide Shut. Apart from this, I really don't enjoy his films.

dr gonzo

duckworth wrote: »

The main problem with an actor like this is he courts so much public attention, that it is almost impossible to separate the real man from the character he plays.

I dont agree at all. I think he does the promotion of his films willingly and generously when it comes to his fans but other then that hes reasonably reserved about public attention.

The point is he's not perfect, same as the rest of us, but what is there not to like about the guy? He seems friendly and extremely appreciative of his fans. Thats a rare characteristic in A-Listers I would think.

Aidric

From that list provided in the OP, 1999 was clearly a golden year with two stand out performances.

FlashD

Another Cruise fan here and that list of films from the OP speaks for itself.

Reckon he'll be heading into a transition phase in the next few years as he's starting to look a bit old for the hearthrob action man roles.

If he keeps going it will be interesting to see where he finds his niche as many an actor seem to eventually fade out.

the whole year inn

JoeA3 wrote: »

Haha, Cruise handled that really well. The fool with the squirter ended up looking like the idiot after that.

Im not sure what this says about me,but I would have hit him if he squirted me like that,what a ****ing prick tho in fairness.

Marco Polo 1990

Great actor, has had many good roles over the years, doesn't get the credit he deserves sometimes!

krudler

this was a cool feature on the MI3 dvd:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYx3A1kAn6o

sxt

tunguska wrote: »

Its gotta be Frank TJ Mackey in Magnolia. I think the cruiser is always solid but in this he goes to another level. That year he lost out in the best supporting oscar category to Michael Caine(cider house rules). That decision still baffles me.

Me too .I was surprised when he did not win an oscar! He was probably at his peak star wise in that year

Like has been said in previous posts,I think Tom Cruise is an A lister in every sense, he has time for people and you could imagine that he would be one of the few in that category that you could imagine approaching without getting tackling by a security guard

An A lister professionally, both in the selective work he chooses and the 100% commitment he takes on in all his roles. I can't think of any other actor in his status, that would have done those scenes on the outside of the Burj Dubai tower, and not many with a better consistant Cv of movies


role on Rock of ages!

sillo

Cruise is a class act, no two ways about it. Couldn't care less what he does in his free time, the guys got major acting chops and there's a reason he's been a cornerstone of hollywood for as long as I can remember...