Cruise Control

I see that Tom Cruise has another ''Mission: Impossible'' movie coming out. You know, his latest cinematic exercise in saving the world from global destruction and mayhem. That is nice of Tom. I have always appreciated his thoughtfulness in allowing the rest of us to maintain living our lives. It is a selfless act on his part, the sign of someone who generally cares about humanity and the possibilities of a better future that will happen....... He is one strange guy, this Cruise character. Looking at him now, with the endless stories about his personal behavior and his very odd decisions, it is almost hard to find someone, even his most devoted fans, who do not shake their heads in incomprehension. Now, I have never been a fan of his. I look at someone like him in terms of ability and range of talent, not because he is a sex symbol. There are talented good looking guys---- like a Redford or a Clooney---- who are genuine movie star Gods that also show ability in the art form. Actually, Clooney and Redford really shine behind the scenes with their abilities. Tom Cruise has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. He is a good looking guy and that has gotten him through many years of popularity. Women squealed for him in his prime. Men have always kept him at a arms distance, perhaps, because of jealousy of his good looks. Whatever, its all horses for courses, a personal judgment. Some of his movies have been good, though, not all. The overwhelming analysis of his acting style is that he basically plays the same roles. Meaning, the young, cocky guy, who has a Father Complex, and wins the winsome gal at the end by his personal growth as a  human being. He learns not to be so selfish, in a nutshell. Look at most of his movies and you will see a common thread running through them all. The character names change but all of his roles are the same. It is like they all come from the same fictional father with a different fictional mother...... However, this tried and true formula seemed to work for him for many years. His public [mainly, women] did not seem to mind that they were watching the same performance over and over. They were content on see Cruise smile on screen, feign a tough-guy persona, have a love scene with the new hot starlet of the moment, and win the day for his side. Tom always won the big race, be it in the air in the ludicrous ''Top Gun'', or on the ground in a racing car in the even more laughable ''Days Of Thunder''. Along the way he would stop off at parts that shot for Academy Award consideration, like the overpraised and contrived ''Rain Man'' or the deeply affecting ''Born On The Fourth Of July''. This last effort, directed by Oliver Stone, showed a different Tom Cruise. He played a real-life victim of the Vietnam War, Ron Kovic. Cruise did very well in this role. It stands as his finest onscreen performance, so far. But, a role like this has a built-in sympathy already attached. Actors like playing victims, be they emotional or physical. These are juicy roles, the kind that the Oscars notice. It takes nothing away from Cruise. He did a solid job. But, any journeyman actor would have also. To compare an actor and an ACTOR, just look at the remarkable job Daniel Day Lewis did in ''My Left Foot'', a performance that beat Cruise's that year at the Oscars. Lewis, so exceptional in anything he acts in, brought forth the sympathy naturally flowing through a paralyzed person. But, Lewis brought depth and anger and  humor to go along with his versatility. He rose above the limitations of his role to bring forth a quiet dignity and sensitivity. It was an all-around, brilliant job at acting. Tom Cruise, as I've said, very good in his role, still showed that he was a minor league actor playing against someone who was a star major leaguer....... Tom Cruise still coasted from success to success as the years flew by. He still played the same character--- cocky, Father Complex--- in films like ''A Few Good Men'' [ a rip-off of ''The Caine Mutiny''] and ''The Firm''. Then, around 1996, Tom Cruise discovered that the world neeeded saving. ''Mission: Impossible'' came calling, with all of its explosions and pyrotechnics. That was fine, a good action movie, well done, is always most welcome. Bruce Willis did it to great affect in the ''Die Hard'' movies. Tom, true to form, seems stuck in the same story. A pinball machine ride to save all of humanity. Maybe, it jibes with his opinion of himself. An American Hero for our times........ All of this is purely subjective. I don't hate the guy. I am judging the work. And, it does not impress me. So be it, millions embraced Mr. Cruise. Well, they did once. Now, he is no longer in good stead with the public. His fans have abandoned him in droves. No longer do his films bring in the huge dollars. They still turn a profit. But, the public, always fickle and waiting for the Next Big Thing to come along, does not notice him as much. Maybe, they have grown tired of his tried and true formula. Maybe, his audience--- again, mostly female--- has found new beefcake to lust over. Or, maybe, it is Scientology........ As we all know, Tom Cruise is the biggest cheerleader for L. Ron Hubbard's ''Church Of Scientology''. Some see the ''Church'' as a personal self-help group who heals the victims of life and redeems their troubled souls through their simple doctrine. Others see it more soberly. The majority of the public see it as a brainwashing cult to be concerned about. This last observation is the best description of Scientology. It is a cult, a very dangerous, and, possibly, life-threatening cult. Its membership run the gamut from simple hard-working Joes and Joans to the highest rungs in show business. Each member is treated with a certain level of control on them, depending on their economic status. Obviously, if you are a plumber, you get minimum attention. And, if you are a rich movie star, the red carpet is rolled out in front of you and you are treated with utmost care. With the bigger names comes the most control. To be fair, there have been some who have benefited enormously from the ''Church Of Scientology'. These folks, small in the world's view of importance, have found their better selves and have grown as individuals. Marriages have been saved, addictions conquered. Its not all bad........ But, a lot of it is bad and it is disquieting. There are stories of lives being ruined, through intimidation and coercion. And, just play threats to their lives. Scientology does not believe in most medicines, particularly, for a fragile mental state. Considering that most members are injured emotional birds, anti-depressants are not administered. The ''Church'' believes in its own way of doing what must be done, even in medical emergencies. The most infamous is the case of John Travolta's son, Jett, who died in the Bahamas. To this day, the cause of death has remained a mystery, along with whether any proper medical attention was given the child after suffering a seizure. Authorities in the Bahamas strongly believe that young Jett was denied prompt and much needed medical care that would have saved his life. The rumor has it that Travolta, a devout Scientologist, refused any medical help and instead, relied on teachings learned from the ''Church''. No proof has been put forward that this happened. However, it must be said, the Travolta family has dodged what actually happened during the final moments of the child's life. The death certificate is sealed.......... Tom Cruise has embraced Scientology was a gusto usually reserved for his saving the world onscreen. His dating life, pretty much widely known, is dictated by the ''Church''. They tell him whom he can date, and, if multiple former members can be believed, his marriages are the result of their vigorous planning. As it appears, his ''wives'' sign up for a little career advancement. They are by his side, shown in the most positive light, get a child if it so dictates, and in do time, are released from their marriage, soon to be replaced by another women in yet another sequel marriage for Tom Cruise......... This is, by no stretch of the imagination, wrong. But, it is sure interesting. Cruise, like Travolta, has battled for years the rumor that he is gay. When these rumors are most ripe, another love of his life magically is born. Again, this is fine, if all of the parties agree to the charade. But, it is wrong in terms of honesty to his audience. He is not respecting the people who consider themselves his fans. It is true, I believe, that a public person does deserve a private life. However, if you bring the public into your private life, as Cruise has done, then, the public has the right to comment and criticize as they choose. Tom Cruise seems to want his cake and eat it, too. Cruise Control on his own terms. But, they ain't my terms, Maverick......... Ultimately, I find Tom Cruise a pathetic guy. Sure, he has his riches and years of popularity. But, he seems very hollow inside, as if, there is no real Tom Cruise, just the screen image. Something must be eating at him to constantly try to prove himself over and over again. To say that a performer is insecure is like saying that the rain gets things wet. Tom Cruise seems to have his insecurities not only on his sleeve but from head to toe. Psychologically, his ''saving the world'' concept runs very deep, as if the man must always prove himself to be the Hero, the All Saving Grace For Humanity. Certainly, being involved with Scientology does him no good. If anyone around him cares about him personally, they should get him the fuck out of there and get him to a real shrink. But, he doesn't seem to have anyone around him who does care. When you purposely insulate yourself with yes-men, you isolate yourself from reality. No one can reach you. And, when no one can reach you, you stop being you....... So, the new ''Mission: Impossible'' movie will hit and will no doubt make millions. Tom will save the world again and for this we must offer eternal thanks. He will be smiling, I'm sure. He will get the gal and the music will blast their happiness with each other. The audience will be entertained and we will breath a little easier that Our Hero battled the demons for us while we sat comfortably and safely in our chairs. Nice Guy, that Tom Cruise. He saved us all........ But, who will save him from himself??.........