But it's still a mess. It gets worse. Towne was forced to create a story to bind a number of preset action sequences, essentially compelled to write backward. Moreover, the first draft was done only five days before shooting began, even with the delays of Eyes Wide Shut . Now that's what we in the industry call a problem.
Rewrites are commonplace for films, especially Hollywood summer juggernauts.
Add on top of this mess the mercenary cutting job done by Stuart Baird just a few weeks ago to lop anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five minutes off the running time and you can see the road wasn't just uphill, it was vertical. First, let's tackle the nonexistent love story. Cruise sees the ravishing Thandie Newton. Time for the lovin'. Right after, Tom is told she must be used as bait to ensnare her ex-boyfriend, the villain of the story.