Who is your favorite Tom--Hanks or Cruise

[WI_DEM]

Poll question: Who is your favorite Tom--Hanks or Cruise

Both are big box office and both have been likened to screen idols of earlier days--Hanks to Jimmy Stewart and Cruise to Clark Gable.

Here is a sampling of their filmographies:
Hanks
"The Money Pit"
"Bachelor Party"
"Big"
"Philadelphia"
"A Leauge of Their Own"
"Forrest Gump"
"Turner and Hooch"
"Saving Private Ryan"
"You've Got Mail"
"Sleepless in Seattle"
"Catch Me if you Can"
"Castaway"
"The Green Mile"
"The Ladykillers"

Cruise
"Risky Business"
"All the Right Moves"
"Rain Man"
"Born on the 4th of July"
"Far and Away"
"A Few Good Men"
"Interview with a Vampire"
"Jerry Maguire"
"Eyes Wide Shut"
"Mission Impossible I/II"
"Vanilla Sky"
"Magnolia"
"The Last Samurai"

[wtmusic]

1. Hanks

Cruise, barely tolerable in "Born on the 4th" and "Rain Man", is one of today's most overpaid and overrated actors.

[Cush]

2. both annoy me equally

[demnan]

3. Tom Hanks

The thinking person's Tom. Did you see Castaway? How many actors could carry a whole movie themselves like that. This guy has average looks, but he's a brilliant actor.

[terrya]

4. Tom Hanks can act. Tom Cruise plays Tom Cruise.

Plus, in real life, Tom Cruise is a paranoid git about people speculating about his sexuality.

Terry

[ronnykmarshall]

15. I'll second that.

[gyopsy]

20. Cruise is allright

I mean, he was pretty good in Minority Report. He has his moments. But he does lack the ability to play a wide range of characters like Tom Hanks does.

[Arugula Latte]

21. I agree -- Cruise can't act (much)

I always picture him practicing with the script before they roll. "Okay, I'm going to be really, really INTENSE in this scene!"

Plus, I don't think he's as good looking as most people seem to.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. Hanks has played a lot more sympathetic characters.

Even in the Tom Cruise movies I like, he usually plays a character I don't like.

[TheDebbieDee]

6. Tom Hanks could be my "Bosom Buddy"......eom

[Caromill]

7. Hanks -- Two Oscars AND

He's one of us. I thought Forrest Gump was sort of a "cutesy" contrived sort of movie -- more special effects than great acting. But Hanks in Philadelphia was amazing -- he took a slightly preachy (although I agree with the message) average movie and elevated it with one of the greatest acting performances I've seen.

[Champ]

8. Hanks by a distant mile

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. Tom Hanks

Like him better as an actor and a person.

[hlthe2b]

10. Hmmm "Talent " (Hankds) versus getting by on looks alone (cruise)....

Sort of no contest in my opinion...

[AmericanErrorist]

11. While I commend Cruise

for his work with the Independent Film Project (even though he is not a particularly a fan of indie films, he just loves the eniter film industry), I'm with Hanks. Why? Two words: "Battlefield Earth". He let his personal admiration for L. Ron Hubbard get in the way of being part of a good movie.

[Canuckistanian]

12. I love that movie by Tom Cruise

You know, the one where he plays the rebellious, cocky kid who teaches everyone a lesson.
What was that one called?

[stinkeefresh]

14. all of them, obviously

That's the thing about movie stars- they represent something that draws people to the theater- and they stick to it. That's why when stars work on roles that depart from thier usual persona they often bomb. The most successful stars are ones who represent a persona that really resonates with the audience.

I'll concur that Hanks is a better actor, and re: Philidelphia- a brave one.

But I just don't care about the persona he represents- all stable and boring. Now Cruise on the other hand- you can almost see the melt-down looming behind his eyes. He seems like any moment Scientologized lifestyle is going to completely fail and he's going to run mad into the streets.

Now that's entertainment!

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Tom Cruise is a Scientologist

Totally evil in my book.:grr:

[Canuckistanian]

16. So are lots of others

John Travolta, Chick Corea, Kirstie Alley, Nicole Kidman, Kelly Preston, Priscilla Presley, Lisa Presley.
Just a short list.
Even the guy who plays Hyde on That '70's show is one.

[Catholic Sensation]

18. bart simpson's voice actor is a scientologist too

it's just a rich man's cult. let them read l ron hubbard's failed novels as religious texts.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

25. and they have one other thing in common

i persoanlly loathe every person you just named. the fact they're all scientologists now makes me hate them more

[buddhamama]

17. Hanks

n/t

[Fenris]

19. I voted for the non-Scientologist

Despite my feelings about Turner & Hooch, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and A League of Their Own. I do love The Money Pit, though.;)

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

22. I'll go with tom Morello

Cruise is a pro-war scientology nut. Hanks is a formerly decent actor who has become waaaay too egotistical and overly-sentimental in his roles (much like robin williams has)

[PopSixSquish]

23. Tom Hanks

much better actor. Though he won (deservedly so) Oscars for Phil. and FG, I say his best work is Saving Private Ryan and Castaway.

In both movies, the pain in those eyes is so intense that it just breaks your heart.

[Skittles]

24. Hanks is a far superior actor

and there is something undeniably creepy about Mr. Cruise.

[JVS]

26. Hanks was cool until he started making "serious" stuff

Excellent work in Dragnet

[Kahuna]

27. No contest for me. Tom Terrific rules!

nt

[JohnKleeb]

28. Hanks

Really enjoyed him in Saving Private Ryan, I felt so bad when his character dies, he was so so close to making it out alive, that movie on a side note is great, and hell I may watch it now or a couple episodes of Band of Brothers.

[democratreformed]

29. Definitely Hanks

Cruise just doesn't do it for me.