Vanilla Sky, that trippy Tom Cruise flick from 2001, completely split critics at the time but has somehow grown with age. That is what I have said! An online conversation of players and cinema enthusiasts erupted after a tweet went viral about calling it “surreal and unforgettable,” exchanging strange experiences and hot takes on the cinema’s ups-and-downs.
So what is Vanilla Sky really? The film really does redeem the title for me, I think. Stars Tom Cruise as a publishing tycoon and all-around wealthy guy whose perfect life is completely shattered by a horrific car accident. Things get quite trippy, blurring the lines between reality and dreams so much that you lose all grounds to really question anything. The critics back in 2001 were very harsh; now, however, people are looking back at this movie and coming to terms with it having been ahead of its time.
This online conversation about the film is hilarious. One user claimed to have actually seen this in the cinema “three times in one day,” and that sounds exhausting, almost unbelievable. Who does that? That is the level of passion that the movie instills in its spectators. Then somebody else calls it “easily one of the worst films ever made,” so the debate really does go on hardcore two decades later.
Some comments are praising Tom Cruise’s performance as well: several mentioned that ludicrous scene of him standing on the edge of a building; one stated, “Tom actually kept off that building,” while another said, “Cruise asked could he really jump off the building for real.” Given the truth that Tom Cruise does all his stunts, I would not be surprised.
Insane piece of information from the comments: Vanilla Sky was “the only movie ever to get permission to shut down entire Times Square for shooting a scene.” I mean, think about that: shutting down Times Square? There’s never been a higher level of movie-making.
The soundtrack seems to be getting all the way through the honors, with numerous people calling it “great,” which honestly makes sense, for the music in that film really sets the whole surreal tone of it. And Cameron Diaz’s performance? One user insists that she “deserved an Oscar nom AT LEAST,” and honestly, looking back, she really brought something special to that role.
Wait, what was I saying? Oh yeah, the debate on the remake. Somewhat divided about that–several people mentioned that Vanilla Sky is actually a remake of a Spanish film named Open Your Eyes, with Penélope Cruz playing the same role in both versions. Some say the original’s better, while others claim that the remake holds itself just as well. Hardly ever do you hear that about a Hollywood remake.
The timing of all this is pretty interesting. A user said, “critics were spoiled then” in comparison to what we get now, which honestly feels pretty true when you look at some of the things that passed the greenlight these days. An entirely different person admitted that they can’t remember much about this one but might be-“time for a rewatch,” which is kind of true.
What becomes clear from all that babbling is that anyone who has seen Vanilla Sky, loving it or not, is marked by that movie. That around 20 years on, people still have heated debates about it says something about the impact it has. It is one of those films that sticks with you, gets the gears turning, and deserves to be revisited if you haven’t looked at it in a while.
So yeah, critics may have been somewhat confused by Vanilla Sky when it came out, but since then, the film has definitely found its own audience. There’s probably the best committed performance to date by one Tom Cruise at his utmost commitment; crazy times of surreal storyline; that Times Square scene they’ll really remember – all together forming a cult classic that was able to age really well. Well, ready to throw some 4K on and really find out what all the fuss is about?
