It’s nice to see Paul Thomas Anderson demystifying his so-called secretiveness and—a bit of a stretch, but a term people still use—“reclusiveness” by conducting so many interviews for his masterful new movie “Phantom Thread.” Hell, he even graced yours truly with an interview.
Doubly refreshing is just how enthusiastic, encouraging of other filmmakers and unpretentious he is. FilmTwitter might think the divisive “La La Land” was the most overrated movie of all time, but it’s a terrifically crafted movie and PTA still loves it. You’ve hopefully read about the “Boogie Nights” battles with Burt Reynolds, but in that same Ringer podcast, Anderson went on, at length, about some unlikely favorites. Sure, he unreservedly talked up old pals like Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler, but perhaps surprisingly spoke devotedly about all their works, including all of Sandler’s movies (his unabashed favorite is “Big Daddy”). The director also spoke reverently about “The Revenant,” a movie that he is an unapologetic fan of (“it was sooo amazing”) and less controversially, he also gives it up to the buddy comedy “Midnight Run.”
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It’s a long-spanning interview that you should listen to in full, but for me, the most interesting parts are hearing the director gush over actors and films that film snobbery often turns its nose up at. PTA may have gone all arthouse in recent years, but he still loves a mix of high and low art. There’s a tendency for many to claim actors like Tom Cruise or Adam Sandler are only good when working with A+ filmmakers, but Anderson tends to see the value in everything they do.
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“I particularly love ‘Big Daddy,’ more so than ‘Billy Madison,’ Anderson explained while extoling his love for Adam Sandler and his films. “I liked ‘Billy Madison, but by the time I got to ‘Happy Gilmore’ I was like, ‘oh, my god.’ And then I think I graduated to obsession level with ‘Big Daddy.’
Bill Simmons, the Ringer podcast host noted that his kids think Sandler is a god and love all his films, and PTA replies, “They have great taste.”
Why “Big Daddy” of all the Sandler films you could love? It’s certainly not up there with the “Billy Madison”s of the world in terms of its critical regard. “I think ‘Big Daddy’ was trying to… it was a little bit more polished, it was able to be sincere and [mix in] the crazy fucking dirty shit that Sandler likes to do and got the mix really right.”
Anderson went on a physical tangent too. “There’s actually a real handsome guy in there. He’s getting, he’s so good looking. His face is getting even better as he gets older.” For those hoping for a “Punch Drunk Love” reunion, Anderson casually mentions that he and Sandler, “talk all the time.”
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Anderson obviously worked with Tom Cruise in “Magnolia,” creating the now iconic T.J. Mackey character, but the filmmaker seems to love all his work, action pictures, drama and even the rare times he’s in a full on comedy (think the amazing cameo as Les Grossman in “Tropic Thunder”).
Anderson went off when asked about Tom Cruise, said he adores “Rain Man,” and is looking forward to the star’s choices when he gets older and no longer is an action star, but gets into a Paul Newman phase of his career.
“He has so many more moves he has yet to pull,” Anderson explained. “I always loved Tom Cruise like everyone else, but in ‘Rain Man’? I think I love Tom Cruise more than anyone loves Tom Cruise. ‘Born On The Fourth Of July’ and ‘Color Of Money’—those three are strong.”
“He’s funny too!” Anderson continued. “Cruise is funny. When you see Tom Cruise on screen, name me anyone else that can do that right now. Whether in his action films or dramatic films, Cruise is the fucking king if you step back a little bit and it’s like, “right, game’s on, it’s fucking Cruise.” I love watching those ‘Mission Impossible’ films.”
There you have it, ladies and gentleman, Paul Thomas Anderson is an avowed Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler fan and not just the “good” films.
Lastly, Anderson loves him some Leonardo DiCaprio. But he dispels the urban legend that “Boogie Nights” came down to DiCaprio versus Mark Wahlberg. The truth is, DiCaprio passed on the roll and that was that.
“I love Leo and loved him then because I was obsessed with Gilbert Grape,” Anderson explained. “But backing up before that, ‘This Boys Life’ was a fucking amazing film.”
Fans who might want to see this collaboration one day should be heartened. Anderson said DiCaprio wasn’t meant to be Dirk Diggler in “Boogie Nights,” but they will collaborate one day. “Leo and I will work together one day and it will be the right thing, but it will happen.”
Dive in, it’s a great listen. “Phantom Thread” is open now in limited release and expands wide everywhere on January 19.