These characters were not dealing with their problems, not setting things straight. Doom was obviously just around the corner, and the tension was becoming almost unbearable. Finally, the sky falls but the tension remains. You're left hanging over a silent dark precipice. Slowly there is movement.
People begin to move.
They begin, in part, to find themselves. Anderson, wisely, leaves you to decide this. Philip Seymour Hoffman, William Macy, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Melinda Dillon, Jeremy Blackman, and Melora Roberts. Each actor makes a strong contribution with great depth and range to this powerful film. But Tom Cruise gives the performance of his career.