Why even beat around the bush?
If you want a surefire blockbuster hit, just enlist the biggest director (Steven Spielberg) and the biggest actor (Tom Cruise), make a movie full of jaw-dropping special effects and scares and release it in the heart of summer. OK, and maybe throw in a very public real-life relationship involving the movie’s star as well.
Yes, there are high hopes for War of the Worlds, the Cruise/Spielberg extravaganza in theaters June 29, not just from the giddy fans anticipating not-so-loveable-and-affable extraterrestrials but also from the industry watchers, who will be anxiously counting the numbers at the box office. The last Spielberg/Cruise collaboration, the 2002 Minority Report, was the less than blockbuster-worthy. It was more a self-indulgent Spielberg in sci-fi metaphysical mode than anything else.
But whether or not the past financial performances of these two can turn War into box-office peace, the duo’s rich (pun intended) pedigrees cannot be denied. We’ve counted down our top five favorite Cruise and Spielberg moments.
Tom Cruise’s Top Five
5. Mission: Impossible (1996)
Box office says: $181 million
Lest we forget: In this TV show-turned-feature film, Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, a secret agent framed for the deaths of his espionage team. Fleeing from everyone and trusting no one, Hunt does his darnedest to elude his pursuers and simultaneously uncover the truth.
Why it’s on our list: Hard to believe, but this was Cruise‘s first real summer-action extravaganza. Up to this point, he had seemingly explored every other avenue in his illustrious career except opening a summer blockbuster. And the surprisingly smart caper–by summer standards, anyway–earned more than enough to spawn a franchise, making Ethan Hunt the James Bond of our generation (sorry, XXX).
Maximum exploitation of Cruise’s looks? The fact it was a summer action movie, director Brian De Palma didn’t dress Cruise down. But audiences still wouldn’t stand in line, in the heat, at the multiplex for comeliness alone. They wanted to see that fabulous mega-watt smile and the Bond-esque explosions and gadgets.
4. Magnolia (1999)
Box office says: $22.5 million
Lest we forget: Director Paul Thomas Anderson‘s brilliantly interwoven tour de force connects nine Californians’ lives. Cruise plays Frank Mackey, a womanizer who makes a living teaching single men his dirty tricks but who also carries a heavy burden.
Why it’s on our list: Mackey is easily the actor’s most tortured soul to date. He took a risk in his career, playing such a depraved role. It could have turned many off. But Cruise stunned fans and critics alike, turning in a stellar, Oscar-nominated performance.
Maximum exploitation of Cruise’s looks? Cruise dons a greasy ponytail and a macho attitude unfamiliar to his legions of fans but does nothing to dull his chiseled features. Although the indie was never going to break box office records, totally obscuring what the masses recognize him for wouldn’t have helped.
3. Rain Man (1988)
Box office says: $173 million
Lest we forget: Cruise stars as Charlie Babbitt, a fast-talking hustler, who finds out he has an autistic-genius brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). A large sum of money bequeathed to Raymond by their father brings them together–and tears them apart. And when Charlie takes Raymond on an unsolicited road trip, his brother ends up teaching him some valuable lessons.
Why it’s on our list: Cruise plays a marked second-fiddle to Hoffman, but such is the brilliance of his underrated performance in this oft-overlooked (at least by Cruise followers) Best Picture winner. At this point in his career, Cruise truly solidified his place as an actor with the chops to make it.
Maximum exploitation of Cruise’s looks? Nope. Things are kept to a minimum in that department, even though it is impossible to completely hide Cruise‘s good looks. No, Rain Man is all about Hoffman‘s Oscar-winning performance. The film achieved the rare feat of veneration and big grosses.
2. Top Gun (1986)
Box office says: $177 million
Lest we forget: Director Tony Scott helms this high-octane action-romance, in which Cruise stars as Pete Mitchell–aka “Maverick”–a hotshot fighter pilot sent to the Top Gun Naval Flying School to perfect his craft. Along the way, he learns about the ways of love, camaraderie, and his own personal shortcomings.
Why it’s on our list: Coming hot off the heels from his breakout role in Risky Business, this was the quintessential Cruise movie that truly put him on the map. The highly quotable film also showcased the talents of several unknowns at the time–Val Kilmer and Tim Robbins, amongst others–who have since become stars in their own right.
Maximum exploitation of Cruise’s looks? Are you kidding? Where Risky Business plays off his boyish charm, Top Gun thrives on Cruise‘s virility, raw charisma–and six-pack abs, making the actor a megastar.
1. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Box office says: $154 million
Lest we forget: Super sports agent Jerry Maguire has the carpet ripped out from beneath him when he’s let go by his firm, after voicing how he thinks the business should be less about money and more about people. The only ones who stick by him are secretary Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger, in her major-movie debut) and past-his-prime wide receiver Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr., who won an Oscar for his role). As Maguire’s world is flipped upside down, he naturally learns to appreciate what and who he’s got.
Why it’s on our list: Maguire was well-received–even by the independent crowd–thanks in no small part to writer-director Cameron Crowe. Cruise turns the tables once again, playing a guy terribly vulnerable but kind of an a**hole at the same time. Audiences appreciated his performance, as did Academy voters who honored him with a Best Actor nomination.
Maximum exploitation of Cruise’s looks? His looks are exploited to their fullest effect after being strategically and effectively downplayed. Maguire’s abandonment by his girlfriend and clients alike could’ve left us thinking, what happened to Cruise‘s charisma? But by the end of the movie, hearts go aflutter for the man like never before (“You…complete me.”)
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Steven Spielberg’s Top Five
5. Jurassic Park (1993)
Box office says: $357 million
Lest we forget: Based on Michael Crichton’s bestseller, Jurassic Park is a modern-day theme park complete with long-extinct dinosaurs who have been brought back to life through the miracles of cloning. What fun! A group of scientists–plus the grandchildren of the park’s creator–are the first to test the park’s splendor. But of course, things go horribly wrong when the dinosaurs take over and kill everyone, as they are wont to do.
Why it’s on our list: The special effects rock, as does the film’s concept. The dinosaurs look so real, and the scenes so intricate, that viewers feel like they are there. And by employing characters actors–including Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and (fittingly) Richard Attenborough–instead of A-listers, we can keep our eyes on the dinos and watch the engrossing, fun and oftentimes horrifying story unfold.
How much of a vanguard was it? Jurassic Park is one of those cinematic benchmarks in great special effects, seamlessly integrated dinosaur and actor. Only Spielberg had the guts, at the time, to tackle something so evocative and titillating on the page yet logistically implausible to bring to life on screen when nobody else would’ve dared to try.
4. Schindler’s List (1993)
Box office says: $96.1 million
Lest we forget: The Oscar winner eloquently shows the horrors of the Holocaust through the eyes of a bold sympathizer, Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who demanded mercy and took matters into his own hands to save as many as he could. No one can forget where this film came from.
Why it’s on our list: Shot almost entirely in black and white, Schindler’s List has the harrowing feel of newly found documentary footage from the time. But the moral to this true story, along with its beautifully dark and sullen cinematography, completely engrosses you. Coupled with the fact there is some of the finest acting performances ever–from Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, to name a few. An absolute masterpiece, even by Spielberg standards.
How much of a vanguard was it? When it was released, the film had a tremendous effect on all who even spoke of it, let alone saw it. And quite a few saw it. In fact, for a three-hour movie so compelling and a subject matter so atrocious, to gross that much money makes it a vanguard in itself. But Spielberg wouldn’t accept a penny of it for his labor of love–and pain.
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Box office says: $435 million
Lest we forget: Ah, the surprisingly heart-warming tale of the world’s most loveable alien ever. Surely you remember: Boy Elliot (Henry Thomas) meets E.T. They are equally frightened of each other but grow to love each other. The bad scientists try to dissect E.T. but Elliot saves him. Then E.T. must return “home.” Also stars the precociously adorable Drew Barrymore.
Why it’s on our list: E.T. is simply magical. It touches everyone, with an unsurpassed child-like wonderment. And it was made on a relatively small budget, without a lot of elaborate special effects. It also has one of the most memorable on-screen images of all: Elliott and E.T. on the bike, with the moon as the backdrop.
How much of a vanguard was it? Spielberg managed to do more with less with E.T. He made it during a time when storytelling meant more to him than, perhaps, gimmickry. That isn’t to suggest that people mind his kind of gimmickry. E.T. is also one of the top-grossing films of all time, even though it was released more than 20 years ago. Spielberg‘s neo-E.T. War of the Worlds will be met with a different fan reaction, but it might scare up just as much money.
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Box office says: $242 million
Lest we forget: Raiders marks our first encounter with championed archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford). Set prior to WWII, “Indy,” as he is affectionately known, is hired by the United States to locate the sacred Ark of the Covenant before Hitler’s henchmen can get their hands on it. Not an easy task, especially when he’s cheating death on a daily basis.
Why it’s on our list: The movie’s tagline said it all: “The creators of Jaws and Star Wars now bring you the ultimate hero in the ultimate adventure.” This was quite a bold and ambitious prediction. Not only did Spielberg and co-writer George Lucas–whose Star Wars was still most the rage at this point–live up their tagline, they made it seem like an understatement.
How much of a vanguard was it? Sure, Spielberg had made his stamp before this, but Raiders earned him the backing from the big studios that has never evaporated. Spielberg also established a friendship, as well as a healthy competition, with his collaborator and equally iconic (and wealthy!) Lucas–a relationship that continues to thrive to this day.
1. Jaws (1975)
Box office says: $260 million
Lest we forget: Based on Peter Benchley’s gripping novel, the little “shark movie” strikes fear in all who dared to brave the open waters. On Amity Island, a great white shark is making minced meat of the locals. To keep the tourist season alive, it’s up to three men (Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss) to go out and catch them a shark–that is, before the shark gets them.
Why it’s on our list: This may seem a curious pick for No. 1 given Spielberg‘s prolific output, but Jaws has since become a near cultural phenomenon, an institution, really. At the time, the film was recognized for its sheer genius and ingenuity (even if the mechanical shark didn’t work all that often) that resonates even today. With every occasional shark attack there is, the Jaws theme can be heard, off in the distance.
How much of a vanguard was it? This was the vanguard in Spielberg‘s career. First of all, it was a major boon for the movie industry, establishing the very first summertime blockbuster. It also created a whole new sub-genre of horror, one in a different vein from the reigning master, Hitchcock. And for as scary as hell as it was, it was also a classic buddy flick. Simply put, Jaws
