Stars: Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Kurt Russell, Cameron Diaz, Jason Lee, Timothy Spall, Tilda Swinton, Noah Taylor, Alicia Witt, Johnny Galecki, Steven Spielberg

Director: Cameron Crowe

Summary: David, a womanising publisher finds his life turned upside down when he is injured in a car accident by a suicidal ex lover...

Director Cameron Crowe (JERRY MAGUIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS) teams up with Tom Cruise once again in an adaptation of Alejandro Amenabar's 1997 Spanish film OPEN YOUR EYES. Cruise plays David Aames, a playboy publisher leading a seemingly charmed life. His most recent playmate is his "friend" Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz), who cares for David more than he realizes. When David meets the fetching Sofia Serrano (Penelope Cruz) at his birthday party, he awakens to the possibility of what true love can feel like, leaving Julie distraught. However, after an accident that changes David's life, he is forced to rethink his choices. This psychological thriller becomes roller coaster ride of flashbacks as David tries to make sense of all that has happened, relaying some surreal experiences to a psychiatrist (Kurt Russell) after being charged with murder. The film's message may differ for each viewer, but it does make one bold point: every action has consequences.
Crowe gets exceptional performances from Cruise, Cruz, and Diaz and the alluring pop soundtrack features songs from REM, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, and Peter Gabriel. Amazingly, the scene of Cruise running through a completely empty Times Square was shot on location, a major feat in and of itself.

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Vanilla Skyreunites director Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) with the swoonsome Tom Cruise; adds another sexy Cruz (Penélope) and Cameron Diaz for good measure; and delivers a wildly entertaining, bizarre venture into erotic science fiction. Adapted almost exactly from Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 romantic thriller Open Your Eyes, the film follows David Aames (Cruise) as he falls from his graceful Manhattan perch of inordinate wealth, good looks and new-found love with Sofia (Cruz) because of severe facial disfigurement resulting from a car accident caused by a suicidal ex-lover (Diaz). Reduced to wearing a latex mask and spurned by his friends, what at first promises to be a conventional allegory of redemption via true love is turned on its head as Cruise's character only wins back his princess after a miracle of plastic surgery restores his former beauty. A series of plot twists follow, as waking life, technological advances and nightmares merge to dizzying effect, leaving David face to face with his own mortality. Despite a final conceit to some vague morality, the appeal of the film is the wonderfully callous message conveyed by the whole--money and physical beauty equal happiness and an unabashed vanity perfectly embodied by Cruise and Cruz. --Fionn Meade

On the DVD:Vanilla Sky's anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen transfer is practically flawless with no visible pixilation, showing off John Toll's excellent cinematography. The audio is also exemplary, particularly with music tracks such as Radiohead's "Everything in Its Right Place". Cameron Crowe's commentary track is excellent and the other extra's consist of a couple of trailers, a stills gallery and an interview with Paul McCartney from Entertainment Tonightin regards to his Golden Globe-nominated song "Vanilla Sky". Two featurettes are included. In the first Crowe follows the surreal theme of the film. The second, "Prelude to a Dream", a "making-of" documentary, is conspicuous for it's lack of interviews or any real material about the making of the film. --Kristen Bowditch

Aspect Ratio:	Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Scene Selection, Commentary By Director Cameron Crowe And Composer Nancy Wilson Featuring A Conversation With Tom Cruise, Prelude To A Dream Featurette, Hitting It Hard Featurette, An Interview With Paul McCartney, Music Video Afrika Shox By Leftfield And Afri
Subtitles:	Arabic, Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Romanian, Swedish
Year:	2001
Release Date:	November 18, 2002
Runtime:	130 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	P H E 8172
Keywords:	Sky, General, Wide, Screen, Vanilla, Drama
Genre:	Drama