MovieChat Forums > Magnolia (2000) Discussion > Can we talk about Tom?

Can we talk about Tom?

posted 10 years ago by dartotheren
35 replies | jump to latest

Frank T.J. Mackey was my favorite character to watch in this movie. I found myself wanting only to see him instead of everyone else's paths in the story. I really appreciated Tom's acting during his crying scene when he saw his dad; some people say that it's one of the worst crying scenes ever. I love watching characters who have so much hate that it drives them to be dominating and superior. Daniel Plainview is another character, also from a PTA movie, that fits that description. Are there any other movies with characters like these?

[–] IMDB_Vits 10 years ago

Well, there's another Daniel Day-Lewis character who I think fits that description: CHRISTY from MY LEFT FOOT.

[–] smoko 10 years ago

@dartotheren A character that Mackey reminded me of is Lt. Col. Wilbur "Bull" Meechum (Robert Duvall) in The Great Santini (1979). Meechum, like Mackey, is someone with a king-shît attitude who has a breakdown.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bnkholen 10 years ago

Cruise's performance here is great. When he breaks down and cries, "don't go," it is emotionally devastating. It seems as only Cruise haters would call it one of the worst crying scenes ever. I don't get that at all.

[–] jerryjanski 10 years ago

I am a Cruise hater. I absolutely detest the man.

He was brilliant in this. If only Kubrick could have gotten a performance of this caliber from him.

[–] tribalmaggot 7 years ago

I think Eyes Wide Shut was very mediocre, but Cruise played his role perfectly. His character was bored, detached from life. Essentially asleep - nothing phases him until his wife tells him about her fantasy.

[–] forthesafetyofpuppies 10 years ago

Must we??

It's all anyone wants to talk about re: Magnolia! Yeah, he was excellent, his best performance on screen BY FAR. But everyone was excellent, across the board. Cruise just had the flashiest part.

___
Loneliness has followed me my whole life

[–] Mantiso 10 years ago

I don't know how anyone can say it's a bad performance. Not by any measurement I know of. I think it's easily one of his best and most underrated roles. Who else could play a character like that the way he did? Like all the best performances, it's a perfect combination of actor, director and character aligning at the right time.

[–] jperg 10 years ago

I thought he was great. Amazing. And I am not a Tom Cruise fan. Saw a depth in him that I never knew existed.

[–] sethdhanson 10 years ago

I'm a huge Tom Cruise fan. I thought he was great in this film. It depends a lot on direction too. James Cameron couldn't pull out a performance to save is life, while other directors can make Freddy Prinze Jr. look like he doesn't totally have downs.

To me Cruise might be a strange guy, but he really gives it all to his work. I see that in his films - the perfect action star who can also hold his own in dramatic rolls, and he has a great eye for directors: Kubrick, Anderson, Crowe, De Palma, etc.

[–] Lieutenant_Loom 10 years ago

James Cameron pulled GREAT performances out of both female leads in Aliens and Terminator 2. Sarah Connor in T2 is nigh on oscar worthy.

[–] sethdhanson 10 years ago

Nah -

She's just a bitch in T2. Besides I don't think that was Cameron so much as Hamilton pushing herself to the limits. Aliens I gotta watch again.

[–] theunopeneddoor-697-442391 8 years ago

James Cameron isn't a director. he can't direct actors worth crap.

There is no such thing as a hipster.

[–] stumpedcomedy 9 years ago

What about Tom in Vanilla Sky? That's arguably one of his best roles, besides TJ of course.