Who Won the Movie?
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:20Read transcript
- The question draws four quick 'Cruz' answers and 'That easy', for how much time he spends on camera running the gamut while physically doing little: funny, panicked, cool, sad.
- Asked which athlete performance it compares to, the answer is a quarterback performance, cool and going for it when everything is on the line, followed by 'I think Cruise too'.
- As a last question, who won the code red scene: Sean Phenasy (as transcribed 'fantasy') thought Cruise did, and one panelist agrees, citing how Cruise walks around and quietly approaches the camera while Jessup is stuck in a chair, so Nicholson works at a disadvantage.
- Says Tom Cruise wins the movie largely because of this scene and calls it his best performance, but Nicholson owns every inch of the frame: the 'entitled' speech drips with contempt only Nicholson could deliver, and his quiet, growling, low-register power is the most powerful. — Amanda Dobbins
- 'I think Nicholson wins. Go Nicholson' is offered with evidence from an interview in which Cruise marvels at the subtle things Nicholson did, while the reverse never happened.
- One panelist rides or dies with Nicholson; the case made is that Cruise gives the platonic ideal of a Cruise performance, while this and The Shining are atypical late-career Nicholson unlike Chinatown and Fizey's pieces (as transcribed), catching him past his prime after Terms of Endearment, known from Lakers games, tan and clearly having fun; the section closes with 'I think Nicholson first when I think of this movie' and agreeing to disagree.
- Asked whether the late Bacon appreciation means going rogue for Bacon, the reply is no, since he has about four scenes and is like a table in most, despite the softball line, the basketball scene and his shell-shocked look at the end; 'I just can't get off Cruise Island'.