Cruise's Career Reboot: Mission Possible?

He shimmied out on to stage, hips jerking, arms waving, looking every bit like the dorky dad at the Bar Mitzvah desperately trying to get down, driving the 13-year-olds off the dance floor in droves. It was hilarious. And for the first time in a long time, it got people talking not about his beliefs, not about his behavior, but about him. 'Tis the summer of Tom Cruise.

The 47-year-old actor is attempting to reestablish himself as a box office behemoth and remind audiences that hey, he's not just the weirdo who jumped on Oprah Winfrey's couch, told Matt Lauer "You don't know the history of psychiatry, I do" and claimed Scientology cured his dyslexia. He's dancing with J. Lo at the MTV Movie Awards.

He's riding motorcycles and shooting gunswith Cameron Diaz. He's a movie star, really! Convincing audiences of that has been Cruise's real mission impossible. Once Hollywood's go-to action star, Cruise has seen his big screen productions eclipsed over the last few years by grainy Internet videos of him at Scientology ceremonies, accepting the organization's "Freedom Medal of Valor," saluting founder L. Ron Hubbard, and talking about how the religion changed his life.

His latest major movie roles in the commercially successful but critically questionable "Valkyrie" and the utter flop "Lions for Lambs" shot him further away from "Top Gun" territory. Tom Cruise received mixed reviews for the 2008 WWII drama "Valkyrie." "Tom took too much spotlight away from his career as an actor by heavy handedly preaching Scientology, pushing his romance with Katie Holmes down the public's throats, and acting like he knows all the answers," Village Voice columnist Michael Musto said. "Ever since then, he's been faced with the challenge of restoring the focus to the fact that he's a movie star, not a demagogue with a crush." That may be why he's relying on his most well received role in recent memory, albeit a minor one, to resurrect his reputation.

Cruise spent little time on screen as the hot-headed, filthy-mouthed Les Grossman in 2008's "Tropic Thunder," but grinding to Ludacris' "Get Back" in suspenders, a fat suit and too-tight dress pants garnered him a Golden Globe nomination. The MTV Movie Awards served as the perfectvenue to reintroduce Les Grossman to younger demographic.

ABCnews

Simon Cowell Gives 5-Year Old Girl Last Wish Just Days Before She Dies

A five year-old girl died just three days after achieving her 'Britain's Got Talent' dream by singing for Simon Cowell. Brave Bethany Fenton, who had an inoperable brain tumor, pleaded with her parents to perform 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' in front of the reality TV boss.

Her wish was granted last Saturday when she sang to Simon backstage and told him a knock- knock joke before the TV show's nail-biting final. Bethany also met some of the finalists including 13 year-old drummer Kieran Gaffney who wore her hospital tag on his wrist for luck.

But sadly she lost her fight for life at breakfast time Tuesday at Oxford's Radcliffe Hospital after a sudden deterioration in her condition. Her parents Gemma and Sean were too upset to comment at their home in Fairford, Gloucs. Family friend Robin Thompson said: "Saturday night was the highlight of Bethany's short life. "She told her parents 'It was the most wonderful day of my life and I am so happy'.

"Sean thinks that in some curious way she held on so that she could achieve her dream." Bethany was diagnosed with a tumour last year and surgeons said it was impossible to remove as it was inside the brain, growing outwards. She underwent chemotherapy but a second MRI in September revealed it was still growing. Her parents emptied their savings into a search for possible treatments and Bethany had recently started a new trial treatment at The Royal Marsden in London.

Speaking at the weekend after her dream came true, she said: "I loved them all, especially Kieran, who asked for my wristband to give us both luck. "Simon let me sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to him. He's so nice and I love him. "The hotel was awesome and all the people so friendly. They made me and my brother Louis so happy. And the food was yummy."

Former soldier Sean, 41, said at the weekend: "The highlight of the day was meeting Simon Cowell, who was a true gentleman, joking with Bethany and listening intently as she sang to him.

"Janey Cutler and Kieran Gaffney really made a fuss of her and when all the acts were on the stage at the end of the show you could see Kieran was holding Bethany's hospital tag for luck. "Amanda Holden completed a great day by giving the family a cake each and telling jokes to Bethany. She was such a nice lady."

Bethany - sister to Louis, 11, Gracie, two, and two month-old Millie - sang to Simon in his dressing room after afternoon rehearsals and met fellow judges and cast over tea.

FOX News