‘Tár’ director Todd Field reveals that Tom Cruise saved his debut film from Harvey Weinstein’s interference
Todd Field, director of the critically acclaimed drama Tár, has revealed that Tom Cruise helped to save his debut film, In the Bedroom, from the control of Harvey Weinstein.
Field, also an actor, met Cruise on the set of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut in 1999. When Field’s debut feature was acquired by Weinstein’s company Miramax, he was concerned that his work would be interfered with by the now-disgraced producer, known for making significant edits.
“I was weeping in the bathroom. I called up Tom Cruise and said, ‘Something terrible has happened’,” he explained to the New Yorker. “He basically said, ‘This is how you’re going to play it. It’s going to take you six months, and you’ll beat him, but you have to do exactly what I’m going to tell you to do, step by step.'”
Cruise instructed Field to go along with Weinstein’s unwarranted suggestions so that when the film performed badly at preview screenings, the director could remind Miramax of the film’s festival acclaim. Therefore, they would revert to using the original cut.
Clearly, this advice worked in Field’s favour, and In the Bedroom earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also grossed $44.8 million against a $1.7 million budget. The newest release, Tár, is a festival favourite, with Martin Scorsese stating that “the clouds lifted” after he watched Field’s film.
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