Tom Cruise’s status as a bona fide Hollywood monarch exists at the most rarefied heights–perhaps only Julia Roberts strolls in a similar stratosphere–so it was hard to know what to expect as the star sat down to discuss his latest film Vanilla Sky.
But surprisingly, there was no entourage or small army of high-powered publicists ready to deflect sensitive personal questions, or–as was rumored–a legal document requiring the press to keep all queries to Vanilla Sky and Vanilla Sky alone. Nor did he give off the slightest hint of male diva attitude or star-tripping; indeed, Cruise, casually flashing the unmistakable high-wattage smile that helped make him a superstar, was the first to offer a friendly handshake to anyone within reach.
In fact, as the actor fielded reporters’ questions, the only thing that emerged stronger than Cruise’s enthusiasm for Vanilla Sky was his laser-like intensity. When he talks he makes eye contact and rarely breaks it; the effect is slightly unnerving. It is, frankly, difficult to find Tom Cruise focusing so much of his attention on YOU.
He also comes off supremely confident–but mature enough not to be cocky, even though he’s clearly at the top of his professional game. As a producer Cruise had a hit recently with The Others, and as an actor just finished working with Steven Spielberg on next year’s Minority Report (“I think [Spielberg’s] on fire,” he says. “I can’t wait. I haven’t seen the whole picture yet, I’ve seen about fifteen minutes of it and I’ve seen the trailer.”). Vanilla Sky (which the actor also produced) marks his first collaboration with writer/director Cameron Crowe since their 1996 smash Jerry Maguire.
Cruise and Crowe had been itching to reteam since Maguire, which resulted in big box office, critical accolades and Oscar nominations for both of them. “We’d been trying to find a film to together,” he said. “We’d been working on a couple different ideas.”
He found it when his producing partner Paula Wagner recommended he watch director Alejandro Amenábar‘s original 1997 Spanish film <href=”/movie/Abre_Los_Ojos/174719″ >Open Your Eyes), a psychological thriller about a rich womanizer whose life spins out of control after a car crash nearly kills him. The film starred Penelope Cruz before she’d ensnared Hollywood’s heart–and Cruise’s. But Penelope would come later; it was the film that first captivated the actor.
Even after Cruise decided to purchase the rights to make a U.S. version he couldn’t get the film out of his mind. “I found I had to sit down and think about it,” Cruise explained. “What was this movie about? I found myself discussing it with people who hadn’t seen it…. When I showed it to Cameron, I said, ‘We’ve got to talk about this.’ So we sat down and started having a dialogue about the film.
“The thing that was fascinating about is that it’s not culturally based,” he added. “When you look at Open Your Eyes, it’s dealing with universal themes and those characters could have been anywhere. And it also left [the story] open-ended, with room for interpretation where Cameron could step in and it could be a Cameron Crowe movie.”
Cruise explained that Crowe intended Sky, to play as “a pop culture ride.” And given the duo’s success with the more romantic elements of Jerry Maguire it would also have to have a love story. “As a thriller, [Sky] has all of Cameron Crowe’s ideas in it, and the questions and the things that I find interesting. You can have that ride, the pop culture ride, but underneath there’s some things you can walk away with and a film that you might want to see before dinner so you can sit down and talk about it.”
As they developed their take on the subject matter, Cruise said he and Crowe constantly found themselves exploring compelling and fertile new ground. “We asked ourselves questions like, “‘What is pop culture and how does it affect our lives in different ways?’ We started talking about that theme,” he said. “And what is death? That led us to a conversation about casual sex and sexual relationships.
“What is casual sex, when you really start breaking it down?” Cruise continued. “When you’re on that level of sexual intimacy with someone you make a promise. What is that promise? At some moment there’s something there where that person or both people
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have an agreement, that carrot that’s been held out for that one person. So it just led to all of these conversations about that movie and then sort of creating this thriller ride.”
Drama aside, Vanilla Sky isn’t without a sense of humor–Crowe‘s characters have always been known for spouting biting, Billy Wilder-esque dialogue–but Cruise believes its humor is more sly and subtle, and not always apparent on the first viewing. “It reminds me of Rain Man in a lot of ways,” he said. “When we were making it, we thought it was moving and funny. And when people saw it they were kind of aghast.” Cruise explained that he predicts audiences will have a similar reaction, discovering Sky‘s inherent hilarity after watching it a few times. “I think people will start understanding the humor when they see it a second time, and a third time.”
Talking about the various layers and life lessons that spin out of Vanilla Sky‘s ever-twisting narrative brought the discussion around to more personal matters–although if a question got too personal, Cruise’s tone grew hushed. You could almost feel him delicately picking his words in his head before speaking them aloud.
When asked if his life ever felt like a dream–in keeping with one of Sky‘s themes–his response tellingly referenced the last year of relentless media scrutiny of his much publicized breakup with now-ex-wife Nicole Kidman. “I’m very sure now it’s a reality,” he said, erupting with laughter. “I’m sure it’s very real.
“I think there are always lessons about life to be learned about yourself, and I try to live my life as best I can, ” he went on. “I have two kids, I have a company, I care about people very much, and I think about other people and how they’re feeling. I think about the effect I create on other people. So that doesn’t mean I’m perfect, but last year…I think that I was really surprised at times at the level to people would go in terms of writing things about us. I’ve always been protective about my family, Nic included, and even after–you know–we’re still family.
“I don’t believe in making my problems other people’s problems, and as a parent I don’t want to make my problems my kids’ problems,” he continued. “I’m not a complainer. I know that I live a blessed life. No matter what happens, I live a very blessed life. It’s something that I’ve been very aware of not to take advantage of in any way. And I love my work.”
Keeping such a perspective is a critical part of Cruise’s agenda, despite the fact he’s keenly aware of the ripple effect that simply being Tom Cruise has on those around him. He empathizes with anyone who might be a bit overwhelmed in his presence and recalled his own starstruck encounter with another charismatic, larger-than-life personality whose cinematic life story will, ironically, vie with Vanilla Sky for moviegoers’ attention.
“[Mohammed] Ali was my hero growing up,” he revealed. “I was at a Time magazine thing and there was Ali, and he just was…” Cruise trailed off, still a bit awestruck. “I’m usually nervous to meet people that I admire because what if they’re not cool or something? I just don’t want to know. I also don’t like bothering people, but Ali.… I said, I’ve just got to meet Ali. I didn’t know what to say to him.”
Which should be reassuring news for anyone who might enter an elevator, find themselves face-to-face with Tom Cruise and suddenly realize they are paralyzed. Don’t worry. Odds are he’ll look you straight in the eye, extend his hand and dazzle you with that $20 million grin. After that, what needs to be said?
