#4
Rain Man
Dustin Hoffman received all the accolades, and deservedly so, for his performance as a savant who has just inherited a fortune from his father in director Barry Levinson‘s 1989 Oscar winner. But Cruise, as Hoffman’s selfish yuppie brother, really makes the film go. The range he unveiled here was far beyond anything he was given the chance to do in his earlier work, and as the film’s true lead he must convince the audience he’s undergone a massive shift in values. The film hinges on that development, and the result is a testament to the enduring bond of brotherhood. Twenty four years later, Kmart still hasn’t recovered.
CHOICE QUOTE:
“I’m sorry ma’am, I lied to you. I’m very sorry about that. That man right there is my brother and if he doesn’t get to watch ‘People’s Court’ in about 30 seconds, he’s gonna throw a fit right here on your porch. Now you can help me or you can stand there and watch it happen.”
#3
Jerry Maguire
The ultimate lazy Sunday movie and (apparently) an all-time favorite of TBS weekend programmers, it’s hard to fathom someone making it through life watching Jerry Maguire less than five times. The film marked Cameron Crowe‘s creative peak with a blend of humor and heartwarming drama he’s been trying to recapture ever since. Cruise’s transformation from cocky sports agent to selfless family man is remarkable in that he actually gets us to cheer for a guy working in such a smarmy business.
CHOICE QUOTE:
“Fuckin’ zoo’s closed, Ray.”
#2
Magnolia
Cruise’s Frank Mackey is easily the most memorable of the many great characters in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s melancholy epic. We’re introduced to him as a womanizing motivational speaker, preaching his message of “seduce and destroy,” but his vulnerabilities are later exposed by a probing journalist before he’s ultimately reduced to tears during a reunion with his estranged father on his deathbed. Though initially outrageous, Mackey is as strong a symbol as any of the importance of strong familial relationships and, as the layers peel back, the film’s message that nothing is ever as it seems.
CHOICE QUOTE:
“Oh yeah, but listen up. That is not to say that we don’t all need females just as friends, ’cause we’re gonna learn later in Chapter 23 that havin’ a couple of chick friends lyin’ around comes in real handy in setting jealousy traps. We’ll get to that later.”
#1
Collateral
Last month I tweeted (shameless plug, I know) some advice to my three dozen or so followers (hey, I’ll take what I can get): “Never start watching Collateral if you don’t plan on being glued to the couch for the next two hours.” So with HBO putting the film in regular rotation over the past few weeks, I’ve spend a lot of time (well, even more than usual) on the couch.
Even though I own the film on Blu-ray, I can’t help but stop and watch the rest of the movie no matter which scene is playing when I click over. Cruise’s charismatic hitman Vincent is one of those electric characters you just can’t turn away from. He’s so unpredictable, you feel forced to stick around to see what he says or does next. Michael Mann‘s thriller is as tense, atmospheric and emotionally compelling as they come.
CHOICE QUOTE:
“You no longer have the cleanest cab in La-La Land. You gotta live with that. Focus on the job. Drive.”
Looking through my list, you probably noticed at least a few pretty darn good films missed the cut. What can I say? The guy’s been in a ton of good movies. But for as many times as I’ve re-watched (and enjoyed) Days of Thunder, Interview with the Vampire and The Color of Money, they just don’t seem to stay with me as much as the ten films on this list.
Now let’s see your lists. Anyone have Jack Reacher in there? And how high are your hopes for Oblivion and All You Need is Kill?
