Dec 05 2008
The Eloquence of Words: Tom Cruise
Regardless of what you think–whether it’s his religion, his height, his choice of women, what have you–Tom Cruise, in his career, has had some pretty sweet scenes with very strong dialogue. I personally liked Tom Cruise from the very beginning–”Risky Business”, seriously, that subway scene (God bless Rebecca de Mornay), “Top Gun”. He has done more than simply be a heartthrob, though. Dear Lord, the man was nominated for “Best Supporting Actor” once already. He does know how to act. He unfortunately doesn’t get many parts that showcase a ‘character’. He rather gets parts that simply fill a ‘role’ or a ‘niche’–especially involving action or science fiction (”Mission Impossible”, “War of the Worlds”, “Minority Report” etc etc.).
But he has had a few films that really made him shine from a character standpoint. Dialogue radiated beauty, whimsy, comedy, intensity. His facial expressions were golden. You could mute the TV, turning the film into a silent feature, and still follow him just by his emotion.
So here’s a collection, in my opinion, of some of his best work. Him alone. Forget the quality of the film or whatnot. I’m simply talking about the actor himself. This one’s for you, Maverick.
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“Jerry Maguire”
“A Few Good Men”
“Magnolia”
