I will always enjoy your style Jenna. Thank you. As far as Tom Cruise, what impresses me most about him is his absolute gratitude to his public. He is so thankful to the people who actually gave him his life. And the way he stays out of politics. Classy. That's not what we're paying him for and he knows it!
As for John Wayne, what is there to say? He was it! My wife and I read autobiographies of interesting people. Some were fascinating. Keith Richards, Pete Townsend and Grace Slick for example. One that was particularly fascinating was Maureen O'Hara. Born in Ireland, she told how a Gypsy lady came to the door when she was a young girl and told her fortune about how her life would be. It was spot on.
What does this have to do with John Wayne? She tells how when they were either working on a movie or at an event, don't recall. Wayne was pretty drunk so she was driving. He said he needed another drink and told her pull over at a house they were driving past. It was later, and Wayne knocked on the door. The husband and wife answered in their robes and pajamas TO SEE JOHN WAYNE AND MAUREEN O'HARA STANDING ON THEIR DOORSTEP! I think Wayne asked if they had anything to drink. They invited them in, all sat down in the living room and talked while Wayne had a drink. Then they thanked them and left. I wonder whose grandkids or great grandkids are hearing that story now.
What an amazing story about John Wayne and his best leading lady. Wow. And it's so cool that you read these biographies. My mom just finished Jackie Gleason's and it's now on my book stack. Thanks for sharing this, David!
He's not everyone's cup of tea. And I think John Wayne will always have a special place in the heart of America, intertwined with the American Spirit. Long may his memory live. Thanks for the thoughtful comments, as always, Tom.
Wow, this is just fan-frickin-tastic. It stays with its winning subject, and transcends it into commentary on who we are, and why do we seek such icons, to point our way. This isn’t such a side-take as you think. You and Didion really sound similar here. All I know is, we want respite from the uncertainty, and what fake-r times do we live in now, with ChatGPT and Google Gemini? There cannot be more fake times. This is great. Gotta get it out there.
Yeah! It does! We’re led to believe, in paragraph two, that we are Tom Cruise yearning after the girl. That’s a captivating tool. An extended fictional POV. Cool!
Well, Jenna, you've done it again. What depth of thought you have given us. My favorite line in the whole piece is this: "We have everything we need in front of us and we don’t know it." That is just raw truth if I've ever seen it. I don't know how you keep doing it, but please, don't ever stop. This is likely one of the best things I'll read this entire month.
I don't know what to say, Jeff. I write these posts not knowing what will connect with people, if at all. Especially with this one, I thought it was a little off the wall. I don't have many readers/subscribers, but none of that matters because of you and a handful of others who do read and share so much wisdom and insight with me (I look forward to your comments!), and also the encouragement like you did here. I can't thank you enough.
You have a good perspective on what you do and what it's about. It's not about numbers, and you realize that. It's about connecting with those who appreciate good writing. Yes, I think this was slightly off the wall...Yay! Keep choosing the road less traveled, it does make all the difference. Artistically, I love off the wall, in fact, I'm looking for it!
Charlton Heston was another one for us who came at the tail end of The Baby Boom yet still born before Generation X. They call us Generation Jones. Charlton Heston is our guy.
I loved John Wayne as a kid. Tom Cruise is quite a different kind of person, but I love the comparison. I also have loved nearly every movie Tom has made. Wouldn’t it be great if he started a new character? Someone he could play as he rides into the sunset…
Love your writing, Jenna. Thank you. Please keep the flame alive in your imagination.
Tom Cruise is quite a different breed of cat, I agree. But I think they both shared a respect for the audience and what the responsibility they have to the story. I would love to see him in a new role. Maybe if the Mission Impossible series is over, it will allow him some more free time. We'll see! I really appreciate the encouragement, Donald, especially the kind words.
Fantastic article. I think Tom's greatest talent is his work ethic. He wills you to believe him. It's almost hypnotic. "OK Tom, I'm in. I believe you. Give me your best for two hours." He always does and then some.
Much to think about in the comparison of the two great actors. Thank you for your thoughtful insights once again! Your writing is so rich I always read your articles at least twice.
It's incredible. Some of the behind the scenes stories about his training and studies for each role is intense and it shows in how effortless he makes it on the big screen. Thank you for taking the time to read and for your thoughtful and kind remarks. I appreciate it!
John Wayne looms especially large in my neck of the woods. Upending the town and heck, the whole corner of the state when he came here to film The Alamo. He and his family were known to take seats at the high school gym and watch and cheer the high school basketball teams. No telling now, but one presumes he had told someone he would be there, and he was. Much of the town trying very hard to pretend he was just another face in the crowd.
Jenna, this is absolutely stunning writing - literary criticism at its finest. Your exploration of Tom Cruise as our "perfectly genuine faker" cuts right to the heart of what we've lost and what we're desperately trying to replace in American culture. The way you weave together that gorgeous opening imagery, the Didion comparison, and the Mamet insights about action versus talk creates something that transcends typical celebrity commentary. This is serious cultural analysis disguised as movie appreciation.
Your central insight - that we need Cruise precisely because he delivers authentic commitment to inauthentic roles - is brilliant. In our "starless sky," he becomes the hero who "will never betray you" even as we all know it's performance. The parallel you draw between John Wayne navigating civil unrest and Cruise helping us through technological dehumanization is particularly striking.
Reading your piece reminded me of a poem I wrote recently that explores heroism from a different angle. Where you find our necessary hero in the one who runs toward impossible missions and always emerges victorious, I've been thinking about heroism that doesn't flee suffering but walks directly into it. Your Tom Cruise gives us the performance of triumph we crave; my poem considers Christ, who offers something else entirely - the embrace of sacrifice rather than the escape from it.
The Hero's Journey
At Normandy, he's not afraid to fight or die;
His commander saw faith aflame in his eyes—
A window into the youthful soul,
Where duty burned and courage took its toll.
With trust in God to comfort and protect,
This side of the veil, until He resurrects.
Like heat in battle, many heroes rise,
A Christian soldier's courage epitomized.
As mortals facing death, we praise the brave,
Seeking those who triumph o'er the grave.
The cross of Christ did end our quest for power,
And our futile flight from death's dark hour.
Not shunning death, He bore its bitter sting,
The lashes tore, yet love endured the pain.
We do not see a Christ who flees death's jaws,
But a bleeding Savior, fulfilling heaven's laws.
The Christian faith points to the cross of Christ,
As the true emblem of power through sacrifice.
His cross is your cross; His death is your death.
Your sin is His sin; Your life is His life.
No path to Easter skirts the crimson field,
But wades through grief, where heaven's hope is sealed.
There we hear our hero speak with voice grown weak:
"It is finished." His sacrifice now complete.
Real heroism shines in tasks so small,
By weary souls who rise to heed the call.
The mothers worn as children start to weep,
The nurses bent where restless patients sleep,
In teachers stooped to lift up struggling minds,
These daily acts where heaven’s glory shines.
In faith they walk, His mercy guides them through,
For faith in Him transforms each deed they do.
As we tread life's road, sustained by God's embrace,
And trust His word, upheld by steadfast grace,
True courage comes not in escaping death's call,
But in serving those He's placed near, great and small.
In this daily death to self, like that young soldier's eyes
Reflecting heaven's light through earthly sacrifice,
We find the hero's journey—not in fame above,
But in Christ's own pattern of selfless love.
~ Mark Dowell, January 2025
Both perspectives wrestle with what authentic heroism looks like when everything feels manufactured. You've located it in the genuine commitment to performance itself - Cruise's unwavering dedication to being exactly what we need him to be. I'm drawn to heroism found in ordinary people making daily sacrifices, following the pattern of the One who didn't avoid "death's jaws" but walked straight through them.
Perhaps we need both - the cinematic hero who shows us how to act with "purposeful belief in ourselves" and the sacrificial model that calls us beyond performance entirely. Your writing certainly gives us something real to believe in, even as it celebrates our most beautifully constructed fake.
You never cease to amaze me, Mark. What a beautiful and true poem. You have a special gift and I'm fortunate that you share it with me. You and Jeff keep me centered on the Truth as only He can provide. All we have to do is open our eyes to it. And even though I fail at it everyday, it's wisdom like you give that reminds me to keep trying. Thank you.
Jenna (& Jeff), your words mean more than I can say. Your pieces always give me so much to think about.
Luther's last words come to mind - found written in his pocket after he died: "We are all beggars." That's all I am here, just one beggar helping another to find the bread.
Any wisdom you find is simply His Truth reflected back, and I'm grateful we can encourage each other along the way. None of us get it right, but His grace covers our daily failings. Thank you for your kindness and for the fellowship that keeps pointing me back to Him.
Mark, I'm going to keep Luther's message in my pocket. You're right. And I'll keep lifting up my fellow seekers and travelers. It's all I have to give.
I will always enjoy your style Jenna. Thank you. As far as Tom Cruise, what impresses me most about him is his absolute gratitude to his public. He is so thankful to the people who actually gave him his life. And the way he stays out of politics. Classy. That's not what we're paying him for and he knows it!
As for John Wayne, what is there to say? He was it! My wife and I read autobiographies of interesting people. Some were fascinating. Keith Richards, Pete Townsend and Grace Slick for example. One that was particularly fascinating was Maureen O'Hara. Born in Ireland, she told how a Gypsy lady came to the door when she was a young girl and told her fortune about how her life would be. It was spot on.
What does this have to do with John Wayne? She tells how when they were either working on a movie or at an event, don't recall. Wayne was pretty drunk so she was driving. He said he needed another drink and told her pull over at a house they were driving past. It was later, and Wayne knocked on the door. The husband and wife answered in their robes and pajamas TO SEE JOHN WAYNE AND MAUREEN O'HARA STANDING ON THEIR DOORSTEP! I think Wayne asked if they had anything to drink. They invited them in, all sat down in the living room and talked while Wayne had a drink. Then they thanked them and left. I wonder whose grandkids or great grandkids are hearing that story now.
What an amazing story about John Wayne and his best leading lady. Wow. And it's so cool that you read these biographies. My mom just finished Jackie Gleason's and it's now on my book stack. Thanks for sharing this, David!
You're welcome Jenna. Gleason was something else himself.
Great piece. Both men so very different, wouldn't have thought of them quite this way. Grew up with Wayne, still thinking through the Cruise part...
He's not everyone's cup of tea. And I think John Wayne will always have a special place in the heart of America, intertwined with the American Spirit. Long may his memory live. Thanks for the thoughtful comments, as always, Tom.
Wow, this is just fan-frickin-tastic. It stays with its winning subject, and transcends it into commentary on who we are, and why do we seek such icons, to point our way. This isn’t such a side-take as you think. You and Didion really sound similar here. All I know is, we want respite from the uncertainty, and what fake-r times do we live in now, with ChatGPT and Google Gemini? There cannot be more fake times. This is great. Gotta get it out there.
I appreciate this, Theo. It ended differently than how it started, but writing, right??
Yeah! It does! We’re led to believe, in paragraph two, that we are Tom Cruise yearning after the girl. That’s a captivating tool. An extended fictional POV. Cool!
Nice job Jenna- you are a prose monster- Kerouac would have loved you. thanks
Oh gosh, you have me blushing! Thank you so much, Weston.
Well, Jenna, you've done it again. What depth of thought you have given us. My favorite line in the whole piece is this: "We have everything we need in front of us and we don’t know it." That is just raw truth if I've ever seen it. I don't know how you keep doing it, but please, don't ever stop. This is likely one of the best things I'll read this entire month.
I don't know what to say, Jeff. I write these posts not knowing what will connect with people, if at all. Especially with this one, I thought it was a little off the wall. I don't have many readers/subscribers, but none of that matters because of you and a handful of others who do read and share so much wisdom and insight with me (I look forward to your comments!), and also the encouragement like you did here. I can't thank you enough.
You have a good perspective on what you do and what it's about. It's not about numbers, and you realize that. It's about connecting with those who appreciate good writing. Yes, I think this was slightly off the wall...Yay! Keep choosing the road less traveled, it does make all the difference. Artistically, I love off the wall, in fact, I'm looking for it!
Thank you, Jeff. As for "off-the-wall" well, careful what you wish for, lol!
LOL!
Charlton Heston was another one for us who came at the tail end of The Baby Boom yet still born before Generation X. They call us Generation Jones. Charlton Heston is our guy.
Heston. YES! What an icon. Thanks for reminding me, Captain!
I loved John Wayne as a kid. Tom Cruise is quite a different kind of person, but I love the comparison. I also have loved nearly every movie Tom has made. Wouldn’t it be great if he started a new character? Someone he could play as he rides into the sunset…
Love your writing, Jenna. Thank you. Please keep the flame alive in your imagination.
Tom Cruise is quite a different breed of cat, I agree. But I think they both shared a respect for the audience and what the responsibility they have to the story. I would love to see him in a new role. Maybe if the Mission Impossible series is over, it will allow him some more free time. We'll see! I really appreciate the encouragement, Donald, especially the kind words.
Fantastic article. I think Tom's greatest talent is his work ethic. He wills you to believe him. It's almost hypnotic. "OK Tom, I'm in. I believe you. Give me your best for two hours." He always does and then some.
Much to think about in the comparison of the two great actors. Thank you for your thoughtful insights once again! Your writing is so rich I always read your articles at least twice.
It's incredible. Some of the behind the scenes stories about his training and studies for each role is intense and it shows in how effortless he makes it on the big screen. Thank you for taking the time to read and for your thoughtful and kind remarks. I appreciate it!
Your mention of John Wayne brought back the lyrics of one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs, “Incommunicado.”
“Now on the day that John Wayne died
I found myself on the continental divide
Tell me where do I go from here?
Think I'll ride into Leadville and have a few beers
I think of "Red River" or "Liberty Valance"
Can't believe the old man's gone
But now he's incommunicado
Leavin' such a hole in a world that believed
That a life with such bravado
Was takin' the right way home”
My absolute favorite lyric in the song, referring to the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald, is:
“So when I finished that last line
I put the book by itself on the shelf with my heart in it”
Here’s a link to it, a definite guy song. https://youtu.be/6viQLjBgtO4?si=Em5g7DCCezuHsTS7
I'd forgotten how you admire Jimmy Buffett. This is a good reminder and a well made connection. Thank you, James! Definitely a guy song.
John Wayne looms especially large in my neck of the woods. Upending the town and heck, the whole corner of the state when he came here to film The Alamo. He and his family were known to take seats at the high school gym and watch and cheer the high school basketball teams. No telling now, but one presumes he had told someone he would be there, and he was. Much of the town trying very hard to pretend he was just another face in the crowd.
I can't imagine being in those bleachers! This is quite a story, Matt. Thanks for sharing it and for reading.
Jenna, this is absolutely stunning writing - literary criticism at its finest. Your exploration of Tom Cruise as our "perfectly genuine faker" cuts right to the heart of what we've lost and what we're desperately trying to replace in American culture. The way you weave together that gorgeous opening imagery, the Didion comparison, and the Mamet insights about action versus talk creates something that transcends typical celebrity commentary. This is serious cultural analysis disguised as movie appreciation.
Your central insight - that we need Cruise precisely because he delivers authentic commitment to inauthentic roles - is brilliant. In our "starless sky," he becomes the hero who "will never betray you" even as we all know it's performance. The parallel you draw between John Wayne navigating civil unrest and Cruise helping us through technological dehumanization is particularly striking.
Reading your piece reminded me of a poem I wrote recently that explores heroism from a different angle. Where you find our necessary hero in the one who runs toward impossible missions and always emerges victorious, I've been thinking about heroism that doesn't flee suffering but walks directly into it. Your Tom Cruise gives us the performance of triumph we crave; my poem considers Christ, who offers something else entirely - the embrace of sacrifice rather than the escape from it.
The Hero's Journey
At Normandy, he's not afraid to fight or die;
His commander saw faith aflame in his eyes—
A window into the youthful soul,
Where duty burned and courage took its toll.
With trust in God to comfort and protect,
This side of the veil, until He resurrects.
Like heat in battle, many heroes rise,
A Christian soldier's courage epitomized.
As mortals facing death, we praise the brave,
Seeking those who triumph o'er the grave.
The cross of Christ did end our quest for power,
And our futile flight from death's dark hour.
Not shunning death, He bore its bitter sting,
The lashes tore, yet love endured the pain.
We do not see a Christ who flees death's jaws,
But a bleeding Savior, fulfilling heaven's laws.
The Christian faith points to the cross of Christ,
As the true emblem of power through sacrifice.
His cross is your cross; His death is your death.
Your sin is His sin; Your life is His life.
No path to Easter skirts the crimson field,
But wades through grief, where heaven's hope is sealed.
There we hear our hero speak with voice grown weak:
"It is finished." His sacrifice now complete.
Real heroism shines in tasks so small,
By weary souls who rise to heed the call.
The mothers worn as children start to weep,
The nurses bent where restless patients sleep,
In teachers stooped to lift up struggling minds,
These daily acts where heaven’s glory shines.
In faith they walk, His mercy guides them through,
For faith in Him transforms each deed they do.
As we tread life's road, sustained by God's embrace,
And trust His word, upheld by steadfast grace,
True courage comes not in escaping death's call,
But in serving those He's placed near, great and small.
In this daily death to self, like that young soldier's eyes
Reflecting heaven's light through earthly sacrifice,
We find the hero's journey—not in fame above,
But in Christ's own pattern of selfless love.
~ Mark Dowell, January 2025
Both perspectives wrestle with what authentic heroism looks like when everything feels manufactured. You've located it in the genuine commitment to performance itself - Cruise's unwavering dedication to being exactly what we need him to be. I'm drawn to heroism found in ordinary people making daily sacrifices, following the pattern of the One who didn't avoid "death's jaws" but walked straight through them.
Perhaps we need both - the cinematic hero who shows us how to act with "purposeful belief in ourselves" and the sacrificial model that calls us beyond performance entirely. Your writing certainly gives us something real to believe in, even as it celebrates our most beautifully constructed fake.
Thank you for this exceptional piece.
You never cease to amaze me, Mark. What a beautiful and true poem. You have a special gift and I'm fortunate that you share it with me. You and Jeff keep me centered on the Truth as only He can provide. All we have to do is open our eyes to it. And even though I fail at it everyday, it's wisdom like you give that reminds me to keep trying. Thank you.
Jenna (& Jeff), your words mean more than I can say. Your pieces always give me so much to think about.
Luther's last words come to mind - found written in his pocket after he died: "We are all beggars." That's all I am here, just one beggar helping another to find the bread.
Any wisdom you find is simply His Truth reflected back, and I'm grateful we can encourage each other along the way. None of us get it right, but His grace covers our daily failings. Thank you for your kindness and for the fellowship that keeps pointing me back to Him.
Mark, I'm going to keep Luther's message in my pocket. You're right. And I'll keep lifting up my fellow seekers and travelers. It's all I have to give.
I agree with you that maybe we do need both, but your poem is absolutely spot on, both poetically and in truth. Amen.