Can We Make Every Movie That TomCruise Is In Better By Giving His Roles To Other People?

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I know there are a bunch of Cruise threads but I was inspired by this post on another thread:

"As with Tom Cruise, I thought... a dozen people could have played that role as well or better. As with most Tom Cruise casting decisions, I wonder about the Hollywood politics behind it. It's not like he's one of these actors who's picky about his roles and against-the-grain and such. Give the Tom Cruise role to Ruffalo, and make the Jada Pinkett role more ambilvalent (ie, she's also one of the witnesses), and you'd have agreat fucking movie."

-- Harold Media , August 9th, 2004. (kenan)

AND, I just saw Charlie Sheen on an old episode of Friends and I am really digging Charlie these days and it occurred to me that if he had been in Jerry McGuire instead of Tom Cruise I mighta liked that movie. (When did Charlie Sheen become the funniest person on t.v.? Alright, maybe not the funniest, but I've never seen someone make the transition from teen star to insufferable beatnik poet to just-lay-back-and-enjoy-the-joke-that-is-my-public-persona comedian and do it so gracefully! I swear he makes that 2 & a half men show infinitely watchable. I suppose he's been doing it since the top gun spoof days, but still...oh yeah, he would have been better in Top Gun too.)

Anyway, is it possible to make every Tom Cruise movie better by putting someone else in his roles? How much better? Who would you pick to replace him? That lame-ass robot movie where he does the stupid ju-jitsu with a computer screen thru half of it..man oh man, i don't know who could have made that better.

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

When did Charlie Sheen become the funniest person on t.v.? Alright, maybe not the funniest, but I've never seen someone make the transition from teen star to insufferable beatnik poet to just-lay-back-and-enjoy-the-joke-that-is-my-public-persona comedian and do it so gracefully!

Where did his "insufferable beatnik poet" phase start? Hot Shots? Men At Work? PART DEUX???

David R. (popshots75`), Saturday, 29 January 2005 00:47 (twenty-one years ago)

What if every Keanu Reeves role was played by Tom Cruise and vice versa. How much cooler would the universe be?

polyphonic (polyphonic), Saturday, 29 January 2005 00:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Top Gun: Emo Philips

donut christ (donut), Saturday, 29 January 2005 00:53 (twenty-one years ago)

there was a period where charlie got on my nerves. in interviews and such. i don't remember exactly when. there was a post-bratpack bloat/malaise that seemed to set in with those guys. but he really worked thru it to become the cheeky sonuvagun he is today! same with keifer! and yeah, i mentioned the top gun spoofs up above. he's been funny for a while (i never watched spin city), but now he just seems REALLY funny to me for some reason.

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

alright, maybe not "beatnik" judging from this excerpt from charlie's book:

"..Teacher, teacher, I don't understand,
You tell me it's like the back of my hand.
Should I play guitar and join the band?
Or head to the beach and walk in the sand?
Oh, teacher, teacher, I don't understand...
... Teacher, teacher, the years have passed,
I never thought it would go so fast,
The things I learned they didn't last.
I'm headin' to sea as I raise the mast.
Oh, teacher, teacher, I'm a peace of your past."

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 01:14 (twenty-one years ago)

That's from his "Harry Chapin" phase, I reckon.

His Spin City work didn't do much for me, but he is gold in Being John Malkovich (w/ and w/out hair).

PS - The Tom Cruise, I don't mind so much.

David R. (popshots75`), Saturday, 29 January 2005 01:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Born on Fourth of July starring Crispin Glover

Snappy (sexyDancer), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:01 (twenty-one years ago)

i like him in a few movies. risky business, top gun, legend

come on sock it to me, Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:14 (twenty-one years ago)

but spirit of the thread; mini me in the last samurai

come on sock it to me, Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

martin short...eyes wide shut

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:16 (twenty-one years ago)

wait, charlie sheen has a book?

he hasnt been the same since ferris bueller's

come on sock it to me, Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Chris Elliot in A Few Good Men

Aaron A., Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:25 (twenty-one years ago)

HOLY SHIT, best fucking Amazon review ever!!!!!!!

Reviewer: john stamos (LACA) - See all my reviews
Charlie is a personal friend of mine, and i have been reading his poetry for years. This collection is the best of the best as far as Chas's art is concerned. When one works on a show like full house, one sees many forms of expression (from "youve got it dude" to "Watch the hair!" [my personal favorite!]). Sheen expresses the overall feeling of the modern man. From our disgust with the system (damn the man) to our love of sheenistry. Not many people realized that i not only function as an actor, but as a producer. How does this relate to Los? one might ask. Well, sheen PRODUCES some pretty good poetry. Ok ok. Some of sheen's poems may be seen as obscene, thats what i hear anyway. Well, thats trash. that is like saying c thomas howell is a bad tennis player. its just flat out not true. Sheen steals part of ourselves and gives us a chunk of humanity and sheenathan. And, everything that is sheentastic. i remember when a young man named carlos estevez came to town and tried to break into the business. After a name change and a little flick named Lucas, the buzz was too loud to ignore. i personally think that the artist formerly known as estevez will be known more for his poetry than for his acting. carlos is of a caliber not normally seen in this lifetime. I know that sheen has given us all something to think about. ok, i know what you are thinking. he is a mysoginist. nope. he is a drug addict/alcoholic. nope. first of all, as sheen once said, "nobody ever told me it wasnt ok to have a good time." ill vouch for that. ive known the man for quite a while, and never, i mean never, during that time did anyone tell the man that it was not ok to have a good time. now, time to get down to the nitty gritty. The poetry. it is outstanding. brilliant. fun. did i say outstanding? yeah. i am going to go out on a limb here. are you ready? sheen has produced the greatest book of all time. did i say the greatest book of all time? yes. the greatest book of poetry of all time? nope. the greatest book of all time. Why? well ill answer that. sheen is willing to take on the greatest of topics. i wont spoil anything, but lets just say he runs the gamut from A to F. F stands for a bad word. now im going to introduce a new word. Sheenastia. verb. - to live life with the greatest of detailed theological reasoning known to the human form. NOUN - a bong. There is one movie that i would like to expound upon. please allow. NO CODE OF CONDUCT is a film not like any other. on the surface, it seems to be the story of a man's struggle to solve a crime. yeah, yeah, but thats not the end of it. It is ultimately an allegory of one man's search for truth. It may have been directed by the greatest new directing talent on the planet. bret michaels. alright, enough. back to my experience as it relates to sheen. sheens and my life have intertwined on not only a physical but a spiritual level. And through sheens words, i have found life. life's name is estevez. the extevez tribe started in spain in the year 4000 bc. when the spanish conquered much of south america, the estevez's moved on to find their fortune in the new world. they made it, but little jose esteves, didnt. this created a long line of disillusionment within the sheen's inner circle. it lasted for generations, and was not truly harnessed in art until young carlos sheen, born 2350 years after jose, gave his artistic gifts to the world. now, we experience a new form of sheen. a new form of expression. i believe that this book will outlast us all, and will be the final testament of a species that never fully grasped their capability. Call me oldfashioned, but that is the way i feel. sheen has given us what we may never repay. now i will get to the real purpose of this review. i, as a spiritual being, believe in my deepest darkest regions, that sheen the publishing of this book breaks the forth seal of the apolcolypse. that being said, i also believe that sheen is not human. allow me to qualify. sheen, the father of modern thought, is supernatural. sure martin claims to be his biological father. but i know this is not the case. the conception of one carlos sheen-estevez was one of divinity. this impregnation parallels that of another great book of poetry. in fact, i'm not convinced that sheen did not write that great book, as either one apostles or the Lord himself. How did this happen, it cant be true you say. permit my clarification. it is not widely known, but this book of poetry was originally written by sheen during a year of isolation and meditation in the mountains. sheen during this binge of spirituality, would go into trances where he would write unconsciously. Big deal, you say. well, did i mention that he wrote it in a dead language known as aremaic. Once this book is broken down, translated back into other languages and then back to native american languages, we will get the true translation, we will see THE BOOK OF SHEEN aka a piece of my mind.

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:33 (twenty-one years ago)

sheenistry

come on sock it to me, Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)

too pricey for me though. cheapest copy is 50 bucks!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1893830004/002-0362838-7593623?v=glance

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

sheen, the father of modern thought

ok that's just ridiculous

Aaron A., Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Stamos Roxx!!

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I like how he throws in a plug for his buddy from Poison too.

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Tom Cruise only sucks in flashy action roles. He's fine (read: blank) in everything else.

Ruffalo's too warm and fuzzy to play the assassin in Collateral.

milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

okay, it's all coming together. charlie and bret michaels of poison have a production company together:


missymcdfla: How did the partnership with Charlie Sheen come about?

launch_bret_michaels: Oddly enough, Charlie Sheen's favorite song was "Something to Believe In," and we were both dating a Penthouse Pet, unbeknownst to us, at the same time. And we lived near each other, oddly enough. And we started to hang out, oddly enough. And things just happened. Most importantly, a great friendship.

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

has anyone ever seen the movie *The Making Of Bret Michaels*?

* Bobby Dall as Self
* Bret Michaels as Self
* C.C. Deville as Self
* Charlie Sheen as Self
* Courtney Gains as Self
* Joe Lando as Self
* John Stamos as Self
* Kristi Gibson as Self
* Mark Dacascos as Self
* Martin Sheen as Self
* Pamela Anderson as Self
* Paul Gleason as Self
* Paul Stanley as Self
* Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Self
* Riki Valentine as Self
* Rikki Rockett as Self
* Ron Masak as Self
* Shane Stanley as Self

scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 29 January 2005 03:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Charlie Sheen is like Bret's best friend

gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 29 January 2005 03:07 (twenty-one years ago)

oh, i didn't read upthread of course

gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 29 January 2005 03:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Charlie Sheen is like Bret's best friend

what about Malkovich?

miccio (miccio), Saturday, 29 January 2005 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, i was gunna say. Charlie Sheen showing up as Charlie Sheen in Being John Malkovich was like the best part.

kingfish muffminer 2049er (Kingfish), Saturday, 29 January 2005 22:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Ozzie Osbourne in The Firm.

plebian plebs (plebian), Sunday, 30 January 2005 06:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Gilbert Gottfried in Risky Business

David R. (popshots75`), Sunday, 30 January 2005 08:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd hit it.

Remy (x Jeremy), Sunday, 30 January 2005 08:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Phoebe Cates in Born on the 4th of July.

Sir Anthony Hopkins in Mission Impossible II

Gerard Depardieu in Mission Impossible

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eyes Wide Shut

plebian plebs (plebian), Sunday, 30 January 2005 08:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, they can always improve the movie by giving his parts to anyone who's not a member of a scam religious cult that sponsors brainwashing, child neglect, etc.

anon lurker, Sunday, 30 January 2005 11:13 (twenty-one years ago)

How do they sponsor child neglect?

accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Sunday, 30 January 2005 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I meant that as a genuine request for information, by the way, not some smart-arsey remark.

accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Sunday, 30 January 2005 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, is it possible to make every Tom Cruise movie better by putting someone else in his roles?

Yes.

How much better?

Light years better; it doesn't even matter who you replace him with ("Bocat Goldthwait IS Maverick in 'Top Gun'!").

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 31 January 2005 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

(The degree to which I dislike Tom Cruise's acting is somewhat irrational; also, he was good in pretty much everything he did before he turned 30.)

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 31 January 2005 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Legend?

miccio (miccio), Monday, 31 January 2005 00:15 (twenty-one years ago)

i have an irrational distaste for when he gets all excited and starts screeching and his voice gets all high. same with tom hanks. even the part in taps when he goes nuts and starts screaming and firing the machine gun makes me squirm.

scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 31 January 2005 00:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I think its supposed to.

miccio (miccio), Monday, 31 January 2005 00:20 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, but if someone else had played that part i would have been thrilled by their violent outburst. i wouldn't have been embarrassed for them.

scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 31 January 2005 00:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Billy Bob Thornton for all his roles.

Girolamo Savonarola, Monday, 31 January 2005 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Tom Cruise should always play the guy from Magnolia.

Suedey (John Cei Douglas), Monday, 31 January 2005 02:24 (twenty-one years ago)

"The guy from Magnolia" = probably the only role where I wouldn't replace Tom Cruise.

Vanilla Sky - Christian Bale
Eyes Wide Shut - Ralph Fiennes
Minority Report - Hugh Jackman

nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I actually didn't think he was bad in Collateral, though, surprisingly.

Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

And Eyes Wide Shut AND Vanilla Sky would've been terrible with or without Tom Cruise.

Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

"Vanilla Sky" would have been great if it had had Stuart Townsend, Paul Rudd or Mark Ruffalo in it.

"Eyes Wide Shut" would have been better with Ashley Judd. Rowr.

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Stuart Townsend

You mean Korny Lestat?

David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Paul Rudd was so disappointing in Anchorman though.

Seriously, both of those films bored me senseless (and Vanilla Sky actively pissed me off), and I can't blame the Cruiser for that. Maybe if they replaced Penelope Cruz/Nicole Kidman was well, it'd be a bit better, but I dunno. Maybe I'd like them better if they were both actually Zoolander.

Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

There ya go!

Brian Chippendale from Lightning Bolt looks like the love child of Tom Cruise and David Byrne.

nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

>Tom Cruise only sucks in flashy action roles. He's fine (read: blank) in everything else.<

He was NOT blank in Magnolia... and I only liked him in that cold-stare interview scene, which I'm sure is EXACTLY what he's like when someone from Esquire tosses him a Scientology question. Otherwise he was as embarrassing as usual (never more gay --and I mean gay -- than in the cock/pussy monologue).

Kubrick originally wanted Steve Martin for the EWS role. But I think the casting of the Power Couple gave the movie a purposeful uberness that adds to its perversity/inscrutability.

Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually Tom Cruise was one of the only things I didn't hate about Magnolia, too. Maybe I like him only when he's playing someone completely abhorrent yet strangely likeable. Note: Lestat does not count as such, as much as Ann Rice thinks he does.

Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

The only people I didn't hate in "Magnolia" were Phillip Seymour Hoffman and William H. Macy. I wanted everyone else to burst into flames, ESPECIALLY Tom Cruise and Julianne Moore (my wife calls her "Bitch Can't Act").

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I call your wife "Totally OTM 100%"

Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

three years pass...

Jason Statham as Lestat in Interview

bats in a kayak! (latebloomer), Saturday, 24 January 2009 02:29 (seventeen years ago)

I love EWS, but the thought of Steve Martin in that role makes me so happy.

ryan, Saturday, 24 January 2009 02:34 (seventeen years ago)


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