Top Five Tom Cruise Performances

If there's any one man who could be said to be the movie star of the modern day, it's far and away Tom Cruise. With a career spanning forty years and most of his films earning well over a hundred million dollars worldwide, Tom Cruise is the definition of Hollywood's famous leading man. His infectious smile and impressive physique, as well as his numerous scandals and personal troubles, have led people to often forget just how talented an actor he truly he is. In honor of his newest action franchise The Mummy, these are the top five Tom Cruise performances of his career.
==​No. 5: "Charlie Babbit" (Rain Man, 1988) - Dir. by Barry Levinson==
 
This is by far one of Cruise's more interesting roles, entirely because of how initially unlikeable Charlie is when viewers first meet him. He's selfish, arrogant, and Cruise's signature charm turns to slime as viewers grow tiresome of his immaturity. However, watching Charlie's relationship develop with his new brother Raymond delivers a fantastic story to unfold. While in a lesser actor's hands this could've seemed overly sentimental or sappy, Cruise perfectly sells the organic transition as viewers see him evolve for the better. 
Best Scene: "You? You're the rain man?"
==No. 4: "Ron Kovic" (Born on the Fourth of July, 1989) - Dir. by Oliver Stone==
 
In a brutally heartwrenching depiction of war and its full brutality, Cruise strips away all of his past charisma and replaces it with genuine fury. Forced to deal with a lot of complexity and demands, Cruise answers the call to fully respect his subject. There are moments of levity and charisma that is custom for Cruise, but he also manages to completely devote himself to the character. He buries himself within that heartbreak and anger at the world, letting himself be swallowed in its great injustice. 
Best Scene: "Thou Shall Not Kill" 
==No. 3: "Les Grossman" (Tropic Thunder, 2008) - Dir. by Ben Stiller== 
This almost qualifies as more of a cameo than a performance, but Tom Cruise has never been more hilarious and scene-hogging than this stellar turn in Ben Stiller's meta comedy. Les' absurd tirades and explosive personality gives him the most unlikeable and insanely irrational traits, but Cruise absolutely sells this comedic masterpiece of a character. Hurling insults like haymakers and devoting both mind and body to the character, Cruise clearly is having a fantastic time- and Cruise does best when he gets to enjoy himself. 
Best Scene: "Take a step back, and LITERALLY FUCK YOUR OWN FACE!"
==No. 2: "Jerry Maguire" (Jerry Maguire, 1996) - Dir. by Cameron Crowe==
If there's one thing that's ultimately true about this performance, it is by far Cruise's most iconic role. More importantly, it's also Cruise using his greatest strengths at his advantage. Overly sappy dialogue would normally drag down an actor, but Cruise manages to not only muscle through it, but completely perfect the new standard. Bearing his heart and soul out as a performer, Cruise gives his most endearing and loveable role the exact amount of levity and control needed to ensure it's never understated or overexaggerated- always just right.
Best Scene: "I...I can't compete with that!" 
==Honorable Mentions==
*"Lieutenant Dan Kaffe" (A Few Good Men, 1992) - Dir. by Rob Reiner 
*"Nathan Algren" (The Last Samurai, 2003) - Dir. by Edward Zwick
*"Vincent Lauria" (The Color of Money, 1986) - Dir. by Martin Scorsese 
*"Lieutenant Pete Maverick" (Top Gun, 1986) - Dir. by Tony Scott
*"Vincent" (Collateral, 2004) - Dir. by Michael Mann 
==No. 1: "Frank Mackey" (Magnolia, 1999) - Dir. by Paul Thomas Anderson==
There is no role in Tom Cruise's career quite like Frank Mackey, and that's precisely why it is such a fantastic performance. Perhaps it's Paul Thomas Anderson's equally gripping narrative, but without Cruise's dynamite delivery and unstoppable charisma it'd be an impossible story to tell. Mackey is a scathing and irksome man, but he's also vulnerable and broken in a way that only Cruise could sell. Not only is this Cruise's best performance, but it's also one of the most destructively powerful ones in the 1990's. While casual fans may remember other characters, it's this that will be Cruise's ultimate gift- his magnum opus. 
Best Scene: "Don't go away, you fucking asshole."
Category:Top Five