Vanilla Sky (2001)

It’s not easy being unattractive, let alone being so ugly as to be considered grotesquely deformed. Bearing the burden of uncomeliness is even tougher for a fella who previously thrust his movie star mug out wherever he went. Still, if he’s rich enough you just know his wealth will overcome any obstacle, so it’s hard to feel too concerned for a hero like Tom Cruise when he survives a car wreck engineered by a wacky ex-girlfriend (Cameron Diaz) and comes to a mangled mess of his former self in Vanilla Sky (2001). Based on the Spanish thriller Open Your Eyes (1997), Cameron Crowe’s English version casts Spanish stunner Penélope Cruz as Sofia Serrano, who falls for David (Cruise). She’d be a fool not to, especially since plastic surgery can do wonders. With his new and improved face, Cruise canoodles Cruz in bed while she shows off her bueno bare breasts! Too bad David’s mind begins to slip — kind of like the nips on Ms. Diaz! Madness creeps up like the return of this presumed dead psycho broad, and suddenly we of the great homely masses are in the odd position of being worried about Tom Cruise’s future. Nevertheless, he won a Saturn Award for his performance. Not to be outdone, both Penélope and Cameron were nominated for ALMA Awards. Better yet, the latter lady was named Best Supporting Actress by both the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Chicago Film Critics Association. Obviously, Mr. Skin will give her a hand!