Sep 16, 2025
The "fun" thing about Taps is that once you watch it, you understand why Tom keeps bringing it up.
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The "fun" thing about Taps is that once you watch it, you understand why Tom keeps bringing it up.
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why did no one tell me that taps (1981) was good. no why did no one tell me. I wasn't ready to have my heart torn out. I wasn't READY.
Tom Cruise Characters As Moodboards — Part Twenty-Nine: Cadet Captain David Shawn
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now that you’re most of the way through tc’s filmography, what do you think are some of his best under appreciated movies? I feel like I’ve seen of lot of his iconic (at least to me 💕) roles and am trying to decide what to check out next
Hey anon,
This is from a UK perspective. They may be more widely known in the US, but I hadn't heard of either of these movies until I started watching his filmography.
All the Right Moves and TAPS
Tom Cruise frequently mentions TAPS in interviews, and once you see it, you'll understand why. It’s a young cast of actors, and the director did a great job of guiding them through their performances. It’s a great ensemble piece. (And this has reminded me that I wanted to re-watch Dead Poets Society and compare the two. So that’s another essay idea added to the list.)
All the Right Moves is still depressingly relevant today, and if it were to be remade, you wouldn’t have to do much to the script to update it. It’s a small teen drama, which avoids a lot of the typical tropes. For example, his character Stefen has a very loving and caring relationship with his dad, and they aren’t afraid to show physical affection to each other. I also like how the relationship with his girlfriend Lisa is portrayed, and while the issue of sex is something they’re navigating, there isn’t a rival girl who tempts Stefen to cheat.
His performance as Vincent Lauria in The Color of Money is a must-see. The film wouldn’t be in my top 5 Tom Cruise movies, but his performance in that movie is one of my favorites, he should have received a best supporting actor nomination for it.
I would also recommend Minority Report. My issues with the last act of the movie aside, like All The Right Moves it is depressing more relevant today than it was back on the early 00s and accurate in depicting the future we now live in. I feel like this film is often overlooked in the discussion about great sci-fi films.
Day 2: The last movie of his you watched
Short Answer: Taps
Longer Ramblings: Under the cut
I looked around to see if you'd written a post about Taps at all, and I didn't see anything, so - (pick whatever you're comfortable answering, if anything!) what's your general opinion on the film? did you have any favorite scenes / characters? least favorite? what did you think about Tom's performance and/or character? Again, you can pick from any or all of those or just go off about anything you want otherwise! I'd be interested to know your opinion(s) on whatever!
alskdjfh it's my fault bc i think i only ranted about it in private at friends but taps was my second to last tolm before finishing off his filmography in time for TGM. and it really blew me away. i wasn't expecting much, with my basic understanding of it being a movie about the military and that Tom played a more antagonistic role in it, but WOW i wasn't expecting such a deep, tragic, thoughtful movie.
like you and @maverickcalf both point out. these are just kids, they're children desperately fighting to be heard, in the only way they were taught how. all they wanted was to be treated with agency, with respect, with a notion that their opinions matter, and they thought by talking to the adults in their language they can present themselves as equal and be taken seriously.
they never do, not really.
there's a lot i can get into about the phenomenal acting, the intensely real and vulnerable and flawed characters, the escalating story, the music. and about how i think it's a miracle that Tom didn't get typecasted in these types of roles bc for a first major theatrical debut role, he played the character of David Shawn so damn well. but i think that main thing that will always stick to me about this movie is the title.
just the fact that this is a movie about these kids dying for a false cause that they were taught to believe in, and it's named after the bugle call that's played for fallen soldiers-
i don't know, man. it's a lot.
i'll be thinking about this movie for a long time, and i can absolutely see how this movie could've been a major influence in Tom's career, not just on a technical filmmaking level, but also on the themes and the type of stories that he chooses to tell.