In promotion for his film "Tàr", in theaters this January 25, director Todd Field tells how Tom Cruise came to his rescue to prevent Harvey Weinstein from mutilating his very first film, "In the bedroom", in 2001.
In full promotion of his film Tàr, thanks to which Cate Blanchett has just been crowned with the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, director Todd Field split a little confidence in the columns of New Yorkerduring an interview.
He thus tells how Tom Cruise saved his very first film, In the bedroom, from a mutilation in good standing and to come from Harvey Weinstein. The latter was, for the record, nicknamed "Harvey with scissor fingers", because of his propensity to cut or even butcher films. And these are not the examples that are lacking.
Weinstein had just acquired the distribution rights to his first film, following a successful screening at the famous Sundance Film Festival. Logically worried about the integrity of his work, Field says he called for help Tom Cruise, who was quick to give him advice.
"I was crying in the bathroom" says the filmmaker. "I called Tom Cruise and said, 'Something terrible happened.' He basically said, 'This is how you're going to play it. It's going to take you six months, and you're going to beat it, but you have to do exactly what I'm going to tell you to do, step by step."
Cruise thus advised Todd Field not to address grievances or reservations directly to Weinstein, and to leave him in charge in the editing room. Then to wait for this montage to be poorly received at the test screenings, before reminding Weinstein how much the original montage, the one that was therefore screened at Sundance, had been able to win the favor of the public, thus forcing him to leave the first montage of the 'artwork.
Cruise's wise advice paid off quite well: In the bedroom "grossed more than 25 times its budget, and won five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture" comments Field. We knew that Cruise was formidable in negotiations, and a very wise adviser. Here is a new and beautiful example.
