Tom Cruise didn't suck: Once.

I don't like Tom Cruise, and I do like P.T. Anderson. And, son of a bitch, if Magnolia isn't the first Tom Cruise performance I've ever liked. Seriously, dude was shitty in Mission Impossible and sequels, hell, he was the worst thing about Top Gun and everything in between. But Magnolia is a great performance. That might have something to do with the fact that the character he plays kind of sucks as a person, so, y'know, water finds its level. Way to not suck at least once, Tom Cruise, way to not suck at least once.