TomKat: A Stupid, Pointless Discussion June 30, 2005

This is a series of emails between me and my friend (despite popular belief, we do have jobs)...and really, there is no reason for anyone to ready any of this.

TomKat
TomKat
From: Rothschild To: Jayble Subject: TomKat
Jayble,

Okay, say you are a fisherman. You leave for a long trip for a few months at sea, maybe off the coast of Nova Scotia or somewhere like that, it doesn't really matter for our purposes. You come back, stop by a strip club and then make your way into town to pick up a newspaper and you see the cover headline: Tom Cruise engaged to Katie Holmes.

You have to assume this is a joke, right? Is there anyone in the world that would just look at that and say: "Oh, that's nice"? Maverick and Joey Potter? Hell, I've been sitting in front of a computer for 10+ hours a day for the last few months and I can barely believe it.

What's more, I think if I was that fisherman, I'd just pack up and get back on the boat and hope when I came back in a few months the world would have fixed itself. Now, Jay, I know you disagree with me on this, but I think this is the most disturbing celebrity driven event since Billy Bob and Angelina and their vials of blood. Here are the three main reasons I absolutely hate TomKat.

1) Katie Holmes will never ever do another nude scene. You just know now that Tom is on the whole Scientology kick that he's not going to let that happen. If you've never seen The Gift, rent it and just watch the last 15 minutes or so. Then cry, because you'll never see her naked again.

2) Maverick is completely crazy. He's just a raving, couch-abusing, fist-pumping idiot now. I've never been this depressed since Milli Vanilli admitted to lip-synching all of their songs. Between Scientology and he's love affair with the word amazing, he is almost a parody of himself. Remember the MTV awards where Ben Stiller played Tom's stunt double? That was hilarious because Tom was so damn cool, so to see some tool who looked, dressed and acted like Tom was funny. The point is that you couldn't even pull off this skit now because Tom is as big of a tool as they come now.

3) Katie is a good three inches taller than Tom. Now, Jay, I know you'll be offended by this, since you are barely above the midget-line, but its just disturbing when its a start. How am I supposed to believe that he's a big action star when I'm confronted with daily evidence that he's tiny in real life? Tom has always been very smart about this before, surrounding himself with small female co-stars and forcing Nicole to wear flat shoes. But Katie simply towers over him making him look ridiculous. I think if I didn't know who they were and I saw a picture of TomKat, I would assume he was a jockey. And I'm supposed to now believe that he's going to save me from Aliens?

End Transmission,
Roth

Katie Holmes & Chris Klein
Anyone is a step up from OZ

From: Jayble To: Rothschild Subject: Re: TomKat
Rothschild -

I never thought I would ever get an email that starts out, "say you are a fisherman."

I can't believe you think this is a big deal. I am all for their torrid love affair. Katie Holmes is hot, super hot. Tom Cruise is a lucky man. And as for Joey, c'mon, you're telling me that Cruise isn't a step up from Chris "Forehead" Klein? There is no way this more disturbing than Sling Blade and Lara Croft. Mind you, Jolie was the one that had some weird, really freaking weird, relationship with her brother all those years ago? Thank God those two didn't have kids.

Rebuttal:
1) First, I've seen The Gift. It was a decent movie but, you're right, what made it memorable was the Katie Holmes scene, which did not disappoint in the least. At first I agreed with you and I had to have a moment of silence but now that I think about it, this doesn't change anything. Nicole Kidman did a nude scene in Eyes Wide Shut when she was with Cruise and I'm sure if Penelope Cruise had the opportunity to do one, she would too. Katie Holmes is 3 box office bombs away from another scene.

2) That Tom Cruise vs. Tom Crooz MTV skit was hilarious. I think that skit is on the Mission Impossible: 2 DVD and that skit is better than the movie itself. I have no argument to defend him and his antics on the Oprah show but c'mon, Cruise is still Joel Goodsen, Maverick, Vinnie, Lt. Kaffee, etc. He is a great actor and this is not (nor should be) dependent on who he dates. Cruise is still cool and will still be cool.

3) This is hitting below the belt, dickhead. Cruise is 5'7" which is short but still...I am 5' 7" so to reiterate, you're a dick. Nicole Kidman is 5' 10 1/2" and Katie Holmes is 5' 9" according to imdb.com. Do your due diligence. Kidman is an inch and half taller than Cruise and you had no problem with it but now all of sudden the height differential is a problem. See, now you're just reaching for reasons to hate TomKat. Also, I think you're a height-ist. There! I said it!

Also - If people can believe that Will Smith and Bill Pullman can save the world from Aliens, there is no way they couldn't believe Tom Cruise and Tim Robbins.

-Jayble

First Daughter
And the winner for best actress is...
From: Rothschild To: Jayble Subject: RE: TomKat
Jayble,

First of all, don't ever make fun of Chris Klein. That man was Oz, for crying out loud. Nova! As in Casanova!! And yes I'm well aware that only gay men use exclamation points!!!

Second, love affair? Come on. Please tell me you are going to even try to argue that they are really in love. This is a business deal. Katie got her heart broken by Nova and Cruise used this to sell her on the idea of becoming the next girl to ride his coattails to the top. This is the third time that Cruise did this (Nicole and Penelope were the first two), but I think this is the first time that it will backfire in his face.

The reason: Katie Holmes is a terrible actress. Yes, she's hot. Yes, I love her. But come on, she absolutely can not act to save her life. First Daughter? Couldn't pay me enough to see that movie. Abandon? Still can't believe I saw that piece of crap. Teaching Mrs. Tingle? Don't get me started. Disturbing Behavior? Exactly.

And every movie she's been in that was good has been carried by someone else. Pieces of April? Oliver Platt and Patricia Clarkson make that movie what it is. Go? Sarah Polly. Wonder Boys? Michael Douglas. Batman? Other than providing some nice scenery, she doesn't make the movie any better or worse.

What's the point of all this? She simply can't pull off this role. Has you noticed that she seems to have lost the ability to put together a sentence? Apparently Tom Cruise is amazing, or didn't you hear. Want to hear it again, well you're in luck because the 9:30 show is exactly the same as the 7:30 show.

Nicole Kidman was good enough to make people believe that she actually did love Tom. Penelope was good enough, or maybe she could just hide behind the language barrier.

But Katie simply is not good enough to convince people that she is in love with him. So call it what it is: a PR Stunt.

And if you really want to know how bad it is, answer this question honestly: if you found out tomorrow that Tom Cruise had recently purchased The Neverland Ranch from Michael Jackson, would it surprise you?

Brian Flanagan would be ashamed.

- Rothschild.

Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner
It's only a matter of time before Garner's career is poisoned

From: Jayble To: Rothschild Subject: RE: TomKat
R -

You are really comparing Oz to Maverick? Seriously? Oz doesn't even come close to Maverick, in any way.

As for the Cruise/Holmes love affair, I admit, it's unlikely that it's true. But how does that even matter? If it is real, then who cares, let them make their babies. If it's just a publicity stunt, then it is working, big time. Every magazine has some picture of one of them or both. And everyone thought the Cruise/Kidman and Cruise/Cruz were sham relationships anyways. Bottom line: No matter who Tom Cruise dates, everyone will assume it's a publicity stunt.

I am not sure if Holmes is a bad actress or not. I was thinking about this the other day, there is no actress who can carry a movie based solely on their name. On the other hand, there are at least 3 actors whose movies I'd go see based on their acting ability alone (DeNiro, Ed Norton and Harrison Ford). That's the other thing about movies nowadays, there are only a few actors that get cast because they can act, everyone else gets cast on their real-life persona. Katie Holmes gets cast because she's Katie Holmes, not because she can act. Will Smith plays Will Smith in all his movies (except Ali), and no one else. This isn't so much the actor's fault as it is the director or writer. There are some exceptions (Don Cheadle) but for the most part it's true.

I can't believe that people are talking Cruise/Holmes when the real relationship that should be analyzed is Affleck. Since you're from Boston you may have to resign your membership to the Ben Affleck Fan Club to see clearly but come on the guy is poison!!! He will ruin the career of any girl he dates. J-Lo didn't have much of a career but he will destroy Jennifer Garner. On top of all this, he's the most overrated actor. I will admit, Affleck is great when it comes to side characters (O'Bannion, Fashionable Male, Good Will Hunting's buddy) but make him the star and it's a train wreck. How people have not realized this is beyond me.

J

Paycheck
Rothschild: "Paycheck should have been huge"
From: Rothschild To: Jayble Subject: RE: TomKat
Jayble,

In thirty years, if I tell you I just saw Oz walking down the street, you'll know exactly who I'm talking about. That's pretty damn cool. Of course, if I'm still talking to you in thirty years, I'll kill myself.

Whether or not TomKat is for real matters for two reasons. First, I feel belittled and insulted by it. With Nicole, they at least had a good cover story (i.e. met on the set), were somewhat of a match. I could suspend disbelief and say "Okay, maybe it's for real." With Penelope, once again they had a good story and you could believe it.

But, with Katie, its like he thought he could just tell everyone he was dating her and they would magically believe him because he's the biggest movie star in the world. Do you realize they won't tell anyone when they first met? Do you realize they've spent the bulk of their relationship traveling to promote both of their movies? There is no way this relationship is for real. None. And yet they expect us to believe it because they are huge stars and we're just idiots who shovel popcorn into our mouths and stare blankly at screens all day. Its insulting.

Second, TomKat has ruined both of them for me. Tom is a Scientology pimping lunatic and if you think I'll be spending $10 to see War of the Worlds, you are crazier than him. And Katie is just sad now. Joey Potter has been ruined forever.

As for Katie's acting ability, you're right. Katie is paid to be Katie. But there are actresses out there that can carry a film. Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Reece Witherspoon, Orlando Bloom...

As far as Affleck, I think he just got a little bit ahead of himself. He could have been huge, but he pushed too hard and I blame Jennifer Lopez (I refuse to call her JLo) for that. Matt Damon picks his flicks the right way, taking supporting roles in good movies over starring roles in bad movies. Affleck just wanted to be a star and pushed it too hard. Lets be honest though, if he never dates J.Lo, he's a star. Paycheck would have been huge. So he makes one bad choice and his life is over forever. As long as he puts on a Sox hat every October and doesn't claim his favorite player is "Manny Ortez", I'll love him. Benny boy is okay with me.

Random thoughts on TomKat
  • How long until a movie comes out about a down-on-her-luck star who agrees to a fake relationship with a big celebrity to advance her career, only to regret her choice when she falls in love for real with a younger, bit-role actor? Who plays Katie? Who plays Tom? I'm saying Amanda Bynes plays Katie and Mathew Broderick plays Tom.
  • My theory of what happened is this: Klein called off the wedding with Katie, and Tom pitched his offer to her while she was feeling vulnerable and hurt. And, yes, I want to fly to L.A. and save her from him.
  • Scientology is a cult. It was founded by a science fiction writer. This is the religion whose central church was once investigated for trying to "take control" of Clearwater, Florida, leading to charges filed against L. Ron Hubbard's wife.
  • What do you think the "L" stands for? Lindsay? Lynne? Lawrence? What the hell is that guy hiding?
  • Do you think Tom is tall enough to ride the rollercoasters at most amusement parks? Jayble, maybe you can help with this.
  • If people keep doubting TomKat for a long time, do you think they stoop so low as to put out a sex video? If so, I change my vote on them.
  • I've had ice cream in my freezer for longer than Tom has known Katie.
  • Let's say Tom is straight. Let's say he is in love with Katie. Let's say Katie is in love with him. If you assume all that, then the only reason Tom would rush into marriage this fast is because Katie claims she won't have sex until marriage, right? I can understand that.
  • Short people are scary.

    End Transmission
    - Rothschild.

    Lando Calrissian
    "The Lando System?"

    From: Jayble To: Rothschild Subject: RE: TomKat
    R -

    As I read your email I find myself wanting to kill myself. I'd be surprised if we are friends in 30 minutes, let alone 30 years.

    Time has skewed your perspective of the Tom/Nicole relationship. The first time Affleck dated anyone, everyone thought it was real, now whoever he dates is a joke. Same thing with TC...whomever he dates going forward, no one will believe it. Also, people in general are so focused and concerned with Hollywood and celebrities. Celebrities all put on fake personas to the public and this is just the natural extension of that. I admit that their romance develop quite quickly but c'mon, if this was staged, don't you think TC's advisors would say, "Um, Joel - don't you think this is kind of quick because everyone else will think that?"

    There is no way TomKat could ruin both of them for you. TC was a Scientology Pimp long before Holmes and Klein ruined Holmes long before TC ever could.

    Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, and Reese Witherspoon cannot carry movies. Ok, they each may have carried one movie in their careers but by and large they are supporting roles. In fact, outside of their first major movies (Dead Calm, Pretty Woman, Election, respectively) the three have done a lot of shit movies (Stepford Wives, Ocean's 12, Sweet Home Alabama, to name a few).

    I have a heterosexual crush on Orlando Bloom only because Orlando reminds of Lando and so I think of Lando Calrissian.

    Hey, I am worried about you. I hope you carry around economy size chap stick considering you kiss Affleck's ass all the time. I think you're secretly hoping that Affleck will break up with Garner and date you. These are Affleck's movies.

    Surviving Christmas (2004), Jersey Girl (2004), Paycheck (2003), Gigli (2003), Daredevil (2003), The Sum of All Fears (2002), Changing Lanes (2002), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Daddy and Them (2001), Pearl Harbor (2001), Bounce (2000), Reindeer Games (2000), Boiler Room (2000), Dogma (1999), Forces of Nature (1999), 200 Cigarettes (1999), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Armageddon (1998), Phantoms (1998), Good Will Hunting (1997), Chasing Amy (1997), Going All the Way (1997), Glory Daze (1996), Mallrats (1995), Dazed and Confused (1993), School Ties (1992), The Dark End of the Street (1981)

    With a resume like this, there is no way he could have been huge. He has had 3 movies (tops) where he had reasonably sized roles and the movie has not been a shitstorm and in those movies, he's been part of an ensemble cast. Affleck can't carry movies, not should he ever be allowed to. "Paycheck would have been huge." Hahahahhaa, ahh, so somehow, if Ben didn't date JLo, the acting in Paycheck would have been better, the plot would have made sense, and it would have been filmed with less slo-mo action shots? My mistake, I should have known JLo was the reason that movie bombed. Paycheck sucked.

    About your random thoughts...

    Actually your first point is great. We should be working on this script instead of writing pointless emails about TomKat. Good casting too. I also suggest two endings: a) Younger actress falls for another young actor (or non actor) and regrets contract and b) younger actress actually ends up falling for older actor. Based on screenings we'll pick which ending we go with. I also like your casting with other possibilities being the girl from Gilmore Girls and Ethan Hawke as the older actor.

    Your height-ist cracks discount any of your arguments dickhead.

    Finally, the sex video would make all of this pointless conversation worth it. Even a solo sex video with just Katie would be fine with me, actually preferable. And one final thought on TomKat, between Chris Klein, Pacey, Dawson, and TC, you're telling me that TC is not the clear front runner in that group? If so, you are clearly retarded.

    J

    Matt Lauer vs. Tom Cruise
    Mr. Couric vs. Maverick
    From: Rothschild To: Jayble Subject: RE: TomKat
    Jayble,

    Great start for TomKat, huh? Tom's arguing with Matt Lauer about Ritalin, which is apparently a very, very serious issue that Tom has done lots of research in. Yeah, don’t take Ritalin, kids. Stick to crack. And now Katie is out of the Batman sequel. Which sucks because honestly the most enjoyable part of the film was when she bitch slaps Bruce Wayne. But life is still great, right, Tom?

    Seriously, this is starting to become more creepy than funny as more details turn up. Katie isn't calling her old friends. She's fired her manager. And have you noticed how she doesn't talk anymore? She just stands in the background like some prop. I'm honestly frightened for her. I want Joey Potter back.

    My point on Affleck is that he had the potential to be a huge star. Your comments on acting ability are really pointless. You don’t have to be able to act to be a big star. Keanu, anyone?

    Paycheck was a bi-budget John Wu action flick and it should have done well on that alone. Did it have plot holes? Of course. It was a John Wu film after all. But that can be said for almost every movie Hollywood spits out. Don't make me comment on the stupidity of Minority Report. I was laughing at that movie from the first scene. I tried to count the number of plot holes in Collateral, but I stopped when I ran out of fingers and toes. Jerry Maguire, billed as a romantic comedy, was really the story of a pathetic excuse for a man who decided he didn't want to be alone so he would define himself by accepting the love of a woman, but only so he could spend more time with the person he really loved, her son. Creepy. The point here is that people are willing to look past plot holes, but people seemed to want to find them in Paycheck. And I blame Jennifer 1.0 for that.

    But this is way to much time for Benny boy, so just for the record, I thought Paycheck sucked. Just saying the general public should have bought it.

    As for the women actresses in Hollywood, the point is not what you think of them, dumbass. The point is that there are vehicles written with them in mind. Sweet Home Alabama was Reece's movie and that did very well. You're an idiot.

    I think you and Orlando Bloom would make a great couple. Go for it, girlfriend.

    Pacey beats Tom, hands down. Dawson and Tom would make a good couple though.

    I've got to check out now. Heading to NYC for the weekend. I'll keep my eyes out for TomKat, but somehow I don't think we'll be frequenting the same establishments as that freak show. Unless they just can't pass up the $2 beers and $5 burgers at Corner Bistro either.

    Hopefully, when I come back, I'll have a few scenes from my new TomKat inspired screenplay, "All Sales Final."

    -Rothschild

    P.S. The "L" is for Lafayette. It was driving me crazy not knowing.

    Sweet Home Alabama
    Acting Genius

    From: Jayble To: Rothschild Subject: RE: TomKat
    Whoa whoa whoa...TC may know about Ritalin. You don't know for sure that he doesn't. And where do you see that he's supporting crack? Exactly, you don't. KH is out of the Batman sequel? Seriously, I had not heard this...where did you read this?

    Also, I was walking by your desk after you left Friday and noticed the following items:
    a) Mead five-star notebook with a heart-enclosed "CR + KH" and "Mr. Katie Holmes" written all throughout. There were also several doodlings which I'd rather not elaborate on.
    b) several US Weeklys where all the pictures of Tom Cruise have been disfigured (crossed out, mustache-ioed) while the Katie Holmes pictures are untouched.

    I worry about you.

    Touché on the acting ability does not equate to being a big star, I didn't think of that. But you're also telling me that any movie Affleck starred in even came close to being as big as even one of the Matrix movies? Let alone as big the first Matrix? Exactly. I mean, I know that you love Reindeer Games and Saving Christmas and think those are the greatest movies ever, but I am asking you to look at this with open eyes.

    Paycheck should have been huge since it was a John Woo movie? Woo lost all his credibility after/during Mission Impossible 2. MI:2 was crap and so was Paycheck. Don't try to defend that movie. Minority Report was far from stupid? I'm sure it had plot holes but the story and directing were still stellar and looked like Citizen Kane compared to Paycheck. And the acting in Minority Report was light years beyond Paycheck. It boggled my mind that you don't see this. Now you are just criticizing everything and anything Tom Cruise related. Admittedly, Collateral had some big plot holes but the directing and story were still significantly better than Paycheck. Again, more TC bashing. As for Jerry Maguire - that movie was marketed brilliantly. It was marketed at a love story for girls and a sports story for guys. I remember back when it came out, I watched two previews for the JM and each was completely different than one another.

    You do redeem yourself by saying that you didn't like Paycheck and I do agree with you, the general public should have liked it and I'm surprised they didn't.

    You actually think that somewhere there is a movie being written specifically for Reese Witherspoon? You really think someone actually wrote Sweet Home Alabama FOR Reese Witherspoon. Bullshit, someone wrote that movie, then they cast it, then they changed parts to fit Reese Witherspoon because she cannot act.

    You realize I am putting this entire correspondence on the stable right?

    Battlefield Earth 2
    Summer 2006
    From: Rothschild To: Jayble Subject: RE: TomKat
    Jayble,

    You make no sense. You just made fun of Tom yourself by bashing MI:2. I'm sure your man-crush on Tom thought will still get you to buy your ticket in advance to MI:3. I hear Ethan Hunt will be trying to stop Nazis and their evil psychiatry machine in this one.

    And that is the problem. Tom was a blank slate before this crap. He was a cool guy who you could imagine being anyone and everyone. There was nothing to big for him to do. Tom can fly an airplane and take one five enemy aircraft by himself? Sure, why not. Tom can make the best damn martini in Manhattan and spontaneously come up with hilarious limericks? Sure, I can buy it. Tom is a lawyer for the military and somehow has a problem with authority? Ok, I'm with you.

    Now, Tom is a crazy, couch-hopping lunatic that makes out with a woman young enough to be his kid. I can't picture him as anything else.

    I'll go it a step further.

    TomKat is Cruise's Battlefield Earth.

    End Transmission,

    Rothschild

    From: Jayble To: Rothschild Subject: RE: TomKat
    A) I hate you.
    B) MI3 will be awesome. And I can make fun of MI2 but not Cruise because I can separate the art from the artist, which you cannot.
    C) Tom Cruise's first wife, Mimi Rodgers, is the one who turned him on to scientology.
    D) I hate you.
    E) I saw Cruise on Letterman and he is still cool.
    The end.


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