Every Tom Cruise Movie Based on a True Story, Ranked

Tom Cruise’s life story is perfect for a biopic. Seeing his early years under his father’s roof would be interesting. Cruise once described the man as an “agent of chaos” and we’d love to be part of the shared hatred for Thomas Cruise Mapother III.

Cruise also hopped from one school to the next at the same rate he jumps from one movie to another. He attended 15 schools in 14 years, and it’d be interesting to see whether the instability made him better or worse. Throw in his Hollywood life and his controversies surrounding religion (he aspired to be a Franciscan priest at one point) and you have the perfect movie. As we cross our fingers for a Tom Cruise biopic, we can enjoy a few movies starring the actor in which he has played other real-world figures or composite characters based on real people.

Mostly known for action, sci-fi, and drama films, Cruise doesn’t make biographical films regularly – a choice his fans might frown over, given how good he has been whenever he has brought historical experiences to the big screen. His 4 films based on true stories have been excellent, but how do they rank against each other?

4

‘Valkyrie’ (2008)

Summarized history might have you believe that all the Fuhrer’s men were behind him and his madness during World War II. In reality, many were disgruntled, notably Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), who, in this movie, famously says, “You can serve Germany or the Fuhrer, not both!” Stauffenberg was the mastermind behind “Operation Valkyrie,” a 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler. He failed, but watching him put the wheels in motion in Valkyrie is fun.

Cruise’s casting caused controversy in Germany, as the country has often treated Scientology with hostility. So bad was the situation that the production team was initially denied filming licenses before being granted one at Berlin’s historic Bendlerblock.

Cruise Has Too Much Weight on His Shoulders

Bryan Singer’s cool lensing and John Ottman’s quietly menacing score combine with excellent performances to create a gloomy, tight WWI thriller that undoubtedly qualifies as a quintessential military biographical film. Should the role of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg have been given to a German actor? That’s debatable, but, here, Cruise sure passes as a man who was born and raised in Jettingen-Scheppach.

Unfortunately, Cruise’s fellow cast members don’t back him as efficiently as Claus von Stauffenberg’s conspirators did to the coup plotter. He, alone, gives an outstanding performance, and the decision to stick to the history books makes the story a lot less interesting than it would have been. A few fictional friendship or romance arcs might have elevated the picture to greater heights.

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3

‘The Last Samurai’ (2003)

The Last Samurai is the story of the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion, led by Saigō Takamori. Cruise plays Captain Nathan Algren, a Civil War and Indian War veteran who becomes intrigued by the ways of the Samurai after getting captured. Algren is a composite character with elements of the lives of Eugène Collache and Jules Brunet, both French Imperial Guard officers who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the Boshin War.

A Familiar Template

Apart from history, we can see where else director Edward Zwick (better known for Blood Diamond), got his inspiration. Algren’s arc plays out in the same manner as that of Kevin Costner’s character in the Oscar-winning, Dances with the Wolves. Both protagonists are battle-hardened men who end up in uncivilized territory. Each of them uses their experiences to assist their new biddies and come to respect their newly adopted culture.

Still, The Last Samurai fascinates by packing in exciting action sequences and throwing in numerous historical details that rarely get mainstream attention. Overall, the film was a major success, grossing $456.8 million against a budget of $140 million and earning four Oscar nominations.

2

‘Born on the Fourth of July’ (1989)

Shortly after making one of the greatest anti-war movies (Platoon), Oliver Stone came back with Born on the Fourth of July, serving as the second installment in his “Vietnam War Trilogy.” The filmmaker is a veteran too, so we can understand his passion and his desire to tell the story of someone like Ron Kovic. The film covers the life of Kovic (Cruise) across 20 years, detailing his younger years, his service in Vietnam and eventual paralysis, and his transition to activism.

Al Pacino was set to play Kovic, but a busy schedule forced him to exit the project. Thankfully, Stone got an equally great actor in Cruise, who had proved comfortable in the military-related space after his impressive showing in Top Gun.

An Oscar-Worthy Performance

Edgy, fast-paced, and shocking, Born on the Fourth of July will leave you opposing all wars. An auspicious successor to what seemed like a film that couldn’t be topped (Platoon), this superb war thriller pairs horror on the battlefield with a claustrophobic atmosphere. Kvic’s efforts to flee to safety often prove futile, and he remains isolated for a good chunk of the picture. Cruise, who cemented his career on the strength of this performance (he received a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars), is a perfect vision of distressed resilience, woefully illuminated by the solar glare seeping through Vietnam’s lush locations.

Lean direction, vibrant camerawork, and a sulky, chilling soundtrack by John Williams further accentuate the air of steely fatalism. Stone won Best Director for his efforts here, and his bosses at Universal also had something to smile about. It was the studio’s second highest-grossing film of 1989, second only to Back to the Future Part II.

1

‘American Made’ (2017)

Most people would thank the heavens if they ever woke up as a pilot but such a job wasn’t enough for Barry Seal… or at least the money wasn’t. Greedy or simply a daredevil? Barry was fired by TWA for smuggling explosive materials to Mexico. Shortly after, he began transporting drugs for the Medellin Cartel using low-flying planes.

To avoid detection, he would drop the drugs to remote Louisiana where they were picked up and transported to Miami. When the DEA caught up with him, he chose to become a “rata,” as Escobar would pronounce it, and for his betrayal, he got a plomo (bullet) to the head. This is but an eighth of the story. More can be found in American Made, where Cruise plays Barry.

Tom Cruise and a Plane are a Match Made in Heaven

The film’s script by Gari Spinelli had initially failed to generate interest and had been stuck in The Black List (a popular collection of screenplays not yet produced) for a while, but Cruise didn’t think twice about jumping on it. This incendiary aviation-themed thriller is just the type of film the Top Gun actor does best. It’s a joy to watch the seasoned actor still delivering as magnificently as he did in the ‘80s. You’ll love the cinematography too, given the way it perfectly captures the hue of the skies, America, and Latin America.