tom cruise 1989

Born on the Fourth of July

For weeks now, we’ve been reading in the papers about public apologies by governments of the Eastern bloc. The Russians admit they were wrong to invade Afghanistan and Czechoslovakia. The East Germans tear down the Berlin Wall and denounce the secret luxuries of their leaders. The Poles and Hungarians say Marxism doesn’t work very well.

There is a temptation for an American, reading these articles, to feel smug. And yet – hold on a minute, here. We had our own disastrous foreign policy mistake, the war in Vietnam. When is President Bush going to get up before Congress and read an apology to the Vietnamese? Never, is the obvious answer. We hail the Soviet bloc for its honesty but see no lessons for ourselves. And yet we have been issuing our own apologies, of a sort. A film like Oliver Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July” is an apology for Vietnam, uttered by Stone, who fought there, and Ron Kovic , who was paralyzed from the chest down in Vietnam.

Both of them were gung-ho patriots who were eager to answer their country’s call to arms. When they came back home, they were still patriots, hurt and offended by the hostility they experienced from the anti-war movement.

Eventually, both men turned against the war, Kovic most dramatically. He and his wheelchair were thrown out of the 1972 Republican convention, but in 1976 he addressed the Democratic convention. And if you wanted to, you could say his 1976 speech was the equivalent of one of those recent breast-beatings in the Supreme Soviet. We do apologize for our mistakes in this country, but we let our artists do it instead of our politicians.

Kovic came back from the war with a shattered body, but it took a couple of years for the damage to spread to his mind and spirit. By the time he hit bottom he was a demoralized, spiteful man who sought escape in booze and drugs and Mexican whorehouses. Then he began to look outside of himself for a larger pattern to his life, the pattern that inspired his best-selling autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July.

Writer-director Stone, who based his earlier film “ Platoon ” on his own war experiences, has been trying to film the Kovic story for years. Various stars and studios were attached to the project, but it kept being canceled.

And perhaps that’s just as well, because by waiting this long Stone was able to use Tom Cruise in the leading role. Nothing Cruise has done will prepare you for what he does in “Born on the Fourth of July.” He has been hailed for years now as a great young American actor, but only his first hit film, “ Risky Business ,” found a perfect match between actor and role. “ Top Gun ” overwhelmed him with a special-effects display. “The Color Of Money” didn’t explain his behavior in crucial final scenes. “ Cocktail ” was a cynical attempt to exploit his attractive image. Even in “ Rain Man ,” he seemed to be holding something in reserve, standing back from his own presence.

In “Born on the Fourth of July,” his performance is so good that the movie lives through it. Stone is able to make his statement with Cruise’s face and voice and doesn’t need to put everything into the dialogue.

The movie begins in the early 1960s with footage of John F. Kennedy on the television exhorting, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Young Ron Kovic, star athlete and high school hero, was the kind of kid waiting to hear that message. And when the Marine recruiters came to visit his high school, he was ready to sign up. There was no doubt in his mind: There was a war in Vietnam, and his only worry was that he would miss the action.

He knew there was a danger of being wounded or killed, but, hell, he wanted to make a sacrifice for his country.

His is the kind of spirit all nations must have, from time to time. The problem with the Vietnam War is that it did not deserve it.

There was no way for a patriotic small-town kid to know that, however, and so we follow young Kovic from his last prom to the battlefield. In these scenes, Cruise still looks like Cruise – boyish, open-faced – and I found myself wondering if he would be able to make the transition into the horror that I knew was coming. He was.

Stone was in combat for a year. In “Platoon,” he showed us firefights so confused that we (and the characters) often had little idea where the enemy was. In “Born on the Fourth of July,” Stone directs a crucial battle scene with great clarity so that we can see how Kovic made a mistake. That mistake, which tortures him for years afterward, probably produced the loss of focus that led to his crippling injury.

The scenes that follow, in a military hospital, are merciless in their honesty. If you have even once, for a few hours perhaps, been helpless in a sickbed and unable to summon aid, all of your impotent rage will come flooding back as the movie shows a military care system that is hopelessly overburdened. At one point, Kovic screams out for a suction pump that will drain a wound that might cost him his leg. He will never have feeling in the leg, but, God damn it, he wants to keep it all the same. It’s his. And a distracted doctor absent-mindedly explains about equipment shortages and “budget cutbacks” in care for the wounded vets.

Back in civilian life, Kovic is the hero of a Fourth of July parade, but there are peaceniks on the sidewalks, some of them giving him the finger. He feels more rage. But then his emotional tide turns one night in the backyard of his parents’ home, when he gets drunk with a fellow veteran, and he finds they can talk about things nobody else really understands. It is from this scene that the full power of the Cruise performance develops.

Kovic’s life becomes a series of confusions: bar brawls, self-pity and angry confrontations with women he will never be able to make love with in the ordinary way. His parents love him but are frightened by his rage. Eventually it is suggested that he leave home.

In a scene of Dantean evil, Stone shows Kovic in Mexico with other crippled veterans, paying for women and drugs to take away the pain, and finally, shockingly, abandoned in the desert with another veteran with no way to get back to their wheelchairs or to town. It’s the sort of thing that happens to people who make themselves unbearable to other people who don’t give a damn about them. (In a nod toward “Platoon,” the other crippled veteran in the desert is played by Willem Dafoe , co-star of that film; the other co-star, Tom Berenger , is the Marine who gives the recruitment speech in the opening scenes.) “Born on the Fourth of July,” one of the best movies of the year, is one of those films that steps correctly in the opening moments and then never steps wrongly. It is easy to think of a thousand traps that Stone, Kovic and Cruise could have fallen into, but they fall into none of them.

Although this film has vast amounts of pain and bloodshed and suffering in it, and is at home on battlefields and in hospital wards, it proceeds from a philosophical core: It is not a movie about battle or wounds or recovery, but a movie about an American who changes his mind about the war. The filmmakers realize that is the heart of their story and are faithful to it, even though they could have spun off in countless other directions. This is a film about ideology, played out in the personal experiences of a young man who paid dearly for what he learned. Maybe instead of anybody getting up in Congress and apologizing for the Vietnam War, they could simply hold a screening of this movie on Capitol Hill and call it a day.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Kyra Sedgwick as Donna
• Oliver Stone as News Reporter
• Caroline Kava as Mrs. Kovic
• Frank Whaley as Timmy
• Sean Stone as Young Jimmy
• Tom Berenger as Recruiting Sergeant
• Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic
• Abbie Hoffman as Strike Organizer
• Rob Camilletti as Tommy Finnelli
• Willem Dafoe as Charlie
• Raymond J. Barry as Mr. Kovic
• Jerry Levine as Steve Boyer

Produced by

• A. Kitman Ho
• David Brenner
• John Williams

Based On The Book by

Directed by.

• Oliver Stone

Photography by

• Robert Richardson

Screenplay by

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 Born on the Fourth of July  

Tom Cruise’s powerful performance as Ron Kovic, the Vietnam veteran who became a prominent anti-war activist, earned the star his first Oscar nomination in Oliver Stone’s searing film version of Kovic’s memoir. This epic drama about the impact of the war on American soldiers and their families received eight nominations including Best Picture and winning for Directing (Stone) and Film Editing (David Brenner, Joe Hutshing). John Williams was nominated for his emotional score which combined stirring Americana with more experimental music for the film’s traumatic war sequences; he would work with Stone again on JFK (1991) and Nixon (1995), receiving nominations for both scores. 

DIRECTED BY: Oliver Stone. WRITTEN BY: Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic. WITH: Tom Cruise, Kyra Sedgwick, Raymond J. Barry, Willem Dafoe. 1989. 144 min. USA. Color. Scope. English. Rated R. 35mm.  Print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive.

Academy museum film programming generously funded by the richard roth foundation. .

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Rotten Tomatoes® Score

Stone plays bumper cars with the camera and uses cutting to jam you into the action, and you can’t even enjoy his uncouthness, because it’s put at the service of sanctimony.

It’s a taxing watch, but the themes are potent and timeless.

A score from John Williams and aggressive direction from Oliver Stone make this the pre-eminent Vietnam War movie.

Aided by John Williams' majestic score and Oliver Stone's taut, no-holds-barred direction, this film shows the dark side of what happened when Johnny came marching home.

Stone made emotional gut-punches during this era that provided the opposite side to what patriotism is...

Abysmally insincere. [Full review in Spanish]

The basic core is powerful enough to transcend most of the flaws, and Cruise comes through with an edgy, furious performance.

Stone niftily strings together a batch of cuttingly effective dramatic sequences.

The eclectic and incredible cast assembled by Stone in this patriotic anti-patriot statement includes Tom Sizemore, Vivica A. Fox and James Le Gros...

The film internalizes Cruise's acting career from beef-cake adolescent lo gung-ho patriot within the Film's plot, transforms him into a serious actor by making him at once handicapped and ugly.

Additional Info

• Genre : Drama
• Release Date : December 20, 1989
• Languages : English
• Captions : English
• Audio Format : 5.1

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Born on the Fourth of July

Cast & crew.

Willem Dafoe

Kyra Sedgwick

Raymond J. Barry

Caroline Kava

Unflinching, violent story of Vietnam vet turned activist.

• Average 7.5

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© 1989 Focus Features. All Rights Reserved.

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Product Description

• Feature Commentary with Director Oliver Stone
• Backstory: Born on the Fourth of July

Product details

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.35:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.75 x 0.53 inches; 2.12 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 2220293
• Director ‏ : ‎ Oliver Stone
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Dubbed, DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen, Special Edition, Closed-captioned
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 25 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ October 19, 2004
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Tom Cruise, Kyra Sedgwick, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Stephen Baldwin
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French, Spanish
• Producers ‏ : ‎ A. Kitman Ho, Oliver Stone
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Unqualified (DTS ES 6.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0002V7ON8
• Writers ‏ : ‎ Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #708 in Military & War (Movies & TV)
• #8,422 in Drama DVDs

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Born on the Fourth of July

• Credits 
• Trailers  [1]
• Image gallery  [15]

All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders and/or producers/distributors.

• Bryan Larkin
• See all credits
• #146 Best War Movies/War Film
• "[Cruise's] performance is so good that the movie lives through it (...) [It] is one of those films that steps correctly in the opening moments and then never steps wrongly (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"  Roger Ebert : rogerebert.com
• "It is a film of enormous visceral power (...) The film is stunning when it is most specific (...) It's the most ambitious nondocumentary film yet made about the entire Vietnam experience"  Vincent Canby : The New York Times
• "[Stone] over-emphasizes where he could understate and imitates where he should originate (...) Stone has created a film whose overblown parts add up to far less than the epic whole he had in mind."  Desson Thomson : The Washington Post
• "A gripping, devastating and telling film about the Vietnam era (...) Stone drenches the picture in visceral reality"  Variety
• "[A] linear plot that doesn't allow us to see Kovic's conversion develop with any complexity"  Jonathan Rosenbaum : Chicago Reader
• "Tom Cruise gives an astounding, deeply felt performance (...) Stone has found in Cruise the ideal actor to anchor the movie with simplicity and strength."  Peter Travers : Rolling Stone
• "The film has the operatic sweep Stone intends, finding in Kovic the most potent symbol imaginable for an entire generation."  Scott Tobias : AV Club
• Show 4 more reviews
• 55 My Favorite War Movies (103)

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Tom Cruise’s 16 Best Performances: From ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to ‘Magnolia’

By Clayton Davis

Clayton Davis

Senior Awards Editor

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With six decades around the sun, Tom Cruise still feels the need for speed and has crafted himself into one of the most successful and undeniably talented movie stars of his generation.

Variety is ranking his 15 best film performances to celebrate the actor’s 60th birthday.

With a breakthrough that started in the coming-of-age film “Risky Business” (1983), the Syracuse, N.Y.-born actor became a darling of Hollywood and consumer audiences around the world. As Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” still goes strong, making more than half a billion dollars domestically, Cruise has continued to etch himself into the cultural zeitgeist, crossing multiple generations.

Also a producer, Cruise has continued to elevate the entertainment medium with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, which began in 1995. With five very successful sequels and two more on the way, he continues to push the boundaries for himself as a fearless stuntman and an advocate for the silver screen.

A career that only the most daring actors and creatives can dream of, Cruise has worked alongside two best actor winners — Paul Newman (“The Color of Money”) and Dustin Hoffman (“Rain Man”) — and has earned himself three Oscar nominations in “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), “Jerry Maguire” (1996) and “Magnolia” (1999). But it hasn’t been about the accolades for Cruise. In May 2021, he returned his three Golden Globe Awards after the expose on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity, specifically no Black members.

Cruise’s films have grossed over $10 billion dollars worldwide and there are no signs of slowing down. Will he ever win a coveted Oscar? That remains to be seen, but the narrative is there if the Academy rewards an upcoming project.

Read Variety’s list of Tom Cruise’s best performances below:

Honorable mentions : “Far and Away” (1992); “The Last Samurai” (2003); “Rock of Ages” (2012)

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Role: Major William Cage

Director: Doug Liman Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Getting the device from Brigham

Kicking ass, taking names, then rinse and repeat. A military major goes through a “Groundhog Day” loop but it’s Cruise that ensures it’s not a gimmick, slithering into each scene with charm, raw magnetism and wonderful chemistry with an awards-worthy Emily Blunt. The science-fiction drama has been all too undervalued. Doug Liman’s thriller shows more than special effects and explosions. It also presents capable and talented stars at the helm, which makes all the difference.

Risky Business (1983)

Role: Joel Goodson

Director: Paul Brickman Writer: Paul Brickman Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Dancing to “Old Time Rock & Roll”

All it took was a button-down shirt, briefs and a Bob Seger track to make Tom Cruise one of the defining movie stars of his generation. In Paul Brickman’s directorial debut, Cruise’s turn in the teen comedy was as culturally massive as it was monetarily successful. With lots of praise also going to his co-star Rebecca DeMornay, this is just as enjoyable as any film that ranks in the listing.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Role : Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

Director : Joseph Kosinski

Writers : Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie (based on characters created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.)

Distributor : Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it : “Maverick’s Test Run”

Cruise’s 80s high-flying sequel feels like it saved the movies. His return to “Maverick,” his beloved character has showmanship, charisma and the ability to shoot down planes with the enemy’s plane. Having great chemistry with his co-stars, particularly Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly, Cruise is only getting better as he gets older.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Role: Lestat de Lioncourt

Director: Neil Jordan Writer: Anne Rice (based on “Interview with the Vampire” by Anne Rice) Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: “Claudia, you’ve been a very, naughty little girl.”

As the sinister and entrancing Lestat, Cruise hypnotized the audience with his soft-spoken flirtations with the living while persuading them to join the undead. Alongside memorable turns from Brad Pitt and a young Kirsten Dunst, Neil Jordan’s horror adaptation of the Anne Rice novel is still a popular selection.

The Firm (1993)

Role: Mitch McDeere

Director: Sydney Pollack Writers: David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel (based on “The Firm” by John Grisham) Distributor: Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it: “Did you ever think I would make a six-figure salary?”

Sydney Pollack’s invigorating legal thriller boasts an all-star cast and a dynamic Cruise as lawyer Mitch McDeere. While also featuring my personal favorite Tom Cruise signature run as he chases down his movie wife Jeanne Tripplehorn, the adaptation of the John Grisham novel was a box office success and even pulled in an acting nom for his co-star Holly Hunter.

Mission: Impossible (1995)

Role: Ethan Hunt

Director: Brian De Palma Writers: David Koepp, Robert Towne, Steven Zaillian (based on “Mission: Impossible” by Bruce Geller) Distributor: Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it: “You’ve never seen me upset.”

The spy thriller from Brian De Palma still holds up almost 30 years later. Likewise, the action franchise that’s still going (with two more films on the way) keeps on delivering, thanks to Tom Cruise.

The cinematic remake of the classic television series has spawned multiple territories, generating massive revenue and showing Cruise’s defining action star beats, jaw-dropping stunts and magical smiles that have a way with the ladies as Ethan Hunt.

Keep dropping from those ceilings, Tom.

Rain Man (1988)

Role: Charlie Babbitt

Director: Barry Levinson Writers: Barry Morrow, Ronald Bass Distributor: MGM/UA

The scene that proves it: “You’re the Rain Man?”

The best picture winner of his arsenal, alongside an Oscar-winning turn from Dustin Hoffman, the film stands as one that hindsight has allowed us to rediscover as one of the bright spots of his filmography. If only Oscar were willing to recognize two leading actors as they did earlier that decade with “Amadeus.” Cruise would have made a fine addition.

Collateral (2004)

Role: Vincent

Director: Michael Mann Writer: Stuart Beattie Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures

The scene that proves it: Searching in the club.

At best a co-lead to Jamie Foxx (who was nominated for best supporting actor in one of the most recent cases of category fraud), Cruise’s silver fox Vincent in Michael Mann’s thriller is an underrated delivery. He sends chills down the spine, moving like a shark through a club and listening to his prey with a mischievous grin. He keeps us at the edge of our seats, before finally allowing us to exhale by the end of the credits.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Role: Bill Harford

Director: Stanley Kubrick Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Frederic Raphael (based on “Traumnovelle” by Arthur Schnitzler) Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Listening to the story about Cape Cod.

Under the thumb of Stanley Kubrick and his final outing with his then-wife, Nicole Kidman, Cruise dives into the erotic drama that feels among the actor’s bravest character outings. Marking the last directorial outing of Kubrick, you can feel the ripple of his legacy hanging on the words of each of Cruise and Kidman’s interactions or in the defined stare as one pours their heart out to another.

Top Gun (1986)

Director : Tony Scott

Writers : Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr. (based on “Top Guns” by Ehud Yonay

The scene that proves it : Tossing Goose’s dog tags.

Cruise feels the need… the need for speed in Tony Scott’s pulse-pounding action flick — a cemented classic in the 1980s. His undeniable charisma led to the following post-release and now has the global cinematic world taking in its sequel “Maverick” to more than half a billion dollars. There’s always been something about Maverick tossing Goose’s (Anthony Edwards) dog tags overboard following his death that always struck a chord.

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Role: Les Grossman

Director: Ben Stiller Writers: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Etan Cohen Distributor: Paramount Pictures / DreamWorks Pictures

The scene that proves it: “G5”

It’s a transformation of epic proportions in Ben Stiller’s classic comedy. While Robert Downey Jr. received the lion’s share of praise, earning an Oscar nom for supporting actor, Cruise could only muster a Golden Globe nom for his turn as Hollywood producer Les Grossman. Screaming one-liners and a dance finale that still makes the world chuckle, it stands as his single best comedic outing.

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Role: Jerry Maguire

Director: Cameron Crowe Writer: Cameron Crowe Distributor: Sony Pictures

The scene that proves it: “You complete me.”

Writer and director Cameron Crowe pulled a movie star performance out of Tom Cruise for his sports agent dramedy. As the titular character, he lights up the screen with his Oscar-winning co-star Cuba Gooding Jr. and the Oscar-snubbed Renée Zellweger in a finale that had people quoting it for decades. And let’s not forget “Show me the money” and its stapled place in movie history.

A Few Good Men (1992)

Role: Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee

Director: Rob Reiner Writer: Aaron Sorkin (based on “A Few Good Men” by Aaron Sorkin) Distributor: Columbia Pictures

The scene that proves it: “I want the truth…”

Cruise is entitled to answers in Rob Reiner’s courtroom drama, maneuvering prominent personalities and moments alongside Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Pollack. Although nominated for best picture, Cruise’s work was passed over in lead actor. His defender of marines standing trial, under the words of Aaron Sorkin and one of his finest writing efforts, Cruise soars to new heights.

Minority Report (2002)

Role: John Anderton

Director: Steven Spielberg Writers: Scott Frank, Jon Cohen (based on “The Minority Report” by Philip K. Dick) Distributor: 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios)

The scene that proves it: Listening to Abigail about Sean’s life.

It’s a quiet and commanding standout in Cruise’s filmography when looking back on Cruise’s work in Steven Spielberg’s futuristic drama. However, as John Anderton, a police officer trying to clear his name for a murder he has yet to commit, it’s Cruise’s precise choice of listening to Abigail (played by a magnificent Samantha Morton) that breaks the heart in two.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Role: Ron Kovic

Director: Oliver Stone Writers: Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic (based on “Born on the Fourth of July” by Kovic) Distributor: Universal Pictures

The scene that proves it: “I love America.”

Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone introduced what Cruise could achieve beyond sliding floors and jet planes. His Vietnam veteran spans years, with each chapter feeling authentic and layered. The film was nominated for best picture and earned Cruise his first Oscar nom for best actor.

Magnolia (1999)

Role: Frank T.J. Mackey

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson Distributor: New Line Cinema

The scene that proves it: “I hate you.”

Pouring in every ounce of himself, Cruise’s Oscar-nominated performance is (currently) the last time he’s been recognized by the Academy, and it stands as his finest hour in Paul Thomas Anderson’s mosaic drama. Full of life, energy and heartache, he invites the viewer on the journey, fearless in his interpretation and perfect in his execution.

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Highest Rated: 97% Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Lowest Rated: 9% Cocktail (1988)

Birthday: Jul 3, 1962

Birthplace: Syracuse, New York, USA

Tom Cruise rose quickly to become one of the best-known American actors in the world. Born in Syracuse, New York, he moved around throughout his childhood, including a period in Canada. After graduating from high school in New Jersey, he moved first to New York and then to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He made his film debut in the Brooke Shields vehicle "Endless Love" (1981). His next role as an aggressive military cadet opposite Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn in "Taps" (1981) caught people's attention. He joined another group of young stars, including Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe, in Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of the S.E. Hinton novel "The Outsiders" (1983). His starring role as schoolboy-turned-pimp Joel in "Risky Business" broke him as one of Hollywood's newest celebrities. The long shoot schedule of Ridley Scott's fantasy epic "Legend" (1985) briefly took him out of the public eye, but he bounced back with one of the iconic roles of the 1980s. Playing Navy fighter pilot Maverick in Tony Scott's "Top Gun" (1986) turned Cruise into a superstar. He began branching into roles with more heft at the same time when he joined Paul Newman for "The Color of Money" (1986). He continued in that vein during the next several years, working with high profile directors and co-stars in prestige projects. He partnered with Dustin Hoffman for "Rain Man" (1988), Oliver Stone for "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989), and Jack Nicholson for "A Few Good Men" (1993), the first two of which were Oscar-winners for Best Picture. The actor picked up his first Academy Award nomination for "Born on the Fourth of July." While it didn't garner the same level of critical acclaim, his role as Anne Rice's vampire Lestat opposite a young Brad Pitt in "Interview with a Vampire" (1994) became as well-remembered as any of the actor's roles. His 11-year marriage to Nicole Kidman saw the couple partner on three films including Ron Howard's "Far and Away" (1992) and Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999). By the '90s, he had his pick of roles and began mixing in big-budget populist fare like "Mission: Impossible" (1996), based on the '60s television show of the same name. His role as secret agent Ethan Hunt proved popular enough for a series of sequels that would extend for more than two decades. Cruise also notched a second Oscar nomination for his role as a sports agent gaining a conscious in Cameron Crowe's "Jerry Maguire" (1996). He worked with another rising filmmaker when he played motivational speaker Frank Mackey in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" (1999), a role that earned him another Academy Award nomination. After the turn of the century, Cruise bounced between effects-heavy fare like "Minority Report" (2002) and "War of the Worlds" (2005) to dramas such as "Lions for Lambs" (2007) with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. He also proved himself willing to puncture his own inflated image, with comedic cameos in "Austin Powers in Goldmember" (2002) and "Tropic Thunder" (2008), and his musical turn in "Rock of Ages" (2012). He similarly adopted a self-effacing posture when fans began noticing that there was a scene of the actor running in nearly all his films. Over the years, he found himself a magnet for the tabloids thanks to his close ties to the Church of Scientology and his celebrity marriages to Kidman and Katie Holmes. Cruise added another action franchise to his resume when he jumped into the role of Lee Child's literary tough guy "Jack Reacher" (2012). He would reprise the role in "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" (2016). After starring in the big-budget reboot of "The Mummy" (2017) and the drama "American Made" (2017), he returned to the role that once cemented his superstar status. More than 20 years after the original, Cruise climbed back into the cockpit to revive Maverick for a sequel to his 1986 hit "Top Gun: Maverick" (2020).

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7 Best Tom Cruise Movies of the 80s

Born in Syracuse, NY on July 3, 1962, Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s most popular actors and producers, receiving numerous accolades for his work, including three Golden Globe Award and three nominations for Academy Awards.

He has a net worth of $570 million as of 2020 and is one of the highest paid actors in the world. He’s also one of the highest-grossing box office stars of all time, with films grossing over $4 billion in North America and over $10.1 billion around the world.

Tom Cruise in the Early 80s

Tom Cruise’s early career started when moving to New York City with his mother and step father to pursue an acting career. He first found a job as a busboy and later went to Los Angeles to try out for television roles, where he landed a contract with CAA and started acting in films. His first film was Endless Love (1981) where he appeared in a bit part, followed by a major supporting role as Billy in Taps .

In 1983, he was made part of the ensemble cast of The Outsiders before starring in All the Right Moves and Risky Business which was described as “A Generation X classic, and a career-maker for Tom Cruise.” It was then in 1986 where he landed the major role of playing Maverick in Top Gun, where his career really took off.

Top Tom Cruise Films of the 80s

1. top gun (1986).

Directed by Tony Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer in association with Paramount Pictures, Tom Cruise played Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchel, a young naval pilot working off the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, along with his best friend and Radar Intercept Officer, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards). Together, they are given the opportunity to train at the US Navy’s Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, CA.

After being released, Top Gun first had mixed reviews from critics, but most loved the action scenes, effects, aerial stunts and acting performances from Cruise and Kelly McGillis (Charlotte). Despite its mixed reviews, the film had grossed $356 million in the US with a budget of just $15 million. It maintained its popularity throughout the 80s and also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin.

Fun fact: a sequel, Top Gun: Maverick will be released on July 2, 2021, after being postponed twice due to COVID-19.

2. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Directed by Oliver Stone and based on an eponymous 1976 autobiography by Ron Kovic, Born on the Fourth of July is a biographical war drama film about the life of Kovic (Cruise) over a 20-year period. The story covers his childhood, military service and paralysis during the Vietnam War and then his transition to anti-war activism.

After the film’s release, it was praised by critics for its story, including Tom Cruise’s acting and Stone’s direction. While they initially had a $14 million budget, it ended up costing $17.8 million after reshoots when Al Pacino (who would have played Kovic) and producer Bregman left.

Despite going over budget, the movie was largely successful at the box office as it grossed over $161 million worldwide, making it the tenth highest-grossing film of 1989. The film also won four Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

3. Rain Man (1988)

Directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass, Rain Man is about an abrasive, selfish young wheeler-dealer named Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) who discovers his estranged father died and left his multi-million dollar home to his other son, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Raymond is an autistic savant of whom Charlie didn’t even know. The only items left for Charlie were his father’s beloved vintage car and rosebushes. Valeria Golino also stars alongside Tom Cruise as Charlie’s girlfriend Susanna.

Rain Man was the highest grossing film in 1988, winning four Oscars at the 61st Academy Awards in March 1989, including Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading role for Hoffman, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. The film crew had also received an additional four nominations. The movie also won the Golden Bear at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival.

4. Risky Business (1983)

Written and directed by Paul Brickman and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay, Risky Business is about a once young, smart, innocent boy, Joel (Cruise) who lives with his wealthy parents in Chicago’s North Shore of Glencoe.

His future means everything to him, but his friend, Miles, steps in and calls a prostitute on his behalf. Turns out, she happened to be a trans woman, who Joel paid for her to leave. But before she did, she gave Joel the number of another prostitute, Lana, who Joel also called and invited over.

She was a gorgeous young blonde who fooled around with him the rest of the night and asked him for $300 the following morning for her services. He didn’t have the money on hand, so he went to the bank, leaving the prostitute in his home, where she stole his mother’s expensive Steuben glass egg.

The film had a great presentation for themes including loss of innocence, coming of age, capitalism and materialism, grossing over $63 million with just a $6.2 million budget.

5. The Color of Money (1986)

Directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Richard Price in association with Touchstone Pictures, The Color of Money is a drama film based on the 1984 novel by Walter Tevis. The movie features the continued story of a pool hustler and stake horse Edward “Fast Eddie” Felson, who decides to introduce a student to his game of scamming others in pool halls.

He meets talented, green Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise) and proposes a partnership. When Fast Eddie leads Vince through various pool halls and teaches him the tricks of scamming, he eventually grows frustrated with Vincent’s showboat antics which leads to a major argument and fallout between the two. But Eddie soon takes up playing again and takes on Vincent as an opponent.

The film won an Academy Awards for Best Actor, National Board of review Awards for Top Ten Films and National Board of Review Awards for Best Actor. It also grossed $52.3 million with a budget of $13.8 million.

6. All the Right Moves (1983)

Directed by Michael Chapman, All the Right Moves is a sports drama about Stefan Djordjevic (Tom Cruise), who is the star player of his high school football team who’s hoping his talents will earn him a scholarship and move him out of his small hometown of Ampipe, PA. But a heated argument between him and his coach (Craig T. Nelson) gets him booted from the football team, and he’s blacklisted from college recruiters. So Stefan must fight for the chance to live out his dream and escape from a dead-end future.

While the film wasn’t nominated nor won any awards, it did gross over $17 million at the box office with a budget of $5.6 million.

7. Legend (1985)

Directed by Ridley Scott, Legend is an epic dark fantasy adventure story , revolving around Jack, a pure being who must stop the Lord of Darkness, who plans to cover the world in darkness forever. Most describe this film as a dark fairy tale and return to more original and even disturbing fables originating from the ancient times oral tradition.

This movie was not a commercial success when it was first released, but it did win the British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography in 1985 for cinematographer Alex Thomson. It was also nominated for a number of other awards, including:

• Oscar for Best Makeup
• Academy of Science Fiction
• Fantasy & Horror Films Saturn Award for Best Makeup
• BAFTA Awards for Best Costume Design
• Best Makeup Artist
• Best Special Visual Effects
• DVD Exclusive awards
• Young Artist Awards

But despite all the nominations, the film only grossed $23.5 million with a $24.5 million budget.

Tom Cruise’s Films with Minor Roles

1. the outsiders (1983).

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Outsiders is based on the 1967 novel by S. E. Hinton, where Jo Ellen Misakian and her students inspired Coppola to make the film at Lone Star Elementary School in Fresno, CA. It had various up-and-coming stars, including C. Thomas Howell (who won a Young Artist Award), Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swazy, Ralph Maccio, and Diane Lane. The film also inspired the Brat Pack genre of the 80s, where a rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and rich Socs heats up when one gang member kills a member of the other. While Cruise didn’t have a strong role, it helped him to land the starring role as Joel in Risky Business.

The movie received mostly positive reviews from movie critics, mostly for the acting performances, specifically Macchio being singled out for praise. The movie grossed $33.7 million at the box office with only a $10 million budget.

2. Taps (1981)

Directed by Harold Becker, Taps is a 1981 drama starring George C. Scott and Timothy Hutton about a group of military school students who decide to take over their school and save it from closing. While it was Sean Penn’s first film role and Cruise’s second, Cruise only had a supporting role, playing David Shawn.

But it was this film, along with another film, Endless Love that gave him the opportunity to star as Joel in Risky Business, where he would have his big break.

With a budget of only $14 million, the movie grossed almost $36 million at the box office.

3. Endless Love (1981)

Endless Love is another 80s romance drama directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt. Tom Cruise had a minor role as Billy. The movie was also based on the 1979 novel, written by Scott Spencer.

The story is about a love-obsessed couple where a 15-year-old girl is thwarted by her parents’ disapproval of her relationship. So she burns down her family’s home and is committed to a psychiatric hospital.

While the movie was unfavorably compared to the book, which featured the dangers of obsessive love as well as receiving poor reviews, its theme song became a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100. The song also received an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nomination for “Best Original Song” in addition to five Grammy Award nominations.

Tom Cruise’s Less Successful Films

1. cocktail (1988).

Directed by Donaldson and written by Heywood Gould, this 80s rom com was based on Gould’s novel. The Cocktail is about a young business student living in NYC, Brian Flanagan (Cruise) whose dream is to go into marketing. But he learns how to bartend to pay for college and make ends meet, where he meets his veteran boss, Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown). Working together, they show off special tricks and charisma while bringing in large tips and crowds – until they have a falling out. Flanagan ended up moving to Jamaica to raise money to open his own bar, where he fell in love with the beautiful artist Jordan Mooney (Elisabeth Shue).

Despite its success in the box office, grossing over $171.5 million, the film had horrible reviews from critics. One had said, “There are no surprises in Cocktail, a shallow, dramatically inert romance that squanders Tom Cruise’s talents in what amounts to a naive barkeep’s banal fantasy.”

2. Losin’ It (1983)

This American-Canadian film was directed by Chris Hanson and involves four teenagers trying to lose their virginity. Losin’ It takes place in 1950s Los Angeles where the group is on their way to Tijuana, Mexico. Dave, Spider and Woody (Cruise) are there to lose their virginity while Wendell came to buy fireworks. They pick up a young woman named Kathy, who tags along because she wants a quick divorce from her husband. But they quickly find themselves in a series of adventures and troubles south of the border.

This film received a ton of negative reviews from critics and has a 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes according to 10 reviews.

What’s Your Favorite Tom Cruise Film?

Even if it’s not from the 80s, Tom Cruise starred in many highly successful films, including the Mission Impossible series, Jerry Maguire (1996), Minority Report (2002), Interview with the Vampire (1994), The Last Samurai (2003), Vanilla Sky (2001), and The Mummy (2017). What are your favorites? Please let us know in the comments below!

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Tom Cruise Did His Daring Skydiving Stunt at Olympics Closing Ceremony for Free

Tom Cruise’s Paris-to-Hollywood trick was originally going to be filmed with a stunt double, but the actor said, “I’m only doing it if I get to do everything”

PHIL NOBLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The pay day for Tom Cruise ’s latest, greatest stunt may surprise you. 

Cruise, 62, and his trusty stunts team accepted no fee for his impossible mission: swinging atop Stade de France and skydiving into the stadium during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games closing ceremony, only to seemingly reappear in the air above the Hollywood sign. 

Casey Wasserman, president and chairman of LA28, the org behind the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, revealed the stunt was done for free during a panel in L.A. on Tuesday, Sept. 10. The event, presented by CNBC and Boardroom, featured L.A. mayor Karen Bass, Team USA managing director Grant Hill and actress-entrepreneur Jessica Alba , who sits on the LA28 Board of Directors. 

“The original idea was a person in the stadium as a stunt double,” Wasserman explained, per The Hollywood Reporter . “About five minutes into the presentation [Cruise] goes, ‘I’m in. But I’m only doing it if I get to do everything.' "

Of the pre-recorded Hollywood sign segment, Wasserman joked, “It’s amazing how fast he got to L.A., isn’t it?”

Although initially doubtful his team would be able to book the Top Gun star and pull off such an ambitious stunt sequence, the chairman said that “every step of the way, he got more involved and more engaged.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

In fact, Cruise fitting the Hollywood sign shoot into his schedule was a daring stunt all its own. The actor-producer was busy filming the upcoming installment of his Mission: Impossible film series.

“He finished filming Mission: Impossible at 6 p.m. in London, got right on a plane. He landed in L.A. at 4 a.m., and filmed the scene where he pulls onto a military plane. In L.A., he does two jumps out of the thing," Wasserman recalled, revealing that Cruise "didn’t like the first one, so he did a second jump."

"Then he helicoptered from Palmdale to the Hollywood sign, filmed from 1 until 5, helicoptered to Burbank Airport and flew back to London,” the chairman continued.

Jamie Squire/Getty

Cruise also made time to attend events at the Olympic Games themselves, watching Simone Biles and the U.S. women's gymnastics team compete on July 28.

During the closing ceremony in Stade de France, he received the Olympic flag from Biles, 27, and Bass, 70. 

France “deserves a lot of credit” for a successful Summer Games, added Wasserman. “They reminded people why people fall in love with the Olympics... they did it spectacularly."

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10 Things I Learned Rewatching Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible Movies In Order

1 failed tom cruise movie franchise proves his star power better than top gun & mission impossible, this 3-hour movie with 82% on rt earned tom cruise his last oscar nomination & he deserved to win.

An upcoming movie starring Tom Cruise has arguably the best ensemble cast of the celebrated actor's entire career. After maintaining his status as one of the biggest movie stars on the planet and the face of several massive action franchises such as Top Gun and Mission: Impossible , Cruise will be looking to take on more dramatic roles with experienced directors. Cruise recently signed a major deal with Warner Bros . which brings about all sorts of possibilities for sequels and original content.

Cruise had originally starred in more traditional dramas, comedies, and other genre films outside of action during his meteoric rise in Hollywood over the years. He made his feature film debut in the tragic romantic drama Endless Love (1981) before rising to prominence as the star of Risky Business (1983), The Color of Money (1986), and of course, the original Top Gun (1986). Cruise has been nominated for 3 Best Actor Oscars for Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996), and Magnolia (1999).

Tom Cruise's Alejandro Iñárritu Movie Has An Absolutely Loaded Cast So Far

The untitled film features several academy award winners and nominees.

Tom Cruise's new movie with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu will pair him with a slate of extraordinary and award-winning actors. While the plot details and title currently remain under wraps , the cast list alone already makes it one of the most highly-anticipated upcoming movies. Cruise will be joined onscreen by Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall), Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler), John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name), Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog), and Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me), via Deadline .

Warner Bros. will produce the film by Iñàrritu, a 4-time Oscar-winning screenwriter and director best known for Babel (2006), Biutiful (2010), Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), and The Revenant (2015). Deadline reports that the script, which Iñàrritu co-wrote, will center " on the most powerful man in the world, who embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything ." While unconfirmed, Cruise seems like the most obvious choice for the described protagonist .

I recently watched every Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible movie in order, and I took away these 10 big realizations after finishing the series.

Not Even Mission: Impossible Has Assembled A Cast As Impressive Opposite Tom Cruise

Iñàrritu's next movie looks to be cruise's very best ensemble.

Needless to say, Cruise has been a part of some great casts over the years but has never been in one quite as ostensibly stacked as Iñàrritu's upcoming picture. Even though his Mission: Impossible movies are known for being ensemble films with good casts, featuring big-name actors such as Henry Cavill, Jeremy Renner, and Rebecca Ferguson, none quite compare to the expected prestige of this Cruise project. Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia , which stars Tom Cruise , Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jason Robards may be in the same conversation, but Iñàrritu's next movie looks to be Cruise's very best ensemble.

Although Top Gun and Mission Impossible show how big of a star Tom Cruise is, the best proof is, actually, in one failed movie franchise.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

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Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning is an action-adventure spy thriller from director Christopher McQuarrie. It's the seventh entry in the Mission: Impossible series and a direct sequel to Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The title will star Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ving Rhames.

Tom Cruise didn't get paid for his showstopping roof jump at the Paris Olympics

• Tom Cruise jumped off the roof of the Stade de France in Paris to close out the Olympics.
• It was part of the ceremony that passed the games over to Los Angeles for 2028.
• LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman said Cruise did the stunt for free.

Tom Cruise jumped from the Stade de France in Paris during the 2024 Olympics closing ceremony — for free.

The actor leaped from the roof into the stadium, was given the Olympic flag by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and gymnast Simone Biles , then drove it out of the stadium on a motorbike.

For audiences at home, the ceremony then showed Cruise driving through the streets of Paris, boarding a military plane, and doing a solo skydive to the Hollywood sign.

The sequence, which riffed on Cruise's stunt-based acting career , was part of handing over the Olympics to Los Angeles for the 2028 games and honored the Hollywood side of the city.

LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman revealed how the team pulled the sequence off at Game Plan 2024, an event hosted by CNBC and the business-services company Boardroom.

Wasserman explained that they originally planned to have a stuntman do most of the sequence in a balaclava, but the actor wanted to do it himself.

"About five minutes into the presentation [Tom Cruise] goes, 'I'm in. But I'm only doing it if I get to do everything,'" Wasserman said.

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Cruise has famously done all of his own stunts in recent years, including the exhilarating mountain jump in 2023's " Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One ," so it's unsurprising that he wanted to do the sequence. But the LA28 chief said he did the whole thing for free, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

That is a little surprising given the logistics of filming the separate jumps in Paris and Los Angeles. Wasserman explained that the star was filming the next "Mission: Impossible" movie at the time, but managed to squeeze in the Olympics jump.

"He finished filming Mission: Impossible at 6 p.m. in London, got right on a plane. He landed in L.A. at 4 a.m., and filmed the scene where he pulls onto a military plane," Wasserman explained.

"In L.A., he does two jumps out of the thing. He didn't like the first one, so he did a second jump. Then he helicoptered from Palmdale to the Hollywood sign, filmed from 1 until 5, helicoptered to Burbank Airport and flew back to London."

Considering Cruise's role in the 2024 closing ceremony, it's possible he'll be involved in the opening ceremony in 2028. But there's plenty of time to figure out how he'll top the stadium jump.

When speaking to Business Insider in 2023, Cruise said he tries to outdo himself on every project.

"I'm always pushing. I just remember, every time they say, 'Can you top it? Can you not top it?' we're always pushing. Every film I do, whatever genre it's in, I want to make it as entertaining as possible for that audience. I know I can do things better," he said.

Watch: Behind the scenes on Tom Cruise's most daring 'Mission: Impossible' stunts

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