Highlights: Tom Cruise
By Jason Barney
June 19, 2012
BoxOfficeProphets.com

Whatever happened to Kelly McGillis?

As we watch careers rise and fall, it is always fun to measure which films are memorable within the body of work of a particular actor or actress. As time passes and more films enter a performer's resume, it's interesting to see how certain films stack up against others. Such discussions are totally based on point of view, but every so often Box Office Prophets will be taking a look at an actor/actress and providing a list of their top five movies.

There is no secret formula. Money earned in the theaters isn't added to critical reception and then divided by how many times people have seen these films. The square root of how many quotable lines a picture has is not multiplied by how many people own a flick on DVD.

A number of factors are taken into account for each Career Highlights list. First, limited or small roles naturally hold down a film's chances of making the top five. The screen time of a role that merely lasts a few minutes is difficult to weigh against a film where a performer appeared as the star. In addition, box office success is not major factor. Some really awful movies that have made mountains of money. Perhaps the best way to define how a flick makes the Career Highlights list is by acknowledging the "Enjoyment Factor." Please feel free to agree, disagree, and offer a comment or two... and if you disagree, let us know which films should have been included!

Last weekend, Tom Cruise returned to the big screen with the musical Rock of Ages. His role as music star Stacee Jaxx was unconventional for the actor, reminding fans of his departure from the norm back when he did Interview with the Vampire. It may be surprising to grasp, but he has been making films for over three decades. Cruise has a long list of hits and box office draws on his resume and there has been some speculation that his best moving making days are behind him. Only the future will tell. The list of pics he has headlined is impressive, though. Here are the highlights of his career.

1) Top Gun (1986)

Cruise’s best film is 1986’s Top Gun. It was his eighth effort on the big screen and elevated him to superstar status. Top Gun pretty much has something for everyone: romance, action, a worthy story, emotional attachment to the characters, and a great ending. It is good enough to match up against any of the blockbusters that have come out over the last 26 years and has a special place in the hearts of many movie goers. The supporting cast is first rate, with the beautiful Kelly McGillis playing opposite Cruise. Meg Ryan, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, and Mike Ironside all contribute in memorable ways, providing a solid foundation for Cruise’s character, Maverick.

The film involves the military’s best fighter pilots in a training program that pits their flying talents against one another. Cruise’s Maverick is the central focus as the plot develops, pushing himself against his already good reputation and the other aces in the military. He has struggles along the way. His copilot, Goose, is killed in a training accident, evoking sadness from watchers of all ages. From there, Maverick's relations with Charlie (McGillis) build and a steamy romance develops.

For both males and females, the chemistry between Cruise and McGillis works. McGillis plays the unattainable woman with the fantastic smile who men can’t help but notice. The guys watching Top Gun were pulling for Cruise to at least grab her attention. Even women, who may have seen this one only once, remember Top Gun. When brought up in movie conversations, many undoubtedly recall the warm temperatures, flowing curtains, and the sun setting during the sex scene between the two.

Top Gun came out at the tail end of the Cold War, and relies heavily on the tensions between the former Soviet Union and the USA for its plot. While a full scale confrontation between them does not unfold, there is a fictional skirmish in the Indian Ocean between the fighter pilots of both sides. Cruise’s Maverick is caught in the middle of that battle as he comes to grip with the death of his best friend. This is a defining '80s film with fast motorcycle scenes and powerful fighter jets. It is a must see.

2) Jerry Maguire (1996)

Ten years after Cruises’ first major hit, he starred in this amazing sports film. He had some great roles between Top Gun and 1996, but this one is incredible. He plays Jerry Maguire, a fast paced agent consumed by America’s obsession with sports. As the film begins, we see just how good he is at his job, with real life stars making appearances on the big screen. This is subtle, but adds so much to the foundation of the story. Cruise is intense, driven, and totally into the world of making his clients as much dough as they deserve.

Not long into the movie, one of his athletes is suffering from a severe injury, one that might be career threatening. While professing his love for what his sports stars do, he has a moment with the injured player’s son. It totally changes his outlook and has major implications for the story. Maguire writes a manifesto about the ills of the industry and how the athletes need to be treated like people, not dollar signs. It gets him fired from his huge salary job.

What follows is a film about sports with a romance that men and women are both drawn into. The relationship is as good as the sports storyline. Renee Zellweger plays Dorothy Boyd, his love interest, and the two have remarkable chemistry. She plays a single mom inspired by his change of heart. Her young son is in the background; small and cute, his presence always reminding the characters about family responsibilities. Also prominent is Cuba Gooding Jr., who plays Rod Tidwell, an established but not superstar player attempting to land the big contract. When Maguire’s fortunes evaporate Tidwell is the only athlete he is able to maintain a relationship with. He plays without a long term deal, remains loyal, and displays inspirational commitment to family.

The film and actors were pegged for a slew of positive critical attention. Gooding received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Cruise won the Golden Globe for Best Actor, and the movie was in contention for best film from several different organizations. This is a truly memorable picture.

You know a film has made it into the hearts of movie fans when some of its phrases become lines adopted in casual conversations. “Show Me The Money!”

3) Mission: Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol (2011)

If Tom Cruise went through a dry spell, it ended when Ghost Protocol came out in December of 2011. The studio was confident with the gem they had on their hands as they released it to select theaters, let the positive word-of-mouth spread, and watched as fans got in line. By the time it left screenss it had earned over $200 million in the U.S. and about $480 million overseas. It was proof that Cruise’s stardom had not waned.

The story is complex, but involves Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team trying to prevent the detonation of a nuclear bomb. The first scenes in Moscow are very intense as we see Cruise change disguises and infiltrate the highest levels of the Russian government. His team takes the blame for an attack in Moscow, and then is sent to deal with Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), the Swedish nuclear physicist who is the main antagonist in the story.

The setting moves to Dubai. This is where this pic sets itself apart from the other Mission Impossible entries, and provides some truly classic action scenes. It all starts in the glass walled skyscraper where the transaction of the nuclear information is supposed to take place. As Tom Cruise hangs on for his life on the side of the building, audiences are on the edge of their seats. There is a massive chase scene in a sandstorm that features cars zooming by out nowhere and crazy near misses. It is so good it leaves people wondering if it will be okay to drive on the way home.

The magic behind this one isn’t just the action, though. Hunt is given some wonderful back story, which is integral to how the plot unfolds. Also, much of the plot hinges on the rest of Hunt’s IMF team. Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton all provide solid performances. The film is not flawless. The motivations of the villain Hendricks are a little weak, but this is one damn good film.

Ghost Protocol is also a reminder of just how successful Cruise has been in the action genre, something many fans don’t realize. This is the fourth in the Mission: Impossible series, with another already rumored to be in development. Want evidence of Cruise’s current status, even after 30 years in movies and almost 40 films? It was his highest opening movie ever, and the fifth highest grossing film of 2011.

4) Minority Report (2002)

Cruise teamed up with legendary film maker Stephen Spielberg to make this pure science fiction flick. Artistically, it is an amazing production that involves awesome special effects, plot twists galore, and a very thought provoking story. Cruise plays John Anderton, a cop in the future who works within a very special unit of crime fighters, called Precrime. Using individuals with pre-cognitive abilities, they fight criminals by identifying murderers before violent acts are committed. Anderton is good at what he does, and the storytellers make us believe his work is almost an art form.

Things change for Anderton when the precogs reveal he is going to commit a murder. He flees, disturbed and frightened by the revelation. He must rely on his instincts as a cop and his understanding of the criminal mind to survive. The plot is complex, and a thread about the death of his six-year-old son and the origin of the pre-cogs are nicely woven together.

There is a list of memorable elements from this one. Perhaps most identifiable are the crime fighting computer spiders that pursue Anderton. There is also a gripping scene where Cruise has his eyes replaced. The pre-cogs are given to us with detail that makes us cringe.

Cruise gives a performance which equals the pain any parent feels when their children are hurt. His shock at the loss of his son was tense. The flaws in his character, from throwing himself into his work, to the use of drugs to cope with loss, are given in real and human ways.

Maybe the most notable legacy of this one is its place among pics of the same genre. In the last ten years it has been compared to such classics as Blade Runner and 2001 A Space Odyssey, films near to the heart of many science fiction fans. The American Film Institute nominated it for the top ten science fiction films list, another feather in its cap.

5) A Few Good Men (1992)

This one came out as a young Tom Cruise’s star was still rising. Top Gun, Born on the Fourth of July, and Days of Thunder were already on his resume, but fans and critics were wondering just how much he could achieve. Sometimes it takes great parings for an actor to gain individual respect, and often the status of heroes depends on the quality of villain they are matched up against. A Few Good Men has Cruise sharing the screen with one of the era’s sexiest stars, Demi Moore, and pitted against one of the most respected actors of all time, Jack Nicholson.

Cruise plays Danny Kaffee, a lawyer in the military who must defend two marines believed to have murdered another serviceman. Also working on the case is Joanne Galloway (Moore). The tension between these two is well played early in their relationship. As they build their case for the defense of their clients, they risk bringing in members of the military who are very high up. Enter Colonel Jessep, (Nicholson) the commanding officer of the Guantanamo base in Cuba where the death occurred.

The interaction between the three leads is awesome. Of particular note is the scene where Keffee and Galloway interview Jessep during lunch. Cruise and Moore are perfect as they can’t agree on the type of questions to ask the high ranking officer. Nicholson, portraying unbelievable arrogance and smugness, burns at being questioned so frankly by underlings.

The film builds nicely to one of the best courtroom scenes ever. Cruise’s Kaffee examines Nicholson’s Jessep with both men’s career on the line. When the case appears lost and Kaffee’s line of questioning is stymied by Jessep, Cruise delivers his nervousness in a way that has the audience shifting uncomfortably in their seats. His youthful smugness is shaken by Nicholson’s arrogance and disrespect. The Colonel’s demeanor is the perfect portrayal of a man comfortable with too much power, believing he is untouchable and unaccountable.

A Few Good Men was appropriately noticed by critics. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Cruise received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, while Nicholson received numerous nominations for Best Supporting Actor. It was one of 1992’s best films and takes the final spot in the top five films of Tom Cruise’s career.