Tom Cruise is considered the ‘last Hollywood movie star‘ because of his worldwide recognition and sustained box-office mojo. Bigger than any ‘movie franchise’ at 62-years-old Cruise is now famous for doing his own stunts in action movies. But 25, 35 years ago he was getting recognition for his acting chops in movies like “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Magnolia“.
In 2001, Tom Cruise and director Cameron Crowe (“Jerry McGuire“) re-teamed for the psychological thriller “Vanilla Sky” which provided Cruise an opportunity to really show the range of his acting ability.
There are a lot of cool cars in “Vanilla Sky” and while this is far from a car-crash flick, cars do play an important role in the movie. Whether it’s vehicles the protagonist drives, dreams of, or suffers life-altering injuries in, cars are important touchstones in the film.
For example, director Cameron Crowe painted stunning visuals by creating nostalgic images in this film, such as the re-creation of a Bob Dylan album cover with Tom Cruise and the iconic 1969 VW ‘hippie van’ and 1951 Chevrolet Styleline De Luxe.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
In the opening scene, vain David Aames wakes up in his luxury apartment, stares at his beauty in the mirror then plucks out a single grey hair. The scene cuts to David existing his garage in a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO and speeding through an abandoned Manhattan. He stops his car in the middle of an empty Times Square and starts running through the streets, looking for… anyone.
The 250 GTO represents how David views himself. It’s one of the most sought-after and iconic collector cars ever. Only 33 were built, and today they sell for $50 million and more. David sees himself as the most exquisite and desirable man. It’s almost ironic that the actual motion-picture car is a replica built on a 1979 Datsun 280Z chassis with a Chevy V8 under the hood..
1967 Ford Mustang Fastback
Once David wakes up from his isolation nightmare, the same scene plays out for real this time. He has the same luxury apartment, but the car that exits the garage is a 1967 Ford Mustang GT. Still a coveted classic, but it’s no Prancing Horse. The dark green 2+2 coupe looks remarkably like the Mustang that Steve McQueen drove in the 1968 film “Bullitt“.
McQueen stripped off much of the chrome and all of the badges from his Mustang, but a guy like Aames would never remove the emblems from his car! That’s against the rules of conspicuous consumption. David picks up his friend Brian Shelby (Jason Lee) to go play squash. Shelby is also a writer whom Aames’ company has given a bug advance to for a novel, so it’s unclear whether they are ‘really’ friends. As David speeds through the streets, he spins the Mustang out and nearly gets run over by a Mack truck. He’s no Steve McQueen!
1970 Buick Skylark
It is revealed during the film that, years earlier, David Aames’ parents were killed in a car accident. Young David then inherited his father’s publishing company in New York, giving him the finances to live like a playboy. He’s surrounded by beautiful women, including his ‘fuck-buddy’ Julie Gianni (played by an irritating Cameron Dias). Resentful that David does not share her feeling towards her, Julie stalks David as he leaves a new girlfriend’s apartment. David is upset by Julie’s behaviour, but she wants to talk (and he thinks he might get laid) so he accepts a ride from Julie. While the blonde goddess declares her love for him, David is sarcastic and cruel in response. Since she can’t have him, Julie slams her foot down hard on the gas pedal, drives off a Central Park bridge, and crashes her car into a wall below. Julie is killed and David is horribly disfigured.
It’s an interesting bookend; David’s privileged life started because of a car crash, and certainly ended with one. But what is the significance of Julie’s light blue Buick? American cars from 1970 are classics, but the Buick Skylark is not sought-after like the 1970 Chevelle (same car, different GM division). Perhaps its as simple as that; the 1970 Buick Skylark represents Julie, because while the Skylark is ‘nice‘ it’s not a dream car. But like the name implies, it can fly.
This is Demaras Racing, not Letterboxd, so there’s no point delving into symbolism beyond the cars in the film. Even though this isn’t a car flick, there are cool rides in “Vanilla Sky” that totally make it worth watching for gearheads. Make sure to look up the ‘making of’ the Times Square scene on YT because that is not GCI! Tom Cruise has enough clout to empty the streets of New York for a movie shoot.!
“Vanilla Sky” is a roller-coaster ride of romance, sex, suspicion, and dreams in a mind-bending search for the protagonists soul.
Cars are beautiful but I never did see Vanilla Sky, I still can’t stomach Tom Cruise ever since he jumped on Oprah’s couch 😉
I don’t know.. that was yesterday. I grew up with Tom Cruise as a ‘himbo’ in Risky Business and Cocktail… then I watched as he became a serious actor in Born on the Fourth of July and Rain Man… and now he’s an action movie guy at 60+. His career had phases, and that sofa incident was just a phase. Let he amongst us who didn’t dye their hair black and declare themselves goth in high school cast the first stick of mascara.