Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor

by Amy Nicholson (Contributor)

The Anatomy of an Actor series takes ten roles by a single actor, each studied in a dedicated chapter, and identifies the key elements that made the performances exceptional - carefully examining the actor's craft for both a professional audience and movie fans alike. This title looks at Hollywood icon Tom Cruise. First cast by Francis Ford Coppola in The Outsiders (1983), he gained international notoriety in the mid-1980s thanks to Tony Scott's Top Gun (1986). One of the most sought-after actors, Cruise has oriented his career to blockbusters, with a predilection for action and science fiction, starring in such movies as Michael Mann's Collateral (2004), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005), the Mission: Impossible series (1996, 2000, 2006, 2011) and Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion (2013).

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Film

192 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2014

Reviews

[Isadora Zeferino · Rating 5 out of 5]

esse livro vai ficar em cima da mesa da minha sala para impressionar as visitas

(amy nicholson eu te amo)

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this more for Amy Nicholson than Tom Cruise. I am a fan of Cruise but Nicholson I listen to on two separate podcasts (The Canon & Unspooled) and she’s an insightful critic. This isn’t a bio but an unpretentious film study of ten of Cruise’s roles. Two or three of them I was dubious about her including but she made a compelling case each time. There is some biographical and behind the scenes tidbits that keep this fun. Nicholson astutely marks 2005 as the point where Cruise’s career stopped and re-emerged as the action star we know today. She even cites that as a bit of a tragedy and is critical of some of his choices. I wish this was made more available because I think more people would get into it and discover Nicholson so here’s hoping for the next one. On a personal note, this is the 32nd book I’ve read in 2018 and I’m excited for all the books to come on 2019...zero about Trump.

[John DiLillo]

tom cruise

[Alex Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't consider myself a Tom Cruise fan, or at least I didn't before reading this book. I initially came across it listening to Battleship Pretension, a film podcast, where the author came on to talk about this book she had just written. She herself wasn't a huge Cruise fan either, before writing this book. This small detail makes a world of difference. TOM CRUISE: ANATOMY OF AN ACTOR has the perspective of a curious, unbiased observer. I don't always agree with Nicholson's film criticism, but her writing is always direct and thoughtful -- so it goes here as well.

The format of the book is pretty straightforward: 9 chapters, each covering an individual film from Cruise's filmography. This serves as part investigation into what makes Cruise "work" as an actor, but it's also a little bit of a biography as well. These deep dives into movies like Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut, and Top Gun, are great, and after every chapter, I felt like I ought to go back and rewatch with fresh eyes.

Anyways, if you're not a Tom Cruise fan, then you're probably the ideal audience for this book. It's thoughtful and well-considered. It doesn't feel like a hagiography, and at its best, it will allow you to rethink your opinion on Cruise's movies and performances. Definitely worth a look for cinema fans.

[Gio · Rating 1 out of 5]

A "book" with nothing to say.

[Catt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, interesting but also goddamn sad. Nothing he does is ever good enough for the world, and yet he keeps on making movies for us. It’ll truly be a sad day when he’s no longer around to do that.

[Linds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because Amy Nicholson is my favorite (contemporary) movie critic. It breaks down and critiques Cruise’s top 10 iconic roles and performances.