Todd Field, the filmmaker of Tár, kind of disappeared from the public’s consciousness after making two exquisite indie treasures. Now, after a protracted hiatus, the director has announced his return with the new musical drama Tár, starring the two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett.

In the midst of the Oscar buzz surrounding the film, the director discusses how Tom Cruise, a titan in the industry, prevented the director’s first film, In the Bedroom, from suffering from extensive re-edits. This film later received praise from critics and established its legacy as an independent beauty.

Tár director recalls Tom Cruise’s advice which helped him save his movie

Todd Field has made a comeback to Hollywood after 16 years with his latest critically acclaimed musical drama Tár. The director comprises some beautiful indie gems under his belt, including 2001’s In the Bedroom and 2006’s Little children. After the success of his latest work, the director reminisces about one instance when the Industry giant Tom Cruise helped him save his directorial debut film.

After the Tár director was done completing his first movie In the Bedroom, it went on to receive great praise at the Sundance film festival, but after the rights of the film were acquired by Miramax, the company which was owned by the producer Harvey Weinstein, now known as a convicted s*x offender, Todd Field was concerned about his film suffering substantial re-edits and then the Mission Impossible actor tuned in for his help and Tom Cruise’s genius advice helped him save his movie. During an Interview with the New Yorker, Field recalled the incident,

“I was weeping in the bathroom, I called up Tom Cruise and said, ‘Something terrible has happened.’ 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.’”

The director recalls his advice to not protest against the cuts and edits that are being imposed by Hervey Weinstein and let him do whatever he wishes until the film garners atrocious reviews from the test screenings and after that, he can remind Miramax about the appreciation it received in the Sundance film festival. And the plan worked as the film festival version of the movie was later released on the big screens, which managed to earn 25 times its budget and a total of 5 Oscar nominations.

Todd Field’s Tár surrounds itself with Oscar buzz

After the astonishing adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s Little Children, the director exiled himself from Hollywood and mostly stayed in Maine, raising his youngest son along with his wife. But after a prolonged break of 16 years, the director is back with a classic musical drama Tár, comprising Cate Blanchett as the lead.

The film after its debut has already stirred up its Oscar buzz, with the film garnering rave reviews from fans and went on to receive a six-minute standing ovation at the 79th Venice film festival, as the crowd kept chanting “bravo!” and Cate Blanchett’s performance has left fans in awe and is likely a favorite running into the 2023 Oscars.

Todd Field and Cate Blanchett

Although the director doesn’t have a lot of films to showcase under his belt, the fact that his previous two movies went on to earn 8 Oscar Nominations in total and the recent Tár creating its own Oscar buzz, surely says about the caliber of Todd Field as a filmmaker.

Tár is now available to stream on Apple TV.

Source: The New Yorker