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Best Actor in a Leading Role...TOM CRUISE

posted 16 years ago by jagpreet-rai
41 replies | jump to latest

How the hell did Hoffman walk away with the Oscar for this? Yes he was very good, but Cruise's character had much more pivotal and difficult scenes to pull off, which Cruise did perfectly and hence warranted an Oscar nod.

Examples of performances better than Hoffman's in Rain Man include:

De Niro in Awakenings
Di Caprio in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape
Geoffrey Rush in Shine

Shame on the Academy for not recognising the brilliance of Cruise in this film.

[–] anfinke 14 years ago

Good point OP. Hoffman and Cruise were equally good in this.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 14 years ago

Hoffman deserved his oscar, but so did Cruise. This is one of the best performances I've seen from Cruise.

Unlike some others here I don't agree that Hoffman's was an easy role. He plays Raymond seamlessly and is totally convincing in how he relates to others throughout the film. That takes discipline and real attention to detail, as well as feeling for the character.

rouge silk,
fierce concentrated joy,
fires the blood

[–] ar87 13 years ago

Two things:

1. Yes, there are many people who can imitate Hoffman's character and thus play him. But Hoffman came up with this character himself. He studied a guy with autism, he worked on all the mannerisms, he perfected it. It wasn't just a caricature, either. There were little nuances that you can pick up on. Like a little look in his eyes towards the end of the movie when he looks at his brother that says a little something extra.

2. Yes, Cruise had the more difficult job in this movie, because he was the one holding the movie up, and his character had an arc. Cruise in his heyday was always highly underrated as an actor because of his looks (yet somehow whenever he was in a movie, everyone had to go watch it, which you can only say for maybe a handful of actors in history, most of them from old Hollywood), but just for a moment imagine if someone like Shia LaBeauf (however you spell it) was the lead in this movie, assuming he was acting in the 80's. Do you think the movie would be as highly acclaimed? Would anyone remember it? I seriously doubt it.

[–] intuitsteve 13 years ago

It was nothing special.Mickey Rourke would have gave a much better performance than cruise.Cruise was just playing himself as usual.Hoffman made this movie.

[–] jenld1029-2 13 years ago

This wasn't only Hoffman's best perfromance ever, it was one of the best I have ever seen in any film. It is very difficult to pull this off. I am the father of an autistic teen and Hoffman had it NAILED. It IS NOT easy to act that way, even though it may seem to be.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] LuciferBaggins 10 years ago

Agreed.

[–] rascal67 10 years ago

Also agree and I would be more accepting of Hoffman's award, if Tom Cruise had at least been nominated along side him. Hoffman even forgot to thank Cruise in his acceptance speech, as he was so caught up in his egomania and how wonderful he thought he was as an actor. He gave a more superior performance in TOOTSIE-82'.

I watch RAIN MAN for Cruise.

[–] JaysonT 9 years ago

TOM CRUISE - 5 BEST PERFORMANCES

1. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
2. Jerry Maguire (1996)
3. Rain Man (1988)
4. Interview With the Vampire (1994)
5. A Few Good Men (1992)

DUSTIN HOFFMAN - 5 BEST PERFORMANCES

1. Tootsie (1982)
2. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
3. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
4. Rain Man (1988)
5. Hook (1991)