yea, sarcasm, nice pic

Putting aside all of the Scientology bullshit for a minute I submit to you a biography of Tom Cruise movies:

Endless Love (1981)
Taps (1981)
The Outsiders (1983)
Losin' It (1983)
Risky Business (1983)
All the Right Moves (1983)
Legend (1985)
Top Gun (1986)
The Color of Money (1986)
Cocktail (1988)
Young Guns (1988) (Cameo)
Rain Man (1988)
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Days of Thunder (1990)
Far and Away (1992)
A Few Good Men (1992)
The Firm (1993)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Junket Whore (1998) (documentary)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Magnolia (1999)
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001) (documentary) (narrator)
Vanilla Sky (2001) (also producer)
Space Station 3D (2002) (documentary) (narrator)
Minority Report (2002)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) (Cameo)
The Last Samurai (2003) (also producer)
Collateral (2004)
War of the Worlds (2005)

...legend? Um, I think not. The record stands for itself, mostly successful films in terms of box office gross but very few critically acclaimed acting roles IMO.

No joke? I don't remember this.

He was pretty good in Collateral and Rainman.

I've always heard good things about his performance in Born On The 4th of July, but I've yet to see it.

Steve

I think they say that because he cries a lot.

Yup, crying alot or playing someone with a mental disability is a sure way to get critical praise.

Steve

So what do you think.

Do you think Tom Cruise plays the "Tom Cruise" character in all of his movies because he has little to no actual acting talent, or do you attribute it to directors/producers/studio bigwigs steer Cruise to play the "Tom Cruise" character because that's what people are going to pay to see?

Sorry to answer your question with a question, Cory, but don't you think Jack Nicholson has made a career out of playing "JACK"? I mean, really. He generally pulls out his "Jack Nicholson" character for many of his roles and yet I don't think many people (myself included) would question his acting ability.

I think Cruise is a a servicable actor. Not great, but he doesn't embarrass himself either.

Steve

Born On the Fourth of July is an awesome movie; and no Cruise doesnt play the "Cruise" character in it.

I actually like quite a few of those flicks; The Color of Money is an absolute classic and not just b/c of Paul Newman. Vince is a pretty damn good character.

Whatever. airheads.

Oh, and I'll throw this out there: Tom Cruise is a better actor than Al Pacino. There, I said it. A more one-dimensional character I have never scene.

As much as I'd like him to fall off the planet, he's far from the worst "lead" actor out there. I think maybe that fuels my burning hatred for the recent flare-up of his condition.

Cruise isn't the only one who falls into this category. First off, I'm not a big movie fan, so that may skew my viewpoint away from most movie watchers, but I have a similar problem with Nicholson. I enjoy him in Easy Rider, mostly because he's playing a character moreso than "Jack".

I'm no professional film critic. Not even close. But, I know what I like. There are a few people out there who genuinely take on their character over their celebrity, and I enjoy their work. This doesn't mean every role is a winner, especially in the case of Billy Bob. A short list: Edward Norton, Billy Bob Thornton, Johnny Depp, Cate Blanchett [her Kate Hepburn was awesome], Robert Duvall and DiCaprio when he feels like it. This is by no means a comprehensive list; it is only off the top of my head.

This starfucking, coupled with Hollywood's complete aversion to new ideas, is what keeps me from watching movies very often. Tom Cruise? Drew Barrymore? The Longest Yard? Please.

Tom Cruise is awsome in Jerry Maguire.

it's a very subtle movie in the way he is over the top.
he's phoney when he needs to be, half hearted sincere when he needs to be and honest to goodness sincere when the movie depended on it.

he's similarly awesome, and a hair more heartbreaking in Magnolia.

and if you can't have fun watching Top Gun you are probably a closeted gay and hate yourself.

I don't think Tom Cruise a bad actor. A little nutty at times. And he's no DeNiro, but he ain't Ashton Kutcher. I thought he got it right in The Firm.

volleyball.

The reason I can't have fun watching Top Gun is because Goose dies, leaving Meg Ryan a widow with kids to bring up. Nothing to do with self esteem or sexuality.

I thought Top Gun was already an entire gay allegory. "You can ride my tail anytime" and all that jazz.

Goose lives on in all of us. Chin up, D... Goose'd want it that way.

Oh, and fix the spelling errors in your sig dammit.

Yeh, I always figured in order to "have fun watching Top Gun" you've pretty much gotta be a closeted gay with self-hate issues.

Al Pacino is the worst over-actor on the planet. He over-acts in all his films. Ed Norton may be the heir to this throne.

As for Cruise, he's good in Magnolia, and i wouldn't say that's a "cruise" character. However the last few films he's been in, his character has been completely one-dimensional.