Tom Cruise should have won the Oscar for Magnolia

I concur.

Yes! I love this movie and Tom’s performance is the stand out. I would say it was a career best

Jude Law and the not nominated Christopher Plummer were better.

Christopher Plummer was fantastic in THE INSIDER and it's ridiculous that he wasn't nominated.

Jude Law was fantastic too

....

Agreed; it was the only time I found him sexy (in an asshole way)

“It’s a shame he hasn’t given us real acting since.”

He’s in Cruise Control. His servomechanism has taken over the throttle, producing a locked in speed.

I thought he was better in the motivational talk scene

Oh please, absolutely not!

It was a completely 'making faces and pretending it to be acting' performance.

I hated that movie. I rather liked him in The Last Samurai.

You would think with all the money he’s made Tom would focus on doing good work in indies instead of continuing to make action films. Surely he’s well off financially.

It’s not about money r12

It’s about ego

He was brilliant in the role. It was a very showy and over the top performance but it worked great in this movie.

I always forget how gorgeous and hot 90s Cruise was.

I loved this scene

Haaaated that movie. Hated everyone in it too.

The Last Samurai would have people screeching about cultural appropriation today.

R17 I never watched that one. Should I?

More so than Born on the 4th of July?

His bulge in this always makes me wet.

Also, this move still stuns. The acting, the soundtrack, the direction :chef’s kiss:

On the DVD there's a delete scene/blooper where Cruise's character is trying to use a fake story about a dead puppy to seduce a woman, but he keeps breaking character and laughing. I wonder if he would've won if the film had included the scene -without the laughing, of course.

Another typical performance by la Cruise, as he shows once again that he has no clue about what actual human beings are and how they behave.

OP either is a blind-and-deaf nursing home patient or an idiot.

I feel like I’ve read, maybe here on DL, that he later told people he regretted doing this movie because his character is so sleazy and unlikable. Anyone else remember this?

R24 wouldn’t shock me. Reminds me of Woody Harrelson after Natural Born Killers or Marky Mark after Boogie Nights

Magnolia is probably the worst movie I ever sat through. Pretentious garbage.

I heard that particular dialogue wasn't on the script, Tom thought about his real life estranged father who died years ago and what he would say to him and his real emotions came out. Interesting that it was about being a “cock-sucker”

[quote]Pretentious garbage.

I agree, PTA believing his own hype a bit too much. His movies are too long, have bad pacing and the overall meaning gets lost in all the unnecessary scenes that drag the movie down. He needs to stop writing his own scripts and needs to work with a editor that tells him that not EVERY god dammed scene PTA filmed needs to be in the movie. Typical mistake of directors who take themselves way too seriously and are too precious about their own work.

R28 I feel he did great with Boogie Nights and did overall well with Magnolia, but everything you said is exactly why I hate Inherent Vice

[quote]You would think with all the money he’s made Tom would focus on doing good work in indies instead of continuing to make action films. Surely he’s well off financially.

R12, I agree. Don't know why he seems to feel he still has something to prove with all the action movies. You'd think at this point in his career that he'd be interested in doing more character work, which would also increase his chances of getting more award recognition (the Oscar especially).

In the OPs clip the monologue he's doing seems like an acting exercise rather than genuinely felt; he does a bit too much indicating but to be fair I haven't seen the whole film but thought Cruise was terrific in Born on the Fourth of July and in a small part in Endless Love. Thought the kid from the Sixth Sense should have won that year over Michael Caine and the rest.

I think Tom does it for excitement and the rush. That’s why he does his own stunts. He needs the rush.

I don’t think he has an actual passion for the acting part anymore.

[quote]You would think with all the money he’s made Tom would focus on doing good work in indies instead of continuing to make action films.

The money goes to scientology, he's their golden goose.

R27 that was in the script. Him begging him not to go toward the end was not in the script.

No. He is always playing himself and a terrible actor. He never loses himself in a role, never feels like a different person.

I think Cruise has been underrated as an actor.

R31 thats the character as a whole

Magnolia is one of those films where you can't help but immediately think less of anybody who likes it. Insufferable. Not a single genuine moment in that whole 3 hours.

Once upon a time Cruise was a great actor AND bona-fide old school movie star. Shame he decided being Omegamaster Thetan Conqueror whateverthefuck was more important.

Isn’t Magnolia like 2 hours?

And yes, Magnolia was insufferable. Trim about 45 minutes of PTA's worst instincts and it could be a great film.

R39 everyone knows he was a massive movie star. The world knows his name and his films made $$$. Even his stupid movies like Cocktail made money. People flocked to see his films.

^ Yes, thanks. My point is he was also a great actor. It's actually not too common to be both.

PT Anderson made one good movie. Well, 2/3 a good movie. (Face it, Boogie Nights fizzles out )

Every PTA movie sucks. Why have critics been fooled into thinking he's brilliant? His musical equivalent is his ex, Fiona Apple. They're both obnoxiously overrated and self-indulgent. You just get the vibe that people are pretending to like their work because they've been told that is make them cooler or smarter. They should get back together, then promptly fuck off with their pretentious, fake-deep bullshit.

it makes*

Cocktail made $171 million in 1988, which would be $374 million today.

That’s a lot for a dumb romcom which wasn’t believable in any way.

r44 Boogie Nights sucks too. It's just a beat-for beat lesser pastiche of Goodfellas.

R48 not even slightly

r49 Watch them both again. Even the opening scene is a direct rip-off.

Why in the early PT Anderson films are there unattractive closeted gay guy mooning over a straight guy? That seems like an odd well to go to more than once.

That's what I liked about Tom in the '80s and '90s was he would mix up the big Hollywood hits with more interesting fare like Color of Money, Born on the 4th of July, and Magnolia.

He really went downhill in the '00s when he fired his publicist Pat Kingsley and jumped on Oprah's couch. It hasn't been the same since. He seems like he's in arrested development like Madonna.

The Last Samurai always makes me think of this skit. I never saw Magnolia but Cruise made me laugh in Tropic Thunder and Interview with the Vampire. I wish he did more dark comedy because he can handle it.

Uh, no. Shouting, yelling and fidgeting are not equal to great performance. But he should have from Tropic Thunder.

R52 yes! He could have done anything after Risky Business and chose Legend, and did The Color of Money about the same time as Top Gun. And at the height of his popularity he did stuff like Born on the 4th of July and Interview with the Vampire. He was definitely striving at one point for a more interesting filmography.

R50 I’ve seen both many times. The only similarity is the Opening scene

R55 well he was so newly famous. He had to prove he wasn’t just some hot flavor of the year and could actually act, if he wanted career longevity.

1999 was a very very good year for American films.

[quote]He really went downhill in the '00s when he fired his publicist Pat Kingsley and jumped on Oprah's couch. It hasn't been the same since. He seems like he's in arrested development like Madonna.

They're very similar in some ways. Totally in their own little worlds and separated from reality for a very long time. Unable to accept getting older and losing relevancy (it happens to everyone, even the biggest stars) and basically having public breakdowns because of it. Still desperately trying to appeal to a young audience who has no interest in them and completely embarrassing themselves. Younger people have celebrities from their own generation who they follow, they're not interested in people who are old enough to be their grandparents.

r56 Then you're blind. And Boogie Nights is nowhere near Goodfellas' level. But I guess people are fooled at the camera being waved around every 5 seconds to a "Now! That's what I call the '70s!" soundtrack.

R57, his being newly famous was no longer an issue after Top Gun. His interesting choices lasted almost 2 decades after that.

Hard Eight was a great PTA movie. Very intense character drama, the movie centers around just 3 characters, all excellent performances. Philip Baker Hall, Gwyneth Paltrow and John C Reilly. Tout storytelling and brilliant cinematography.

There Will Be Blood and The Master were also good but unnecessary long. I never liked Boogie Nights that much. Wahlberg is not a good actor and him as the main character ruined the movie imho.

I couldn't finish Inherent Vice. I thought it was utter garbage.

I loved Phantom Thread and Hard Eight.

I thought There Will Be Blood was beautifully directed.

I haven't liked any other PT Anderson movies. Inherent Vice and The Master were too forgettable, and Boogie Nights and Magnolia were flashy but immature and forced.

Actually he was just playing himself (see London tirade). The black female interviewer was masterful.

He was playing himself making faces. The TC Magnolia scene always reminds me of how much of a mental retard he is.

Tom Cruise's role was only meant to be a cameo - death bed scene with Jason Robards.

For what ever reason PT Anderson decided to extend the role and intercut it into the rest of the film. All of Cruises scenes felt jarring to me and out of place in the film apart from the death bed scene with Jason Robards.

I think Tom Cruise is terrible in the film as is Julianne Moore. Everybody is stellar though.

I've only ever watched the film once and would be curious to view it again. Maybe I'll appreciate Cruise and Moore more second time around.

The Milkshake scene in There Will Be Blood is absolutely excellent. DDL and Paul Dano going for the kill.

R66 it's nice to find another person who agrees Julianne Moore was terrible in Magnolia. It's practically heresy, but I found her over the top and ridiculous. She's usually so good, so I'm happy to blame PTA for that performance.

I did think Cruise was great in the film, though. And I swing wildly on PTA's movies overall. I loved Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and There Will Be Blood. I'd like Magnolia if it all the stupid WTF shit was cut out (the frog rain, the ENTIRE CAST singing "Wise Up," etc.). I liked Phantom Thread, Punch Drunk Love was OK, but Vice and The Master were forgettable.

R67 this scene broke me.

r68 Julianne Moore is often over the top and ridiculous.

There Will Be Blood was a snoozefest. And speaking of over the top and ridiculous, r67

R70, I agree. I don't get why so many people praise that film. I've watched it twice and got nothing from it other than over-the-top acting on par with Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino at their worst. I hated the pseudo-deep screenplay as well as the bombastic score.

The last PT Anderson film I liked was Boogie Nights. He truly peaked with that film.

The problem with PTA is he has nothing to actually say as a filmmaker. His films in a sense are all about nothing. This wouldn't be a problem if he actually told entertaining stories. But he puts on airs that he's this genius ~*auteur*~. He's clearly very skilled and knowledgeable, but where does he really put it? He only focuses on writing characters but always forgets to put them into an actual story. That's why audiences always rejects his films and despite all the critical acclaim, he's never been embraced like Tarantino, Nolan, or Fincher.

r62 is right in that ironically, Hard Eight is in many ways his best film. Just a simple, well told story. That's the thing. But nobody has the guts to tell him apparently.

The William H Macy subplot in Magnolia could have been cut out of the movie entirely.

r73 agreed.

It doesn't even make sense. He's supposed to be some child whiz kid grown up yet people much younger than him recognize him on the street.

R38 I feel that way about Tree of Life. Ugh!

Yes, PTA the director is not the problem. PTA, the writer is. It's always a convoluted meaningless and quite often awfully pretentious mess.

Melora Walters’ performance is one of those performances that instantly makes me think less of anyone who dismisses it.

I loathed that movie. Hours of unattractive tedium ending with raining frogs.

Was he pissed off when he lost? Did he beat Nicole that night?

[quote] He was truly brilliant in that film. I remember watching the film then and being taken aback by his performance. He was such a huge movie star, yet not once did I see just Tom Cruise while watching. He really became that ridiculous over the top damaged character.

OP, you are so fucking disingenuous and over the top. Your threads about movies are nothing more than agenda threads.

You don't belong here. You have never belonged here. Leave.

r77 She's annoying and screechy like everyone else in that film. Big whoop. He can't write women.

R81 Her performance is so much more fun than that though. She inhabits a woman who can’t stand to be in her own skin so subtly and convincingly. She should’ve been nominated for Supporting Actress.

I also thought Jason Robards was spectacular.

R82 agreed.

r82 I didn't see any fun. I wanted her to get shot in face like every other character. It's a bad movie.

Don't forget it's also basically an ad for an Aimee Mann album. Ugh. Once you've heard one of her boring mid-tempo songs, you've heard them all.

R84 That was a strange typo. I didn’t mean to add a word between “more” and “than.”

The fact that you wanted her to get shot in the face, though is stranger than the typo.

r86 Well, since the frogs didn't finish her and the rest of them off...

We leave the past behind, but the past is not done with us. Is that PTA or did he get it from some other source?

He chews up the screen in a classic display of over acting in a mediocre pretentious film, which is why he did not win.

I really loved the film, didn’t like Moore or Cruise’s performances, and thought the frogs and Wise Up montage were moving.

The frogs are a reference to God punishing the Egyptians until they freed the children. There are billboards in the background citing Exodus 8:2 (“ But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs.”). And then, you watch as nearly every character is set free in some way.

With American movies so tight-assed about hyper realism, I thought it was a nice move.

I don't think he got enough recognition for Rain Man but he was good in Magnolia which is a terrible movie.

Yeah no.