Favorite Tom Cruise movie

[celedhring]

With Maverick blowing up both the box office and SU-57s, I think we can look back at Cruise's career. He's been around forever, and with the MI flicks he's managed to sustain his status as a star during 4 decades.  And now with Maverick he seems poised to get his biggest movie ever.

So, what's your favorite movie of his? You can chose up to 3 options. He has a pretty extensive filmography, so I presume there will be some glaring omissions in my list (Jack Reacher!). I left out Tropic Thunder because his role is pretty small there.

For me:

1) Edge of Tomorrow: Groundhog Day + Aliens, very well done actually, the best Groundhog Day movie that's not Groundhog Day. It's funny, clever and thrilling.

2) Mission: Impossible: I admit that Fallout is probably the best MI flick, but I must have rewatched the first one dozens of times. A favorite movie of mine.

3) Minority Report: Another good movie, that while not a classic I feel it's unfairly forgotten. Super-inventive (Spielberg has loads of fun in this - Cruise chasing his own eyeballs!) and entertaining.

[Grey Fox]

1) Live Die Repeat
2) Oblivion
3) Jerry Maguire

[CountDeMoney]

You forgot "Taps"

[Oexmelin]

It's interesting - many of the Tom Cruise movies seem to stay with me only for a couple of scenes. The whole seems to be less than the sum of its parts.

Those that have remained with me are flawed movie, but have striking visuals, some haunting scenes.
Such as Eyes Wide Shut.

Minority Report is a great movie, perhaps the best representation of our upcoming corporate future, that Spielburg unfortunately had to ruin by doing a Spielbug: a happy ending. The real movie ends about half an hour earlier when Cruise is made to take the fall for Max von Sydow.

I have a fondness for Interview with the Vampire, mostly because of the time in my life I saw the movie, my friends at the time, etc.

[PRC]

The Outsiders.

Lot's to choose form though.

[The Brain]

I forgot about Vampire when I voted. I like Tom Cruise in that movie, but Brad Pitt was miscast IMHO.

[crazy canuck]

My favourite was a Few Good Men, but that was despite Cruise.

[Zanza]

Rain Man - although that's more Dustin Hoffman than Tom Cruise

A Few Good Men - Again, without Jack Nicholson, this would not work as well

The Firm - The best of Grisham's many similar stories. I feel Cruise fits here perfectly

I also liked Interview with a Vampire

NB: Haven't seen all on the list.

[The Larch]

[Barrister]

For some reason Mrs B and I went to see Tropic Thunder in the movie theatre when it first came out.  Cruise's role in that movie was uncredited and not announced.

I remember the very slow dawning realization: "who is that, he seems familiar, wait is it, no, couldn't be, Holy Shit that's Tom Cruise!"

Because he's such an A-list Movie Star, he kind of just plays a Tom Cruise Character in every movie he is in (Maybe Born on the 4th of July was different, been decades since I saw it).  So to see him play so very against type was kind of a thrill.


Otherwise though - he's always seemed kind of creepy, in particular with the Scientology / Katie Holmes stuff, so not really a fan.  I do want to see Top Gun 2 though.

[celedhring]

Some time ago I heard the theory that you can watch any Tom Cruise film as he's an alien masquerading as the movie's character, since he's so weirdly awkward in all scenes that involve "everydayness". 

I think he's had a great career making solid popcorn stuff. It's rare the case where I've watched a film of his (except some of the awful Oscar bait he's done over the years like Lions for Lambs or The Last Samurai), and not have had a decent time, even if it's nothing memorable.

[Iormlund]

Collateral, Edge of Tomorrow and Oblivion.

Tom himself does a great job in the first one. It is also the one movie I've seen where he doesn't play his classic role.

Groundhog Day is one of my absolute favourite movies and I love sci-fi, so Edge of tomorrow is kind of a no-brainer.

As for Oblivion, sci-fi again, with breathtaking visuals and a truly gorgeous soundtrack by M83.

[Admiral Yi]

You forgot "Taps"

Good call.  Also left off Days of Thunder.

I voted Edge of Tomorrow and Jerry McGuire (best chick flick ever).  I might give Taps my third vote.

For all his kookiness Tom does generally pick good scripts.  Not a lot (no?) stinkers on the list.

[Barrister]

For all his kookiness Tom does generally pick good scripts.  Not a lot (no?) stinkers on the list.

Okay, how about:

Rock of Ages (didn't see it)
Knight and Day (I did see this - super meh)
Last Samurai (some enjoyed it, but come on - Dances with Wolves in Japan)
Far and Away (didn't see it)

But okay, over 40 years that I can point to 4 bad movies probably proves your point.

[Admiral Yi]

Never even heard of Rock Ages.