Where to Stream: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief



Powered by Reelgood

Last night, Alex Gibney‘s controversial documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief exposed the likes of church founder L. Ron Hubbard, current Chairman of the Board David Miscavige, and the religion’s most famous face, Tom Cruise. Through exclusive interviews with former members of the notorious Church of Scientology as well as author Lawrence Wright, whose book of the same name inspired the documentary, Going Clear dissects how this religion came to fruition, how exactly it has evolved, and how celebrity has become their strongest asset during a period of international criticism and drastic membership decline.

Though it’s too early to tell whether Gibney’s film will successfully discredit Scientology’s origins and hypocritical practices on a large scale, the watercooler conversation after its HBO premiere is not surrounding the bizarre story of galactic overlord Xenu but the (alleged) scandals involving the world’s biggest movie star: Tom Cruise. Going Clear may not have the power nor the influence to defame one of the world’s most recognizable faces, but Scientology has without a doubt chipped away at Cruise’s reputation bit by bit — by way of three bitter divorces and multiple PR nightmares — and last night’s premiere hacked away at another rather large chunk. In addition to the investigation of Cruise’s church-wide admiration and brotherly relationship with Miscavige, the takeaway of Gibney’s delving into Cruise was his alleged invasion of ex-wife Nicole Kidman’s privacy, as well as his receiving of elaborate gifts and services on Scientology’s tax-exempt dime.

With Wright’s research backed up by former Scientology executive Marty Rathbun’s filmed confessions—we should note here that Tom Cruise’s legal team has denied all of these allegations—Cruise is said to have been involved in tapping Kidman’s phone lines toward the end of their marriage, as she was believed to have been a Suppressive Person (or “SP”) in the eyes of Miscavige. Through the unraveling of their relationship, Wright and Gibney allege the Church specifically targeted the couple’s two adopted children by reiterating through auditing sessions that their mother was a potentially dangerous SP, involving Isabella and Connor Antony Cruise in a rather bitter custody battle, to which Miscavige and his crew incessantly fueled the fire.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFBZ_uAbxS0]

But controlling the actor’s relationships (the doc made note of Cruise’s bizarre short-lived relationship with Homeland actress and former Scientologist Nazanin Boniadi, who was reportedly subjected to harsh labor practices following her falling out with Cruise) isn’t the only way Miscavige and Company have influenced the movie star’s perspective of the church. Both Wright’s book and Gibney’s film claim that Miscavige has kept Cruise (as well as the church’s other celebrities) in the dark about the Sea Organization’s mistreatment of its clergy members, who often receive little to no pay for tending to the actor’s every need during his stays at California’s Gold Base and beyond. Miscavige had Sea Org members and other church executives like Rathbun customize Cruise’s motorcycles, vehicles, and lavish quarters at no cost to the actor. Receiving such hospitality from church members who make less than fifty dollars per week raises red flags against both Miscavige and Cruise; while the claims that Miscavige has hidden such labor practices from his friend, Cruise is just as capable of turning a blind eye as Miscavige is to sweeping Scientology’s history of abuse under the rug.

Cruise’s failure to participate in Gibney’s account is a double-edged sword. If he were to go on camera (or even send his lawyer in his place) and defend the church, Cruise not only risks his friendship with Miscavige but almost certainly opens himself up to criticism and questions regarding controversial church practices that he may very well not be able to answer honestly. Yet by not reacting publicly whatsoever, the actor leaves behind any hope in controlling his side of the conversation — thus leaving the general public and hard-hitting investigators to their own devices. It also means that longtime fans are left to wonder if the A-lister has in fact taken advantage of slave labor practices through the Sea Org that are masked behind Miscavige’s generosity — or, more personally, instigated a paranoid attack on his ex-wife’s personal privacy.

Though Edge of Tomorrow was an unexpected hit, Cruise’s career has undoubtedly suffered since the mid-‘00s. The movie star still manages to bring in the mega blockbuster bucks, but between Rock of Ages, Jack Reacher, and Oblivion, it’s becoming more clear that the 52-year-old actor may be stuck playing the role of washed-up action hero with Mission Impossible, Top Gun, and Jack Reacher sequels being his only projects on the horizon.

Whether or not this stagnation has anything to do with Scientology is unlikely. It’s common with men of a certain age (Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Will Smith, for example) who are hesitant to break out of the mold that made them, the types of roles they’re most comfortable playing. It is also unlikely Cruise will fall to the same fate as Mel Gibson, whose personal anti-Semitic beliefs famously all but destroyed the Oscar winner’s hope of any future notable acting or directing endeavors. The rattling of Cruise, however, feels just as so: a rattling. While it’s possible producers would rather not deal with the drama of an actor who’s a ticking time bomb of talk show preaching, Cruise still feels somewhat invincible, not to mention his gaggle of domestic and international fans who may view the crackdown on Scientology as propaganda seeking to destroy a public figure.

Paranoia, however, could aid the star’s eventual fall from grace. In a way, paranoia is as much a pillar of Scientology as auditing, resulting in keeping those afraid of Miscavige and his glorified henchmen living in fear. “Disconnecting” with family members who question Scientology’s practices is a form of paranoia: if they start asking questions, it’s time to cut the cord. You feel threat from the outside? Whether it be criticism and media scrutiny or investigations into the legality of human rights violations, there’s only one way to react: push back. As highlighted in Going Clear, acting defensively until the opposing threat is physically, financially, or morally broken is a part of Hubbard’s teachings.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFgF1JPNR5E]

Paranoia works just as effectively in keeping information behind closed doors. Both versions of Going Clear suggest that John Travolta would rather bow his head and remain in the church rather than run the risk of having his most private auditing sessions revealed to the public. According to Wright’s research, Scientology effectively has Travolta imprisoned under the ever-looming threat of blackmail that insinuates revelations about the actor’s personal life. The same is possible for Cruise, who has been awarded a special Freedom Medal of Valor by Miscavige for his work across the world in promoting Scientology. Public figures of the religion are indebted to the cause in more ways than one, often caving under the pressure to promote Scientology and donate regularly to the church’s current and future projects. Cruise will most likely continue his crusade for the church that has given him so much and has the potential to use so much against him. So will Going Clear be the end of Tom Cruise’s career as we know it? It’s a tad too early to tell, but as of now, it merely looks like a another tiny chip away at his reputation.

[Going Clear is available to stream on HBO Go]

RELATED: ‘GOING CLEAR’ IS THE INCREDIBLE DOC WE EXPECTED — BUT WILL IT BRING SCIENTOLOGY’S DEMISE?

Like what you see? Follow Decider on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation, and sign up for our email newsletters to be the first to know about streaming movies and TV news!

Photos: Everett Collection