Personally his religious choices and lifestyle choices aside (none of which interests me), I think he is a phenomenal movie star / movie maker

He deserves a dozen oscars.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why now? He's been making B-grade action films to fund scientology for years now.

What is an A-grade action film? I loved Collateral and would not consider it a B movie, but everybody has an opinion.

Collateral came out 21 years ago.

Okay, I'm older. Loved it, but like another font said, "Edge of Tomorrow" was also great, or even "American Made". I guess you consider that B movie status as well. It is not. Neither were blockbusters, but enough people thought they were good movies. American Made put a spotlight on how easy drugs were allowed into our country with the help of the Alphabet Agencies.

I’m not the B grade PP but it’s been obvious for years - maybe ever since/because of? the couch jumping dust up? - that Cruise has relegated himself to playing only the lead in stunt heavy action movies and doesn’t stretch himself as an actor AT ALL. As opposed to the 90s/early 2000s when he was in Jerry Maguire, Eyes Wide Shut, Vanilla Sky, Magnolia, the aforementioned Collateral, etc. etc.

But he doesn’t just star in MI movies or Top Gun or whatever—he produces, he works with the stunt coordinators and choreographers, I’m surprised he hasn’t positioned himself for some type of director credit. From concept to script writing to figuring out how to work the stunts, to hand-picking actresses like Rebecca Furgeson, he’s not just an actor who shows up on set. He made those movies.

PP here and I agree, and posted upthread that the honorary Oscar is a way for Hollywood to thank him for these movies which are some of the few that are putting butts in theater seats over the last few years. But his trajectory is pretty much the opposite of other aging heartthrobs who generally take more interesting roles in quieter movies with great scripts and/or acclaimed directors as they get older. It’s like the Academy decided that he’s never going to actually act again so they need to give one to him this way.

Or maybe they’re recognizing him for understanding that we are in a new age of movies, where people are more discerning about what they will actually go see in a theater. MI movies are theater movies; so is Top Gun. He understands that streaming services and COVID changed the landscape. This is not to say he won’t act in more consequential roles again, I just think he was very focused on getting people back to theaters.

Recently, I saw “Now You You Don’t,” the third in the Now You See Me franchise, in the theater. It is a theater movies; it is an experience and a treat for the eyes. Later that weekend, I streamed “Anniversary” with Diane Lane at home (it had a brief run in the theater, but for me, it wasn’t worth the price of a ticket). I bought the movie from Apple for less than the price of one theater admission, and I’ve already watched it twice and will watch it again, because it is so good and so complex. Cruise gets the difference between theater movies and “anywhere” movies, and I think he’s been right in making films that get people excited to go back to the cinema.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why now? He's been making B-grade action films to fund scientology for years now.

What is an A-grade action film? I loved Collateral and would not consider it a B movie, but everybody has an opinion.

Collateral came out 21 years ago.

Okay, I'm older. Loved it, but like another font said, "Edge of Tomorrow" was also great, or even "American Made". I guess you consider that B movie status as well. It is not. Neither were blockbusters, but enough people thought they were good movies. American Made put a spotlight on how easy drugs were allowed into our country with the help of the Alphabet Agencies.

I’m not the B grade PP but it’s been obvious for years - maybe ever since/because of? the couch jumping dust up? - that Cruise has relegated himself to playing only the lead in stunt heavy action movies and doesn’t stretch himself as an actor AT ALL. As opposed to the 90s/early 2000s when he was in Jerry Maguire, Eyes Wide Shut, Vanilla Sky, Magnolia, the aforementioned Collateral, etc. etc.

But he doesn’t just star in MI movies or Top Gun or whatever—he produces, he works with the stunt coordinators and choreographers, I’m surprised he hasn’t positioned himself for some type of director credit. From concept to script writing to figuring out how to work the stunts, to hand-picking actresses like Rebecca Furgeson, he’s not just an actor who shows up on set. He made those movies.

PP here and I agree, and posted upthread that the honorary Oscar is a way for Hollywood to thank him for these movies which are some of the few that are putting butts in theater seats over the last few years. But his trajectory is pretty much the opposite of other aging heartthrobs who generally take more interesting roles in quieter movies with great scripts and/or acclaimed directors as they get older. It’s like the Academy decided that he’s never going to actually act again so they need to give one to him this way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why now? He's been making B-grade action films to fund scientology for years now.

What is an A-grade action film? I loved Collateral and would not consider it a B movie, but everybody has an opinion.

Collateral came out 21 years ago.

Okay, I'm older. Loved it, but like another font said, "Edge of Tomorrow" was also great, or even "American Made". I guess you consider that B movie status as well. It is not. Neither were blockbusters, but enough people thought they were good movies. American Made put a spotlight on how easy drugs were allowed into our country with the help of the Alphabet Agencies.

I’m not the B grade PP but it’s been obvious for years - maybe ever since/because of? the couch jumping dust up? - that Cruise has relegated himself to playing only the lead in stunt heavy action movies and doesn’t stretch himself as an actor AT ALL. As opposed to the 90s/early 2000s when he was in Jerry Maguire, Eyes Wide Shut, Vanilla Sky, Magnolia, the aforementioned Collateral, etc. etc.

But he doesn’t just star in MI movies or Top Gun or whatever—he produces, he works with the stunt coordinators and choreographers, I’m surprised he hasn’t positioned himself for some type of director credit. From concept to script writing to figuring out how to work the stunts, to hand-picking actresses like Rebecca Furgeson, he’s not just an actor who shows up on set. He made those movies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why now? He's been making B-grade action films to fund scientology for years now.

What is an A-grade action film? I loved Collateral and would not consider it a B movie, but everybody has an opinion.

Collateral came out 21 years ago.

Okay, I'm older. Loved it, but like another font said, "Edge of Tomorrow" was also great, or even "American Made". I guess you consider that B movie status as well. It is not. Neither were blockbusters, but enough people thought they were good movies. American Made put a spotlight on how easy drugs were allowed into our country with the help of the Alphabet Agencies.

I’m not the B grade PP but it’s been obvious for years - maybe ever since/because of? the couch jumping dust up? - that Cruise has relegated himself to playing only the lead in stunt heavy action movies and doesn’t stretch himself as an actor AT ALL. As opposed to the 90s/early 2000s when he was in Jerry Maguire, Eyes Wide Shut, Vanilla Sky, Magnolia, the aforementioned Collateral, etc. etc.

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Anonymous wrote:LOL at the people on this thread putting down Cruise's accomplishments. He has achieved things in his profession that few if any of us will ever achieve in ours.

As for Scientology, perhaps it is BS but as one of the PPs said, how is it any less BS than any other religion?

Exactly. Personally, coming from a family full of autistic people, some of them high-achieving, I believe he has autism. He's very driven and dedicated and probably not a great socio-emotional communicator in real life, hence all his failed marriages. Anthony Hopkins recently did an interview in which he talks about his own great memory for lines, and his Asperger's diagnosis. I think Cruise is the same way (and I think it shows in every interview and public interaction). He's dyslexic too, which makes reading scripts and remembering lines that much more of an achievement.

Much respect for his work.

Indeed, much respect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why now? He's been making B-grade action films to fund scientology for years now.

What is an A-grade action film? I loved Collateral and would not consider it a B movie, but everybody has an opinion.

Collateral came out 21 years ago.

Okay, I'm older. Loved it, but like another font said, "Edge of Tomorrow" was also great, or even "American Made". I guess you consider that B movie status as well. It is not. Neither were blockbusters, but enough people thought they were good movies. American Made put a spotlight on how easy drugs were allowed into our country with the help of the Alphabet Agencies.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Firm
Mission Impossible
Top Gun
Rain Man
Born on the 4th of July
Jerry Maguire
A few good men
Interview with the vampire
Days of thunder
The outsiders

Give the man an oscar!!

when he actually wins one, then sure

Plenty of great actors never won an Oscar for acting. Cary Grant, Robert Redford, James Earl Jones, Ralph Fiennes, Cicely Tyson, and several others. Henry Fonda and Paul Newman did not receive competitive Oscar wins until they were on the death bead. I think all the people I named made great movies and should have been recognized for their work, but probably did not play well with the crowd and was shunned. Reminds me of the person who played Erica Kane who basically carried Daytime Soap Operas for years, but was shunned every year for an award.

Susan Lucci eventually did win, and it was glorious!