Vanilla Sky (2001)

A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover.

Director:

Cameron Crowe

Writers:

Alejandro Amenábar (film "Abre Los Ojos"), Mateo Gil (film "Abre Los Ojos")

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	David Aames
Penélope Cruz	...	Sofia Serrano
Cameron Diaz	...	Julie Gianni
Kurt Russell	...	McCabe
Jason Lee	...	Brian Shelby
Noah Taylor	...	Edmund Ventura
Timothy Spall	...	Thomas Tipp
Tilda Swinton	...	Rebecca Dearborn
Michael Shannon	...	Aaron
Delaina Mitchell	...	David's Assistant
Shalom Harlow	...	Colleen
Oona Hart	...	Lynette
Ivana Milicevic	...	Emma
Johnny Galecki	...	Peter Brown
Jhaemi Willens	...	Jamie Berliner

Storyline

Incarcerated and charged with murder, David Aames Jr. is telling the story of how he got to where he is to McCabe, the police psychologist. That story includes: being the 51% shareholder of a major publishing firm, which he inherited from his long deceased parents; the firm's board, appointed by David Aames Sr., being the 49% shareholders who would probably like to see him gone as they see him as being too irresponsible and immature to run the company; his best bro friendship with author, Brian Shelby; his "friends with benefits" relationship with Julie Gianni, who saw their relationship in a slightly different light; his budding romance with Sofia Serrano, who Brian brought to David's party as his own date and who Brian saw as his own possible life mate; and being in an accident which disfigured his face and killed the person who caused the accident. But as the story proceeds, David isn't sure what is real and what is a dream/nightmare as many facets of the story are incompatible to ...

---

Plot Keywords:

dream | death | mask | nightmare | mental institution | 

---

Taglines:

Looks Can Be Deceiving!

---

Genres:

Fantasy | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and strong language

Details

Country:

USA Spain

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

14 December 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nebo boje vanile

Filming Locations:

West 73rd Street, Manhattan, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$68,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,015,518, 16 December 2001

Gross USA:

$100,618,344

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$203,388,341

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Cruise/Wagner Productions, Vinyl Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min 141 min (alternate ending)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Crowe opens the official production notes with two lyrical quotes: 1) "I once loved a woman, a child I'm told. I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul,"- Bob Dylan, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right. 2) "When you were young and on your own, how did it feel to be alone? I was always thinking of games that I was playing, trying to make the best of my time. But only love can break your heart. Try to be sure right from the start. Yes, only love can break your heart. What if your world should fall apart?" - Neil Young, Only Love Can Break Your Heart.

---

Goofs

As David returns to his car the morning after his night with Sofia, Julie approaches, having waited for him in her car down the street. How could Julie have known where to find him? Julie didn't know Sofia. Julie was still at the party when David and Sofia left. And from the setting and street sign it's clear that Sofia lives near the Manhattan Bridge (Water St.) in Brooklyn, an entirely different part of New York City than David (who lives in The Dakota across from Central Park), so Julie couldn't possibly have found him by just driving around searching. Brian could have told Julie where Sofia lives during the party, but he just met Sofia earlier that day and it would have been an odd thing to do, if he even knew Sofia's address yet himself.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Sofía: [in Spanish] Open your eyes.
Sofía: [in English] Open your eyes. Open your eyes. Open your eyes. Open your eyes. Open you...
[David wakes up and pushes the snooze button on his alarm]

---

Crazy Credits

The end credits are done to a background of a skyscape changing the various colors of the day.

---

Alternate Versions

Three parts from the quick montage at the end of the film suggest scenes cut from the final film: two frames from a scene that was in "Abre Los Ojos" (upon which "Vanilla Sky" was based) where David shoots a police officer in front of the L.E. building, a frame of David and Sofia on a bed where Sofia is wearing a bathrobe (she never wore a bathrobe in the film), and a frame set in David's company where David is a kid, sitting on a couch, and a man (possibly Thomas Tipp) is talking to him).

---

Connections

Featured in Saturday Night Live: Cameron Diaz/Jimmy Eat World (2002)

---

Soundtracks

Vanilla Sky
(2001)
Written and Performed by Paul McCartney
Produced by Paul McCartney and David Kahne
Paul McCartney performs courtesy of Capitol Records

User Reviews

Frightening, sad, touching and so underrated

I had heard some not too good things about this movie and had probably seen the low score here at IMDb and that's why I had avoided it. Today they showed Vanilla Sky on TV and as I had nothing better to do... and as it turned out, I would have had a hard time finding anything better to do. Vanilla Sky is a frightening, sad and touching movie, actually one of the best I've seen in a while. I was surprised by how I was affected watching it. It's hard to explain, but during the movie your feelings towards the characters and your perception of what is going on changes and it's quite an emotional journey. Vanilla Sky really touched me in a way that is very rare for a movie, or any media for that matter.

I really recommend everyone to watch this movie. Regardless of what you have heard about it.