Vanilla Sky

I don't know this for a fact, but I think that Cameron Crowe really likes doing Commentary Tracks. He's done them for all of his films and he really knows how to do them well, when he's not interfered with (i.e. Jerry Macguire). So whether or not you liked Vanilla Sky and judging by most people I've talked to, you didn't, this commentary track is really worth listening too.

Every time Cameron records a new commentary track he does something different. This time he recorded it in his home and has his wife Nancy Wilson (From Heart) accompany him on acoustic guitar, essentially scoring his commentary, which to my knowledge has never been done, so that's a first. It stops and starts throughout the first half of the film and then Nancy Wilson leaves without explanation.

One of the interesting things that you find out is that in an attempt to "get into" a script Mike Myers actually lays out all the pages on the floor and sits in the middle of it- Crowe stole that idea for a pivotal scene in this film. He also directs you to a few interesting things in the film that might have alluded you on the first viewing. All in all good commentary, but that's not the best part.

The best thing about this commentary is that as he's recording it, his kids run into the room to say goodnight and for about 5 minutes he has his kids in the room and they start screaming and singing into the microphones and all the while Cameron is trying to engage them about the film, and they ask questions like, "Who is that?" Cameron answers, "That's Tom." It's great. He also calls Tom Cruise up in the middle of the film for a few minutes and it sounds like Tom Cruise is just speeding down the road in a Porsche. All of his responses to Cameron are "Yeah Man", "Wow! That was Wild", and "She's Great!" Cameron tries to call Shalom Harlow whose part was significantly cut, but we just hear her answering machine and Cameron leaves a message.

I love this Cameron Crowe Commentary because it's really like being over your friend's house watching a movie. You help him put his kids to bed, you hang out with his wife, and then he's like do you want to say "Hi" to Tom Criuse and you're embarassed because you don't know him, but you say sure and the conversation is akward but at least you can tell your friends that you talked to Tom Cruise