FALLING STARS

Is Tom Cruise Still Likable?

Knight & Day is his latest fumble.

Tom Cruise’s latest film, Knight & Day with Cameron Diaz, is drawing weak reviews and low ticket sales at the box office this weekend, leading many in Hollywood to wonder if the film signals the definitive end of the former superstar’s bankability. But while it’s true that Cruise has certainly lost much of the wattage that previously carried him through hit after hit, he’s still one of the best stars we’ve got, according to a spirited defense by The Chicago Tribune’s Christopher Borrelli. Think Cruise isn’t believable, or that he’s a freak show, or that he plays the same role in every movie? Borrelli defends his acting chops, saying the off-screen theatrics gave him some much-needed vulnerability and that he’s got a wider range than you think.