The Best Father

The budget of $132 million merely serves as an excuse to show one man's love for his family.
Photo courtesy of tomcruise.com

What a wildly misunderstood film we have on our hands here. After presumably turning down several prior roles for big-budgeted alien invasion popcorn flicks, Tom Cruise finally decided it was time to take on this classic science-fiction genre. Who better to direct than Steven Spielberg? Hell, why not even make the story based on a novella by H.G. Wells!

Majority of shallow moviegoers were no doubt expecting Cruise to once again play a hotshot pilot, this time in the vein of Independence Day heroes Will Smith and Randy Quaid. Instead, Cruise chose to be a guy named "Ray." As far as character goes, Cruise hit the nail on the head so perfectly that he started a forest fire.

Regardless of what religion one is, Ray certainly demonstrates the universally fundamental belief that no one can save the world without first saving his own family. As a title, War of the Worlds carries a much deeper meaning. What is one's own "world" and how does a father win the “war”?

Cruise juggles a vicious, absent ex-wife, a rebellious teenage son, and a deeply adorable daughter who he certainly has a hand (more of an arm, actually) in carrying around. Keep in mind, this was Dakota Fanning while she was still cute (FYI – lesbo action with K-Stewart in The Runaways seemed to be mostly a pathetic Oscar attempt).

The cheesier elements of the 50’s-era, aliens-are-attacking production-style are nowhere to be seen here. This is purely a raw, gritty portrait of the marriage between hardship and love. In our post 9/11 America, Cruise delivers one man’s shot at redeeming not only himself, but also the lives of his family. As soon as he provides, he is then provided for in return.

Plus, he wears a pretty badass jacket.

This is why Tom Cruise will always be…the best father.