By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Tom Cruise has weathered ridicule, intense speculation about his family life, bumpy stretches at the box office brought on by audience disdain for his personal antics and some ill-considered movie projects. Yet he is right where he was when 1986's "Top Gun" vaulted him to superstardom: On top.
Just turned 50, Tom Cruise is eligible for membership in the American Association of Retired Persons. Just split from third wife Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise is the object of told-you-so cynics who simply knew that romance wouldn't last. Just finished with his stab at something really different as a heavy-metal rock god in "Rock of Ages," Tom Cruise is coming off one of the lowest-grossing movies in his career.
![DREW ANGERER / THE WASHINGTON TIMES
"There's just something about the relationship between Harry [and his best friends] Ron and Hermione that resonated with so many people," Bethesda resident Cat O'Dell said before going in to watch the Harry Potter marathon at the AMC Loews Georgetown. The final installment debuts Thursday night.](http://media.washtimes.com/media/image/2011/07/13/20110713-203034-pic-427047353_s101x67.jpg?3f8f75feaa16a88f2d94cdcab8953f23a5f589cd)
Fourteen years ago, the door opened at No. 4 Privet Drive, ushering millions of people into the life and adventures of Harry Potter - arguably the world's most famous wizard. And Thursday night, as the credits begin to roll, the story of the boy who lived there will come to a close.
