JERRY MAGUIRE
Copyright 1996 D & S Associates
Tom Cruise is Jerry Maguire, a hot shot sports agent with 72 clients who's yanked back to humanity by the son of a hockey player suffering his 4th concussion. Jerry writes a mission statement for his company, SMI, recommending providing more care for client's welfare by serving fewer clients and bringing in less money. This action, while secretly admired by many, promptly gets him fired. One accountant, single mom Dorothy Boyd played by newcomer Rene Zellweger, is inspired to follow him. Only one client, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s Rod Tidwell, a second tier wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, remains.
LAURA:
Simply put, "Jerry Maguire" is the best commercial Hollywood film I've seen so far this year. Cameron Crowe has written and directed a story that operates on many levels and rings 100% true on every one of them.
"Jerry Maguire" is a romance, the story of a man going to the bottom from the top professionally and back again, the story of a man finding himself, a view into the building of a friendship and those friends teaching each other life lessons and the story of a single mom following her heart while raising a son. It IS a comedy, but it's a comedy based on real human emotion.
Tom Cruise gives his best performance to date here - he hasn't been this appealing since "Risky Business" broke him into our consciousness. I haven't seen all his competition yet, but I hope he gets Academy recognition for this role - he really deserves it. He's sexy, charming, frustrated, caring, conflicted, passionate and honorable. Rene Zellweger is a find as Dorothy, the woman who believes she's 'taken advantage' of Maguire at his low point. The two have real chemistry together. Bonnie Hunt is fun as Laurel, Dorothy's sister, who provides unwished for practical advice all the while knowing that love is blind. Cuba Gooding Jr. matches Cruise toe-to-toe as the washed up footballer needing an attitude adjustment. Regina King is wonderful as his loving (pregnant) wife Marcy - the two have a great marriage and it shows (glows?). Newcomer Jonathan Lipnicki as Ray Boyd, Dorothy's son, is quirkily adorable, although also responsible for one of the film's few shortfallings. It's so obvious that Lipnicki adores Tom Cruise that he's clearly not acting and it draws one out of the film.
Technically, this is a quality production all around. I particularly liked the soundtrack, which uses snippets of many varied songs to good effect. When Cruise cruises the radio dial trying to find something to match his mood and settles in with and bellows along with "Free Falling", it's infectious!
Cuba Gooding Jr.'s motto is 'Show me the money!'. Well, I've been shown - I've seen "Jerry Maguire."
A
ROBIN:
It stuns me that I'm saying that "Jerry Maguire" is the best thing to come out of Hollywood (with the exception of my personal favorite "The Hunchback of Notre Dame") in 1996. There. I said that about a film starrung Tom Cruise.
Cameron Crowe has written a first-class screenplay and couple it with a professional and talented cast and crew. His "Jerry Maguire" is an old-fashioned romantic and sports comedy, with a multi-threaded story that dovetails nicely in its several directions, coming nicely together in the end. I haven't seen this kind of crafting, except from the independent film arena, in a long, long time. Especially from Hollywood.
Tom Cruise give his best performance, yet, as the sports agent who develops a conscience and heart. Jerry Maguire learns the qualities of loyalty, integrity, friendship and love and Cruise does an admirable job of portraying this man. Both Maguire and Cruise are charmers.
Cuba Gooding JR., as pro footbal jock, Rod Tidwell, is funny and flashy and is a major contributor to the humor and quality of "Jerry Maguire". When he gets, finally, what he wants, you feel good for him and his wife, played strongly and effectively by Regina King.
Newcomers Renee Zellweger and Jonathan Lipnicki as Cruise' romantic interest, Dorothy and her little boy, Ray, are solid, if not exceptional. Crowe uses little Jonathan Lipnicki to very good advantage, while avoiding overwhelming you with overt cuteness. (For example, one of the lines to come from the moppet is, "Do you know the human head weighs eight pounds?" Not typical cute kid dialog.
The rest of the cast, led by Bonnie Hunt, do a good job of keeping the background characters full and three dimensional. Like real people.
My only complaint is that, toward the end, as Jerry and Dorothy face their romantic crisis, things drag a little. Fortunately, it picks itself up quickly and finishes with a flourish.
"Jerry Maguire" is my first place recommendation for your holiday movie going.
A-
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