Speilberg's sister is rumoured to be a Scientologist...
Just saying, I strongly doubt that Speilberg laughed about Cruise privately or otherwise.
I read and reread Cruise's comments in that exchange and I agree with his general stance on the fact, as to Ritalin...however, some psychotropics actually alter brain chemistry such that an afflicted person is helped to remedy their original problem by way of (some) medications, and can hopefully do well without them later.
On the other hand, the entire interview seems to have run amok (d'oh) and my initial intuitive doubts about the motives of this film (Speilberg's rendition of "The War of the Worlds") is now confirmed. Meaning, the entire project seems to be a vehicle for something, well, creepy, all things considered.
I'm thinking that there is excellent filmmaking involved (such that it'll be a rewarding viewer experience) but there's some sort of overtone to the whole project that bespeaks of something, well, creepy, for lack of a more effective description.
I know I used to love swimming in the open ocean until I saw JAWS, and to this day, I wish I'd never seen it. Not that it was a "bad" film, just that it produced a bad effect.