There are some spoilers for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning that can be found throughout this story. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.
Tom Cruise has been teasing plane stunts for his latest theatrical endeavor in recent months, and doubtless by the time the (confirmed as) “last” Mission: Impossible movie ends it’s theatrical run, CinemaBlend will have dissected some of the Mission: Impossible movie's best scenes ad nauseam. Regardless, I’ll leave the M:I The Final Reckoning reviews to my peers in favor of writing about a quieter scene that I was surprised I enjoyed so much. Apparently, it was fun to film too, at least according to Nick Offerman.
In fact, one might argue the Parks & Rec actor took that sentiment a bit further, as he recently revealed to his wife Megan Mullally he’d fallen “in love” with Tom Cruise while filming. Here's what happened.
One Of The Final Reckoning’s Best Scenes Is All Talk
Tom Cruise may never have won an Academy Award, but there’s no doubt he’s an actor of a fine caliber, and I’m not just talking when he’s running across bridges and attaching himself to moving planes. During an early scene in The Final Reckoning, Ethan Hunt is in a high stakes environment and has to convince a roomful of U.S. officials, including generals and Ms. President herself, that he needs to borrow an entire aircraft carrier in order to embark on a mission surrounding a mysterious key.
Nick Offerman plays a notable role as a general in the movie, and he was there for the entirety of filming the scene with none other than Mr. Tom Cruise. In fact, he told Jimmy Kimmel on Live! that he had to lead into the actor delivering a multi-page speech that would have flubbed up many actors, but the unflappable Cruise just owned the room.
His wrists are bound, and he would come in every day and set up and do this three-page monologue to the president [played by] Angela Bassett and her cabinet, of which I was a member, and he would make this appeal to us and explain his situation. And, by the end of the first day, I went home and said to my wife, Megan, ‘I’m in love with Tom Cruise.’
I really get this. I found the scene in question to be among the most charming in the latest (and probably) last M:I film when I saw it in theaters during an early screening. The actor is at his most charming and Ethan Hunt is deadly serious about needing an aircraft character while other members of the President’s cabinet are pretty incredulous about it. It’s a scene with a lot of levity amidst a sea of seriousness, and I’m glad Offerman was a part of it, particularly given where his arc ultimately goes.
Nick Offerman Could Not Get Enough Of Tom Cruise’s Work During The Scene
Apparently, they shot this scene quite a few times, and it never got old. By the end of filming it, the comedic actor had become a disciple of the Cruise acting game, and it sounds like he’d love to do it again, given the right project. But why was it so energizing watching the actor? He elaborated:
I was like I was going to a college class of charisma 101, protagonist doctorate degree. And, by the time he finished shooting that scene, I was like, ‘Fuck the movie. I would take a bullet for you, Tom. Put me on your security team.'
If you've watched the scene, it's straight up just a bunch dialogue and wild exposition to set Ethan Hunt on a path forward to find the Sevastopol submarine. It shouldn't be a great scene in the movie, but I rather enjoy the sincerity of Hunt's speech and the incredulity of the President's most trusted advisors. It's a scene that really works for me, and helps to set up the action later on.
Cruise’s charisma has been spoken about a bunch in the past, but I still think it is interesting how Offerman could feel it in the room during filming. Those who have worked with the legendary actor typically have a good story (or five) about him, but in this case, his co-star's is also a good behind-the-scenes look at how intensely even M:I dialogue scenes are filmed.
I think it’s just his work ethic. He’s so passionate. Every second, he’s either scrutinizing — ‘OK, this scene is really intense, but how can we get the audience to piss themselves even more? He’s just constantly [at] that amount of focus and, then sometimes, he brings it to bear on you. He will focus in on you, like they say the greatest politicians do. And you’re just like [makes goofy stare], ‘Wow, yeah. No, I totally love woodworking.’ That’s his superpower.
Jimmy Kimmel went on to tell Offerman he knew exactly what he was talking about, because he’s met Tom Cruise and knows he’s “relentlessly friendly.” In fact, his dad allegedly “cornered” the a-lister once for more than an hour and later told the late night host he “didn’t mind.” Class act, that.
I know we'll be talking about the submarine sequence and the wild stuff that happened in the planes in the final M:I film, but for me this scene added levity to the movie. It also allowed some big names to act together, and I'm glad it was as cool to film for them as it was for me to watch as a viewer.
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