Tom Cruise, 'Valkyrie'

At 46, <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PECLB001209" title="Tom Cruise" href="/topic/entertainment/movies/tom-cruise-PECLB001209.topic">Tom Cruise</a> is at a crossroads career-wise. His action-man movies are not the guaranteed hits they once were, and his last serious film, "Lions for Lambs," was slaughtered by critics. After three losing bids ("Born on the Fourth of July," "Jerry Maguire," "Magnolia"), some may consider Cruise overdue to win, and his new role in "Valkyrie" certainly checks the boxes on the Oscar ballot.<br>
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He plays a true-life WW II hero as did winners <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PECLB000673" title="Adrien Brody" href="/topic/entertainment/movies/adrien-brody-PECLB000673.topic">Adrien Brody</a> ("The Pianist") and <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PECLB002411" title="William Holden" href="/topic/entertainment/william-holden-PECLB002411.topic">William Holden</a> ("Stalag 17") -- with a handicap a la winners <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PECLB003358" title="Al Pacino" href="/topic/entertainment/al-pacino-PECLB003358.topic">Al Pacino</a> ("Scent of a Woman") and <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PECLB001323" title="Daniel Day-Lewis" href="/topic/entertainment/movies/daniel-day-lewis-PECLB001323.topic">Daniel Day-Lewis</a> ("My Left Foot"). However, just as his "Lambs" costar <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PECLB003497" title="Robert Redford" href="/topic/entertainment/robert-redford-PECLB003497.topic">Robert Redford</a> did when he played an Englishman in "Out of Africa," Cruise has chosen not to use an accent in the movie, thereby passing up another surefire lure to catch an Oscar <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PECLB003793" title="Meryl Streep" href="/topic/entertainment/movies/meryl-streep-PECLB003793.topic">(Meryl Streep</a>, "Sophie's Choice").

( Phil Bray / MGM )

At 46, Tom Cruise is at a crossroads career-wise. His action-man movies are not the guaranteed hits they once were, and his last serious film, "Lions for Lambs," was slaughtered by critics. After three losing bids ("Born on the Fourth of July," "Jerry Maguire," "Magnolia"), some may consider Cruise overdue to win, and his new role in "Valkyrie" certainly checks the boxes on the Oscar ballot.

He plays a true-life WW II hero as did winners Adrien Brody ("The Pianist") and William Holden ("Stalag 17") -- with a handicap a la winners Al Pacino ("Scent of a Woman") and Daniel Day-Lewis ("My Left Foot"). However, just as his "Lambs" costar Robert Redford did when he played an Englishman in "Out of Africa," Cruise has chosen not to use an accent in the movie, thereby passing up another surefire lure to catch an Oscar (Meryl Streep, "Sophie's Choice").

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